When hydration systems first came out, they seemed like a really good idea - dehydration affects performance , and with deeper breathing at high altitude leading to more loss of fluid through exhaled air, and the dry mountain air getting rid of sweat faster, it's really important to stay hydrated from both a performance perspective and to avoid the onset of acute mountain sickness.

The problem is that, despite being a great concept, they simply don't work in an alpine environment. The number of times I've had clients who swear by their hydration systems, and then later in the week, one of the folllowing happens:

1. The tube freezes (allegedly avoidable by blowing back in to the reservoir)
2. The nipple gets torn off - particularly likely with Australian duck billed mammal types.....
3. Client either doesn't drink all the water or leaves loads behind at the end of the day

All the same, the week commencing 15th June was super hot and I was multi pitch rock climbing at speed, so I thought I'd give it a go again. I have a system from Source that is more robust than Australian duck billed mammals. on day 1, we went cragging at Arnad in Italy and on pitch 7, I felt a few drops of water. Looking up at the sky, there were a few clouds but nothing that looked like rain. After a few minutes, I realised the drops were only on my right leg. The nipple was leaking (not as bad as being ripped off at least).

Then the next day we were due to walk in to the Gramusset hut underneath the Pointe Percée so I filled it completely, shoved it down the sleeve in the back of the rucksack, and then packed the sack fully for 2 days away. Then went to pick the sack up to go out the door half an hour later, to discover a big pool of water on the floor, and an empty hydration system. I guess that the compression of the bladder had started a syphoning effect.

So - that's it - no more hydration system use for me, unless I can afford to get either wet or thirsty, which kind of loses the point of them in the first place, eh?

May and early june is the time for guides to go on holiday, and for this guide it's rock climbing rather than the beach. Just back from a 2 day hit in Orco on the south side of the Gran Paradiso. It's my first time to visit this valley, fabled for its granite, and came away very impressed. It's been great to do some UK style adventure climbing, complete with nuts and cams, get a bit scared running it out from self placed pro (a rare experience in continental Europe), and then have the opportunity after climbing to eat great pasta and drink even better coffee.

The climbing in Orco is the closest I've been to Yosemite style granite, but possibly even rougher, and the jamming scars on my hands after 5 months in ski gloves are testament to that. Can't wait to get back there to do some of the longer routes.

It's very strange, but the quietest time of the year in Chamonix is also one of the best. I was up doing some alpinism from the Helbronner lift last week, and conditions were just great.

The south facing rock was all dry - it's no coincidence that the Catherine Destivelle film was shot on the Grand Capucin at this time of year. I spoke to a French guide who had just done the North face of the Tour Ronde and reckoned the conditions were great for both climbing and skiing. The face had been skied the day before (if 55 degree stuff is your cup of tea!). Not only that, but the weather in the valley is great for rock climbing too. All the crags are dry, so loads of quality rock is ready to be sampled.

The downsides? No huts apart from the Cosmiques are open, and the only uplift is the Midi and the Montenvers railway on the Cham side, and Hlebronner over in Italy. But if long approach walks an unguarded huts are your thing, then there are endless possibilities. Even if not, there's still loads to do from day hits from the Midi.

Well - it's all over. Winter that is. The Fat Lady is singing, and the youths of Chamonix have been attempting to ski across the swimming pool at the Grands Montets end of season party.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to make this such a great season: skiers, climbers, hotel staff and hut guardians, lifties, the Eagles, the Ski Club of GB.

See you all in 2010, if not before!

Here's a thing you don't see very day: having cached our skis at the high point on the Piz Buin last week, we were scrambling up the initial section when we encountered a large poodle being walked down from the summit having negotiated the crux pitch!

In the words of the great Frank Zappa:

Now a long time ago, the poodle used to be a very attractive dog. The poodle had hair evenly distributed all over its small piquant canine type BODY. That's the way it used to be, the poodle used to be a regular looking dog. You know it's true, I guess you do too.

Anyway listen, check this out. The poodle used to look good, you know the regular dogs that used to hang out in the neighbourhood looked at the poodle, didn't think anything of it. You know, they didn't use to make fun of it in the
olden days.

Here we go on a 3 week tour of Austrian ski touring with the Eagle Ski Club: the last 6 days in the Silvretta have given us some blizzard conditions on day 1 (shades of last year´s season), an ascent of the Piz Buin in challenging semi-Scottish weather and some great powder on the last day coming down from the Wiesbadner hut.

More snow forecast for the Stubai this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. Bring it on....

The thing with Scotland, it can be REALLY awful ;)

The trick is to be in the right place at the right time, whether by good luck or good judgment. Darren and I arrived at the end of a 2 week period when, after some the coldest weather and deepest snow in Scotland for many years, there had been a period when the temperatures had been through the roof. In the Alps, they call it the föhn, in North America the Chinook, and in Scotland they call it the hair dryer. The buttresses below 1100m were black, some remnants of ice held on in the high gullies, and the BMC International Winter Meet had been having some great days rock climbing at Dunkeld and Pass of Ballater.

Enter Perkins and Sheppard, and the temperatures drop and a shedload of snow falls. It's all talent and sophistication on our part, I tell you. 5 days later, we've had days on the Ben, Stob Coire nan Lochan, Aonach Mor, the Northern Corries and (for the first time in about 20 years) a visit to the queen of the east, Lochnagar.

On Aonach Mor we were breaking trail in up to chest deep snow, the first time I've had to do that in Scotland for many years. It should be well set up for a good few days now, with a thaw setting in just after we left on the Friday and now it's gone cold straight after, so conditions should be great.

Meanwhile I'm now back in Chamonix preparing my skis, and Darren is back behind his desk.

Right place right time?

Some people fall asleep afterwards... ;)

Just back from a 6 day safari from Verbier to Zermatt with Robert and Gillian, skiing untracked valleys on a couple of occasions despite not having fresh snow for 2 weeks.

All good stuff....

A quick scoot around Le Tour today with some chums, taking in 2 back bowl runs and a Posettes Couloir. Despite the avalanche risk of 4 and people skiing EVERYWHERE, nothing seemed to move. The slopes in there must get skied so much that the base is settled down, though one slope did feel a little edgy to me.

Ironically, it may be the less frequented resorts which are now more dangerous like Les Gets where there was a a fatality yesterday, or Le Clusaz where an avalanche victim was rescued alive due to 2 off duty pisteurs being nearby.

Let's all take it easy out there....