"A SAFE NORTH FACE"
An ascent of the north face of the Tour Ronde with a double leg amputee
by Dennis Morrod

Standing above the Geant glacier not far from the Torino Hut is a north face that at certain times and in good conditions makes for an exciting and safe climb. The Tour Ronde is 12,441ft (3,792m) above sea level. A start is made from the Torino Hut which is not much lower than the foot of the face at 10,896ft (3,321m).

Walking from the hut to the foot of the climb in the early hours of the morning is a pleasant walk over undulating, snow slopes with a final steep section to the bergschrund (the crevasse that invariably separates lower slopes from the mountain faces). Some times this crevasse is narrow and easy to cross. Usually it is too wide for comfort and requires some determination and effort to negotiate. Searching round in one direction or another usually allows a narrowing in the crevasse to be found.

I had already climbed the north face of the Tour Ronde six times previously, when I approached it in the summer of 1983 with Norman Croucher. We had met in the famous 'Bar National' in the French alpine town of Chamonix where I had been relaxing with a client, Mike Dick. Mike and I were preparing for an ascent of Mont Blanc, my eighty first ascent and Mike's first attempt. "Do you fancy climbing the north face of the Tour Ronde?" said Norman.

Going up to the Torino hut would be very good altitude training for Mike and I. Seeing how climbs are prepared for in the erly hours would be a good education for Mike. For Norman the whole trip would be one that would require an amount of effort that the vast majority of climbers could never dream of..............because Norman has two false legs!

Norman (on the right) at the Ice Tunnel on the Aig du Midi	The Grand Capucin (right) and the Tour Ronde N face (centre)

The events of the climb itself are well documented in the chapter "A Fine North Face" in Norman's second book "A Man And His Mountains (published by Kaye & Ward, Kingswood). The book is a fitting tribute to a man, a mountaineer, with no peers.

After leading the initial pitches it became obvious that Norman also was capable of leading. By keeping to the right of the face it was always possible to obtain rock belays for the majority of the stances. It was therefore safe to lead-through. While the climb never became a fight for survival and was a very pleasant climb my unusually large rucksack and Norman's (dare I say it) disability made for a serious climb and yet a safe one. Because of careless climbers the Tour Ronde has a terrible reputation. Far too many have been killed in falls and avalanches whilst climbing and descending from the mountain.

Mike Dick was waiting for us on our return the next day after a cold bivouac after which we were almost rescued by an oventhusiastic helicopter pilot looking for two Italian climbers. The following week he and I successfully climbed Mont Blanc.

Norman.......he had already climbed it!