Alex was one of several British climbers who were proficient in 'front point climbing, a style of climbing accomplished through the use of crampons with two front-slanting points or spikes which allow traction to be concentrated at the toe of a climber's boots. This allowed the British group to make a light and fast ascent, relatively unencumbered by gear and supplies, ascending and descending in a shorter time than traditional climbing methods allowed. During this period, MacIntyre and his climbing partners ascended the Grandes Jorasses giant ice sheet The Shroud in a single day, and also accomplished the first non-sieged ascent of the Harlin Direct on the Eiger North Face.