Uscita: SA2-2006 Gita4 / Aiguille d’Argentiere

RIGHINI TEAM SUMMITS AIGUILLE D’ARGENTIERE
A group of 21 ski-mountaineers of the internationally renowned Righini school of Milan, lead by Roberto Bez and Guido Fossati, summited the Aiguille d’Argentie’re on April 23, 2006. The group climbed the Aiguille from the SW side, with skis to the final, steep (45°) slope, then with crampons and ice-axes. ‘Our team did a tremendous job Mr Bez stressed to the press back in Chamonix considering that all members made the top with no fixed ropes, no oxygen and virtually no panini (sandwiches)’. A stable, sunny weather favoured the enterprise. ‘We had to endure the penitentiary diet of the Refuge d’Argentie’re commented Francesco ‘Cero’ Cerino, one of the snowboarders of the group but we were all in top form and very motivated’. ‘The soup was a real sbobba (slop)’ confirmed Hero Poppens, a Dutch free-rider and sole non-Italian member of the expedition.
On the following day the group moved through the Col du Chardonnet and Fenêtre de Saleina to the Cabane du Trient in Switzerland, an extremely demanding high-altitude trek entailing some vertiginous rappelling all at considerable speed. ‘We got to the hut well ahead of schedule Mr Bez proudly said which allowed us to perform a drill in collective avalanche-victim search, one of the favoured leisure activities at Righini’. ‘Indeed, our specialists proved once again able to locate countless ARVAs in record time added Mr Fossati even though I still recommend to stay out of avalanches when possible’.
The only regret of the team was the retreat from the infamous Aiguille du Tour on April 25, due to adverse weather conditions. ‘We were just 300 ft or so below the summit when the snowstorm worsened explained hard-nosed Lorenzo Conserva I was ready to bivouac and to wait for a sunny spell but I understand that not all team members were amenable to spending a night or two in a makeshift igloo talking about mountaineering’.
After leaving France the group celebrated the success of the raid with a rich de’jeuner sur l’herbe in the idyllic scenery of the parking lot of Arnad’s paretone (big wall). ‘We were all very happy, only missing Subcomandante Pieretti, who could not join for eleventh-hour logistic problems’ concluded an anonymous member of the team.
[from Alpinist Magazine, 2006]