Year of publication 1960 - Fell and Rock Climbing Club

CLIMBS AND EXPEDITIONS 79He carried a light tent, cooked where possible on wood, fished in theevening for a supper of sea trout or charr and was able to makejourneys of seven or eight days without being overburdened.Except for a fisherman who had flown up to a lonely lake, he metno other traveller on his journeys in Norway. In Sweden, however,in certain areas, even though isolated and far from road and rail,the tourist industry flourishes, served by well-marked tracks and achain of huts.Starting from Narvik, Spenceley made two journeys into themountains extending to the frontier, climbing Salkacokka (5,558 feet)and the Domstind (4,904 feet). At Storvatn Cuno Javrre he waitedtwo days in poor weather for an opportunity to climb Storstienfjell(6,237 feet) the highest and most isolated of this group. FromSkjomdalen, where he reprovisioned, Spenceley made a five daytrek to Kebnekaise (6,965 feet, Sweden's highest mountain) at thefoot of which there is a well appointed Fjellstation served by a dailyhelicopter service.There were many fine mountains here, but the rock was poor—there was none of the sound grey granite of northern Norway—andthere were so many other walkers that the expedition flavour waslost, even if in compensation there were sunburnt Swedish blondesto delight the eye. In the company of two Swedes—blonde but ofthe male sex—Spenceley made the traverse of Kebnekaise, a fineexpedition of almost Alpine character.Three days' journey to the south-east near the head of the Kaitumalv, far from all tourist routes, he found a small community ofsemi-nomadic mountain Lapps and lived with them for a time.Quite different from the dressed up 'tourist Lapps' of morefrequented parts, they were simple, kindly and hospitable. For sometime in the company of a reindeer calf astray from its herd, Spenceleymade a four-day journey through the birch forests bordering theKaitum alv to Fjallasen on the railway.He concluded his holiday by visiting the hills of north-eastFinland, but the short summer was over. The mosquitoes had gone,but a bitterly cold north wind brought days of wet September snow.ALPSCHAMONIXThe following notes have been supplied by Geoff Oliver.In late July, 1959 I arrived in Chamonix to be greeted with mixedweather. During the first week I did two routes.Aiguille du Peigne, North ridge, with Les Brown: a magnificentrock climb which was marred slightly when we dropped a sackcontaining an expensive camera.Aiguille du Giant, South face, with Mev (Melville) Connell: acompletely artificial route in an exposed situation. Another ClubF