Today was a full value adventure, that was as psychologically and mentally taxing as it was physically as we made an ascent for the rock spires of the Tour Germaine in the Vallee Etroite.

Our early start paid dividends as we were able to walk upto the base of the climb in the cool morning shade, having driven over and had breakfast in the valley before setting off at just after 8am. It’s a long, but well marked path up steep scree slopes to get to some smaller pinnacles (called Donjon del la Monaca) and the base of the climb.

The closer we got to the base of the tower, the more intimidating it became as it rose up above us! What was more nerve wracking was the knowledge that there were only a few bolts to lead the way and we’d have to be using our route finding experience to follow the route to the top.

We set off cautiously, and were relieved to see a bolt, at the top of the first scrambling pitch, indicating that we were setting out from the right starting point! There were 11pitches of climbing to come, so we focused on the task in hand and continued upwards using a combination of a topo sketch, a description translated from a French guidebook and our intuition. It took a few pitches to get into the groove and I got a bit of a fright when I reached the top of the first tower. From here you were supposed to abseil 10m into a gap and then continue up the next tower. However, on arrival at the highest point, wrapped around some blocks the size of dustbins, were some sun faded and frayed pieces of old rope to abseil from and behind them, a drop of about 100m not 10m!

Before panicking too much, I looked around at my options and saw just below me on a second, slightly lower spire, a solid looking chain belay! I’d climbed the wrong peak! Carefully, but very grateful to be heading towards something much more solid and less terrifying, I down climbed, and escaped across back to the correct route.

After the abseil into the gap, and pulling through our ropes, it was going to be easier to carry on up to the summit than attempt to reverse our route, despite harder climbing still above us. We also now had the intimidating exposure of climbing the arete, which rock still towering above us.

I had led a pitch up to a stance that the guidebook had translated as ‘Ariel’. It tuned out to be an outrageously exposed position, high above the scree slopes. I had a small ledge to stand on and two high bolts to clip. Once attached to these, I had to lean back over the 100m or vertical drop and let the ropes take my weight as Clare came up to join me.

There was barely room for both us at the stance, so Clare had to push through onto the next pitch, which happened to have the wildest moves. From the hanging stance, she had to reach up and make a move over an overlap to reach a bolt, then pull over the lip to climb further upwards and reach more protection. It would have made some incredible footage, but I was concentrating on holding the ropes (and ignoring the drop below me) rather than thinking of photos! I happily followed with a tight rope!

With the crux moves behind us, settled weather and plenty of time, we began to relax more into the climbing on the upper sections as it started to feel like we might just make it to the top. We still had to focus and hold it together as the route finding and exposure required full concentration.

I set off up what the description called ‘final wall’, following a cool crack pitch that had plenty of protection and even a few bolts to clip. It was a great moment, when I pulled over the last blocks, to be greeted by the summit Madonna statue. We’d made it!

Clare was soon up at the top and wide eyed, we high-fived and hugged, while both breathing huge sighs of relief! What a climb!

The photos don’t really capture the exposure or atmosphere, but it was an incredible 360 panorama.

Tied to a piton at the foot of the Madonna, we took off our packs and had some food and drink, while giggling nervously and spontaneously letting out great sighs! We still had to get down of course, so couldn’t properly drop our guard, but allowed ourselves a bit of rest and a short lie down, before working out how to get off the far, and as yet unseen side of the peak.

On the far side of the summit a small rock cairn indicated the side of some abseil chains. A 30m rappel down a gully brought us to the base of a small path, which was also marked by cairns (the guide said do a 20m abseil and down climb, but 30m seemed much easier and safer). The second down climb had a bolt above it, so we abseiled the 8m into the col behind the peak where the scree slopes started.

This is the view looking down towards the valley and the scree descent.

The screes were pretty active, but a rough path remained and helpful cairns appeared along the way. The further down the slopes, from the cliffs and out of the danger of any rockfall we got, the more excited we became!

We kept stopping and looking back up, barely believing where we’d just been!

On reaching the shade of the first pine trees, we stopped, threw off our gear and downed the last of our remaining water.

Not long after, we reached the valley and cooled off once again in the river. While lying out on the blanket, we viewed the peak through the binoculars, re-living the climb.

I looked a long way off, but we could see the Madonna through the lenses!

Tour Germaine (2197m)

• Spigolo Boccalatte (25m) 2b, 4a, 5a, 4c, (10m Abseil), 4b, 5a, 4b, 4c, 4c, 2c, 4c**

(Alpine Grade ‘Difficile’. Bolted belays and a couple of bolts/pitons per pitch)