... and so we come to the three-day 'Norwegian epic' ... which we very nearly did not return from. Saved by a whisker on an apparently terminal fall in which we both parted company with the mountain... My knee was very badly injured, so we then had an epic struggle to get to the top (retreat was not an option - too dangerous in the conditions) and a terrible time when we lost the descent route completely.
PLEASE DO NOT VOTE ON THIS PICTURE (UNLESS YOU WISH TO MAKE A FOOL OF YOURSELF!) - IT IS HERE PURELY FOR THE HISTORICAL RECORD.
John took a lot of good pictures, which he's got in America .. I only have this because it's so bad. But it does show just how sombre and daunting this huge, mile-high face is. It was completely out of condition when we attempted it, with a lost of rotten melting snow, and wet rock. John took this a week after our accident when most of the snow had gone. The route we did was the Fiva Route. Starts ups slabs just R of centre... 2000 foot of grassy wet slabs before the difficulties begin. Then it follows a huge gully system in the centre of the picture where there's a line of small snow patches (the second one from the top was two full 150 rope lengths across - the accident happened just below there)

Further note: When I said John took a lot of good pictures, I meant of the whole holiday, and NOT the Fiva Route. We were far too involved in the huge problems it presented us for photography. I think there is literally just one shot of myself entering the gully system on the first day, and then, amazingly, one other taken probably c. 2.30 am (midnight sun, so gloomy, with weird sunrise) by John, looking out of the gully where we bivvied for about an hour and a half after the accident. I suppose he thought, 'I'd better take a snap for posterity in case we never get out of here.'