Osmo Junkkarinen, from Finland, climbed with Mark for nine days. We started in the Chamonix area, climbing the Crocheus Traverse, a day of ice on the Mer de Glace, the Petite Aiguille Verte and the Arête des Cosmique on the Aiguille du Midi, before heading over to the Zermatt area in search of drier weather. There, they did a mixed route on the south side of the Breithorn, the Hohlaubgrat on the Allalinhorn, the Alphubel and finishing with the Rimpfischhorn.

The early part of the 2004 season was a mix of good and bad weather. We spent a fair bit of time in the cloud and several of our summit photos were in the mists. But even on these days, we had sunny spells where the mountains came out in all their finery.

Osmo from the Montenvers with the Mer de Glace behind.

We started our climbing with a Traverse of the Crocheus, a fun rock climb and scramble in the Aiguilles Rouges. This is a photo of Mont Blanc with the lenticular it sported the day of our climb.

Osmo on the Traverse.

As we begin our descent the clouds clear and it turns into a fine day.

The refuge at Lac Blanc with the Aiguilles du Chardonnet and Argentiere behind. We often like to stop here for a beer, Coke or maybe a piece of their fine fruit tarte.

On our third day (our second was spent ice climbing on the Mer de Glace) we did a fun ice route on the Petite Aiguille Verte. Though the Grand Aiguille Verte looms in the background and makes it a bit hard to pick out the Petite, you can still see our route climbing the ice face in the shadow up to the "Half Moon" then on to the rocky summit.

Osmo hooking tools at the top edge of the ice face.

After the Aiguille Verte we went up to the Cosmiques Hut where we climbed the Arête des Cosmiques on the Aiguille du Midi. We had also hoped to do the Pyramid du Tacul, but bad weather the next day forced us to reconsider our plans.

Here, climbers are descending from the Aiguille du Midi - the Grands Jorasses in the background

Osmo climbing on the Cosmiques Arête.

Snow fell that night (compare to the photo just above) with poor weather in the morning, and we thought better of trying the Pyramid.

Instead, we returned to Chamonix and the following day set our sights on the Gouter hut on Mont Blanc. Unfortunately, the weather remained poor and after a couple attempts to get from the Tete Rousse hut up to the Gouter (in which we were repeatedly chased back by thunder and lightening) we gave up and returned to Chamonix.

So on to Switzerland.....

Our first attempt was the Breithorn Half Traverse. But a quick look at this told us that the route was so plastered with new rime ice, that we opted for a slightly more forgiving line, directly up the south face below the east summit. I have never climbed this route before, but it proved to be fun, with bits of rock intermingled with steep snow.

Osmo part way up the Breithorn.

Finishing up the last bit of the west summit of the Breithorn.

After the Breithorn, we drove around to Saas Fee and continued up to the Britannia hut. This photos is from the hut looking up at the small bump tot he east, around sunset.

From the Britannia hut, we climbed the Hohlaubgrat on the Allalinhorn. A fun climb involving both rock and snow.

Descending the Allalinhorn. the same day we did the Hohlaubgrat on the Allalinhorn we continued over the Feechopf (the rocky peak in the middle distance) dashed up the Alphubel (in the cloud) and descended to the Täsch hut. A big day but much fun.

Looking back at the Allalinhorn from the summit of the Feechopf.

And our last of the day's three summits the Alphubel.

We then descended to the Täsch hut, seen here. This is a nice and small hut with great vies of the Weisshorn.

Enjoying the changing views from the Täsch hut.

And looking to the south from the Täsch hut.

And our next day's objective, the Rimpfischhorn. This photo was taken from near the top of the Feechopf. Here, the peak looks more like a snow climb, but the route involves much rock, which you can see in subsequent photos.

Osmo relaxes on the summit of the Rimpfischhorn. As will many of our climbs this week, we enjoyed a fine cloud on top.

But lower it cleared again, and we could see where we had been.