Au Vieux Campeur 1 rock&ice 1 THE AUTHOR Marco Romelli, native of Lombardy in Northern Italy, has been a mountaineer for twenty years, concen- trating mainly on the Mont Blanc massif. Illustrator of mountaineering guidebooks and magazines, his passion for the mountains does not stop at climbing, v2 which runs alongside drawing and photography in the mont blanc constant search for a complete aesthetic experience. LA CARTE CLUB AU VIEUX DE REMISE CAMPEUR C’EST : 10% SUR CERTAINS ACHATS classic & plaisir ET PARFOIS MIEUX… ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Marco Romelli Thanks go to Alpine Guide Patrick Gabarrou for the Marco Romelli interest he has shown in this new book. Thanks to Alpine Guide Raymond Angéloz (manager of the Cabane d’Orny), Alpine Guide Armando Chanoine (manager of the Monzino hut) and Alpine Guide Hervé Thivierge (www.grimpailler.com) for invaluable infor- mation on pre-existing itineraries and new routes. A special thank you to Elise Longin for her work and support throughout the writing of this guidebook, from repetitions of routes to historical research. Thanks also to Lucie Havelkova for indispensable classic & plaisir & classic “logistical support”, Alpine Guide Alessio Conz (www. lagoraiavventura.it) and Valentino Cividini for numer- ous photos, Enrico Mazzoleni for having given the SYMBOLE DU CHOIX, DU CONSEIL ET DU PRIX author the “bug” of passion for the magical world of Mont Blanc. Thanks to all the friends who have posed for photos, submitted images and accompanied the author pa- tiently on many repetitions and photography recces which were essential to the realization of this work. mont blanc Crédits photos : C. Durando - Test Flow/AVC - S. Jaulin AU VIEUX CAMPEUR EN FRANCE : 9 VILLES 9 788897 299219 > € 24,50 PARIS QUARTIER LATIN SALLANCHES ALBERTVILLE LYON TOULOUSE/LABÈGE MARSEILLE THONON-LES-BAINS STRASBOURG GRENOBLE www.auvieuxcampeur.fr Preface Idea Montagna has collaborated closely with ADMO (Associa- Opening a book about Mont Blanc is always a moving experience for me, tion for Bone Marrow Donation) - in the Climb for Life project, a mountain which I’ve dreamed of so much and which has given me so which aims to raise awareness about stem cell transplants (and the lives which this process can save) in the mountain- many dreams in return. eering community. First of all, I remember the moment when I discovered these mountains, www.admo.it - www.climbforlife.it at fourteen years old, thanks to Gaston Rebuffat’s beautifully entitled book, “Mont Blanc, jardin féérique”*. I am immensely grateful to Rébuffat, who through this book revealed to me a true high-altitude treasure, something I’d only dreamed of, PHOTOGRAPHS confusedly and ardently, coming from a flat region with All the photos were taken by the author, apart from images of huts and those specified below: no mountains. Raymond Angéloz pag. 20 e 31 in basso; Carlo Barbolini pag.239; Davide Barcella pag. 225; Emer Bavelloni pag. 57 in And then there are numerous memories of hours and alto; Davide Bordet pag. 116 in basso; Armando Chanoine pag. 215; Valentino Cividini pag. 50, 82, 92, 171 (alto), 177, 226, 235, 240, 263; Alessio Conz pag. 227, 228 e 229 in alto; Gian Paolo De Nicolò pag. 210 (alto), 214; Fabio Di Fede pag. 44 in hours spent there, in the heart of these mountains, which basso; Elise Longin pag. 35 in basso, 234, 283; Enrico Mazzoleni pag. 128, 161 (alto), 166, 168, 229 (basso), 238 (basso); little by little have become engraved in my memory. As well as Francesco Melchiori pag. 254; Jeffrey Moskowitz pag. 99; Brendan O’Sullivan pag. 133 (basso); Claude Quenot pag. 112. these, though, are the precious faces of so many companions, illumi- nated by the light and shade of the mountains. Faces alight with effort or enthusiasm, with fatigue or joy, with worry or relief, with wonder or First Edition: June 2012 confusion... ISBN: 978-88-97299-21-9 Let this book, so clearly the product of a true lifetime passion, reveal to Idea Montagna Editoria e Alpinismo Via Guido Rossa, 17 - 35016 Piazzola sul Brenta PD - Italy its readers those great places where dreams are made, along the main Tel. +39 049 9601797 roads or secret corners of this inexhaustible “enchanted garden”. Let it [email protected] - www.ideamontagna.it guide you in the realisation of those dreams, accomplished and wholly General Coordination: Francesco Cappellari shared in that unique relationship between climbers. Graphic Design: Rossella Benetollo - Officina Creativa - Padova Layout, image processing, maps: Irene Cappellari Illustrations/sketches: Marco Romelli Patrick Gabarrou English translation: Lynne Hempton Printed by: Litocenter Srl per conto di Idea Montagna Editoria e Alpinismo Cover Photo: Cosmiques Arête (Photo: Marco Romelli) * Jardin féérique: enchanted garden All rights reserved. Reproduction, including partial reprodution of text, drawings and photographs prohibited. Warnings: Rock climbing is a potentially fatal activity. The present guide is intended only for experienced rock climbers who are aware of the risks involved. This guide was compiled with the utmost care but there is no guarantee against the possibility of errors or omissions. The use of the information contained herrein is at the user’s own risk. The author and the publisher do not accept any responsability for any misadventure or any other consequences of its use. 5 031 Pointe Lachenal - Pointe Lachenal Traverse 150 032 Triangle du Tacul - Contamine-Négri 152 PREFACE 5 033 Triangle du Tacul - Contamine-Grisolle 154 INTRODUCTION 6 034 Triangle du Tacul - Contamine-Mazeaud 156 GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION 10 035 Triangle du Tacul - Goulotte Chéré 158 TECHNICAL INFORMATION 12 036 Mont Blanc du Tacul - Normal Route 160 USEFUL CONTACTS 18 037 Mont Maudit - Tour of the East Ridge 162 ONE ORNY - TRIENT 19 038 Monte Bianco - Three monts Traverse 164 001 Gendarme d’Orny - Papa Paye Route 24 SEVEN ST. GERVAIS - LES CONTAMINES 169 002 Aiguille de la Cabane - Voie du Bon Accueil 28 039 Monte Bianco - Normal Route via the Aiguille du Gouter and the Bosses Ridge 176 003 Aiguille d’Orny - La Moquette 32 040 Aiguille de Bionnassay - Ridge Traverse 179 004 Aiguilles Dorées - Copt Couloir 36 041 Dômes de Miage - Mettrier Ridge to the East Dome 183 005 Aiguille Sans Nom - S Arête and half traverse of the Aiguilles to the E 41 042 Dômes de Miage - Traverse from East to West 186 006 Tête Blanche - N Face 46 043 Aiguille Nord de Trélatête - Normal Route of the NNW Face 189 TWO TOUR BASIN 49 EIGHT VAL VENY - SEIGNE 191 007 Aiguille du Tour - Normal Route to the S Peak 54 044 Aiguille des Glaciers - Normal Route 198 008 Aiguille du Tour - Couloir de la Table 58 045 Dôme de Neige des Glaciers - Lanchettes Ridge 201 009 Aiguille du Chardonnet - Forbes Arête 60 046 Petit Mont Blanc - Normal Route 204 010 Aiguille du Chardonnet - Éperon Migot 65 047 Aiguille Est di Trélatête - East Ridge 206 THREE ARGENTIÈRE BASIN 69 048 Aiguille du Châtelet - Idroelettrica or Hydrotecnique 209 011 Petite Aiguille Verte - Normal Route 74 049 Aiguille Croux - Ottoz Route on the SE Face 211 012 Petite Aiguille Verte - Chevalier Couloir 76 050 Aiguille Croux - Cheney Route via the S Ridge 215 013 Aiguille de l’Argentière - Normal Route via the Milieu Glacier 79 NINE POINTE HELBRONNER - COL DU GÈANT 219 014 Aiguille de l’Argentière - Couloir en Y 82 051 Dent du Géant - Normal Route on the SW Face 224 015 Aiguille du Refuge - Le gateau de Riz 85 052 Aiguille de Rochefort - Normal Route via the Rochefort Ridge 227 016 Aiguille du Génépi - South Arête 88 053 Aiguilles d’Entrèves - SW-NE Traverse 230 FOUR MER DE GLACE 91 054 Tour Ronde - Normal Route via the SE Ridge 233 017 Lower Envers Slabs - Pilier des Rhodo-Dindons 96 055 Tour Ronde - North Face 237 018 Lower Envers Slabs - Voie Georges 96 056 Tour Ronde - Gervasutti Couloir 239 019 Lower Envers Slabs - Vingt Mille Lieues Sous la Neige 96 057 Roi de Siam - Le Lifting du Roi 242 020 Aiguille du Moine - South Arête 100 058 Pyramide du Tacul - East Ridge or “Ottoz Route” 245 021 Aiguille du Moine - Normal Route 104 TEN VAL FERRET 249 022 Aiguille Verte - Normal Route via the Whymper Couloir 107 059 Parete dei Titani - Génépi 1-2 253 FIVE AIGUILLES DE CHAMONIX 111 060 Monts Rouges de Triolet - Le Chamois Volant (3289m summit) 255 023 Aiguille de l’M - NNE Arête 115 061 Monts Rouges de Triolet - La Bérésina (3327m summit) 259 024 Lames Fontaine - Voie Abert 119 062 Mont Dolent - Normal Route 262 025 Aiguille du Peigne - Les Lépidoptères 123 026 Aiguille du Peigne - Arête des Papillons 127 ELEVEN AIGUILLES ROUGES 265 027 Aiguille du Peigne - Éperon des Minettes 130 063 Le Brévent - La Frison-Roche 270 064 Aiguille de Charlanon - Arête du Doigt 273 SIX AIGUILLE DU MIDI 135 065 Aiguille de l’Index - Perroux Route-SE Ridge Combination 277 028 Aiguille du Midi - Cosmiques Arê te 141 066 Pointe Gaspard - Gaspard Premier 281 029 Aiguille du Midi - Cosmiques Spur 144 067 Aiguilles Crochues - South Ridge to South Summit (Ravanel Route) 283 030 Aiguille du Plan - Midi-Plan Ridge 147 8 9 TOUR BASIN Mont Blanc - classic & plaisir Tour Basin The vast plateau of the Glacier du Tour is the last of a series of glaciers slope descending from the col. From the top of the cable car, take the which lie along the Chamonix valley. The Trient basin, Swiss territory, path which climbs right over steep grassy slopes to the path coming is within striking distance and easily accessed in traverse. At its S and from the Col de Balme, without having to reach the col itself (4h to the N borders, two imposing peaks rise up, two opposing poles of glacier hut).