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their second ascent of the east face of the Grandes Jorasses. Their secretive ap-
proach ensured that they were held in awe by the more extrovert scene at Snell's
Field.
Needing a fourth person for the
Bonatti-Zapelli
, Braithwaite considered his op-
tions. John Bouchard, a friend from New England, who had already done a new
route on the north face of the Grands Charmoz that year, made it clear that he was
also seeking a partner to attempt the
Bonatti-Zapelli
, but as yet had no takers. For
reasons never clear, the British trio opted to invite Alex to join them rather than
Bouchard. One possible explanation is that Braithwaite and Bouchard were seeing
the same girlfriend, and John at least didn't know this. (Neither of them knew that
Alex was also spending time with her.) More likely the dynamics of the team would
not have worked so well if the incredibly fit, competitive, hyperactive American
had been asked to join. In his article, Alex described him merely as the 'obnoxious
Yank', but the two young stars always enjoyed their verbal jousts over a beer.
Braithwaite and the Burgesses decided to keep their true objective from Alex,
telling him that they were going to do an ascent of the easier, safer and more direct
Cecchinel-Nominè
which had a number of steep rock pitches. The
Bonatti-Zapelli
was mixed with some hard ice pitches. Looking at the gear put together for the
climb, Alex puzzled over the lack of rock pegs for what he thought would be a rock
climb. Tut, relishing the wind-up, simply said: 'You're right Alex, put in a couple
more ice screws.'
In the end, the team made a rapid and well-executed ascent. Alex was told the
true goal only when they reached the hut. Although a passenger on much of the
rock, Alex was, in the Burgesses' estimation, 'way good' when it came to the crucial
ice pitches, leading the twins through this section, while the exceptional Braith-
waite rope-soloed the pitches above. In the meantime, Bouchard, 'smelling a rat',
had raced off after them, intending to solo up the
Cecchinel-Nominè
and surprise
the other four. He got lost in the dark and ended up soloing a new route. To the
amazement of the twins, Alex and Tut, Bouchard appeared at dawn two hundred
metres below their bivvy on the crest of the Peuterey Ridge:
'Hey you guys,' he called up to them, 'I just soloed a new route on the Grand
Pilier. Can you do that?'
Al Burgess drily shouted back: 'You're not finished yet. Better get up here.'
When Bouchard arrived, he climbed straight through, telling the others: 'See you
guys in Chamonix.' A race ensued to reach the top of the ridge, Bouchard and
Braithwaite vying for the lead, while the other three trailed behind. The twins were
the last to leave the bivvy and caught Alex slumped over his axe and clearly strug-
gling, breathing hard and not enjoying the altitude. According to Alex's article he
