rock&ice 7

idea Montagnaeditoria e alpinismo

Ice Routes in the Alps

idea Montagnaeditoria e alpinismo

rock&ice

Ice routesin the Alps

Translation: Lynne Hempton

98

Rock&Ice l Ice routes in the Alps

• Foreword 5• Introduction 6• Bibliography 13• Technical Notes 14• Acknowledgements 20

ONE • COZIE ALPS 251. Monviso • Coolidge Gully 272. Triangolo Della Caprera • Goulotte del Triangolo 32

TWO • DAUPHINÉ ALPS 353. Les Bans • Macho Couloir 374. Les Bans • North Couloir 405. Mont Pelvoux • Mettrier Couloir 426. Col Est du Pelvoux • North Couloir 477. Le Coup de Sabre • North Couloir 528. Col du Glacier Noir • North Couloir 569. Brèche des Écrins • Couloir de Barre Noire 5910. Barre des Écrins • Coolidge Couloir 6411. Agneaux Blanc • Piaget Couloir 67

THREE • GRAIAN ALPS 7112. Grande Ciamarella • North Face 7313. Grande Aiguille Rousse • North-East Face 7714. Grande Casse • Face Nord Centrale 8115. Grande Casse • Couloir des Italiens 8516. Becca di Monciair • North Face 8817. Ciarforon • North Face 9118. Gran Paradiso • North-West Face 9419. Roccia Viva • North Face 9820. Aiguille de la Lex Blanche • North-West Face 10221. Dômes de Miage • North Face 10622. Mont Blanc • Brenva Spur 11023. Tour Ronde • North Face 11624. Tour Ronde • Gervasutti Couloir 120

25. Mont Blanc du Tacul • Lafaille Goulotte 12426. Mont Blanc du Tacul • Couloir du Diable 12827. Mont Blanc du Tacul • Jager Couloir 13128. Mont Blanc du Tacul • Gabarrou-Albinoni Goulotte 13429. Triangle du Tacul • Contamine-Mazeaud 13730. Triangle du Tacul • Chéré Goulotte 14031. Aiguille du Midi • Eugster Diagonal 14432. Grandes Jorasses • Le Linceul 15033. Aiguille de l’Eboulement • South-West Couloir 15634. Aiguille de Talèfre • West Couloir 16035. Aiguille Verte • Whymper Couloir 16436. Aiguille Verte • Couturier Couloir 17037. Aiguille Verte • Bettembourg-Thivierge Goulotte 17438. Les Droites • La Ginat 17839. Les Courtes • Voie des Suisses/ Swiss Route 18340. Les Courtes • North-East Slope 18841. Pointe du Domino • Petit Viking 19142. Aiguille d’Argentière • Y Couloir 19643. Aiguille d’Argentière • Bettembourg Route 20044. Aiguille du Chardonnet • Migot Spur 20445. Aiguille du Chardonnet • Charlet-Bettembourg Goulotte 20846. Aiguille du Tour • Couloir de la Brèche 212

FOUR • PENNINE ALPS 21547. Petit Combin • North Face 21748. Combin de Valsorey • North-West Face 22249. Pigne d’Arolla • North Face 22650. Mont Brulé • Punta Kurz North Face 23251. Ober Gabelhorn • North Face 23652. Brunegghorn • North Face 24053. Western Breithorn • Triftjigrat 24454. Pollux • North Face 247

55. Eastern Lyskamm • North-East Face 25056. Hohbärghorn • North-East Face 25557. Lenzspitze • North-East Face 25858. Allalinhorn • North-East Ridge and North Face 26259. Fletschhorn • Wienerroute 265

FIVE • BERNESE ALPS 26960. Blüemlisalphorn • North Face 27161. Mönch • Nollen 27662. Mönch • North-East Face 28063. Gwächtenhorn • North-East Face 283

SIX • WESTERN RHAETIAN ALPS 28764. Cima dal Cantun • Couloir del Fiammifero 28965. Cima di Rosso • North Face 29266. Monte Disgrazia • North Face 29667. Piz Roseg • North-East Face 30068. Piz Bernina • South Direct 30469. Fuorcla da l’Argient • Canalone Folatti 30870. Piz Spinas • North-West Face 31171. Piz Palù Orientale • North-East Face 31672. Piz Cambrena • Via del Seracco 319

SEVEN • BERGAMASQUE ALPS AND PREALPS 32373. Pizzo di Coca • North-West Gully 32574. Pizzo Recastello • Couloir dei Ratti + North Gully 329

EIGHT • SOUTHERN RHAETIAN ALPS 33375. Monte Cristallo (Hohe Schneide) • North Face 33576. Ortles (Ortler) • SSE Couloir – Minnigerode Gully 33877. Gran Zebrù (Königsspitze) • North Face - Minnigerode Route 34378. Gran Zebrù (Königsspitze) • Canale delle Pale Rosse 34879. Monte Pasquale • North-West Face 352

80. Palon de la Mare • Shoulder - West Gully 35581. Punta Cadini • North Face 36082. Punta S. Matteo • North Face 36383. Cima Sternai Meridionale (Vordere Eggenspitze) • Eisrinne 36784. Roccia Baitone • Chiaudano Route 37185. Cima del Laghetto • Diedro del Laghetto 37586. Cima Vermiglio • Steinkötter Route 38087. Muraccia di Presanella • Weixlbaumer Gully 38388. Cima Presanella • North Slope 38689. Cima Presanella • Faustinelli Route 39090. Monte Nero • H Couloir 39291. Cima Brenta • North Slope 39692. Cima Tosa • Neri Gully 400

NINE • EASTERN RHAETIAN ALPS 40593. Palla Bianca (Weisskugel) • North Face 40794. Punta di Finale (Fineilspitze) • North Face 41295. Cime Nere (Hintere Schwärze) • North Slope 41596. Wildspitze • North Face 41997. Brochkogel • North Face 42398. Taschach-Hochjoch • Taschach-Eiswand 426

DIECI • DOLOMITES 43199. Marmolada • North Face 433100. Antelao • Menini Gully - Arnaldi Variant 437101. Antelao • Oppel Couloir 442

ELEVEN • WESTERN TAUERN ALPS 447102. Cima Grava (Hochfernerspitze) • Hochferner 449103. Gran Pilastro • North Face 453104. Grossglockner • Pallavicinirinne 456105. Grossglockner • Mayerlrampe 461

INDEX

l Index

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G h i a c c i a i o d i L a v e c i a u

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GRAN PARADISO 4061 mNorth-West Face - Classic Route

018

FIRST ASCENT: L. Bon, R. Chabod, A. Cretier (11 July 1930), via the lower part of the face and exiting via the rocks on the right side. C. Bertolone, F. Cappa, G. Giorda (6 July 1958), entirely climbed on ice around 40 m from the rocky spur taken by the party above, exiting much farther right by the join of the NE and W ridges. The current classic line runs between these two original routes.

MOUNTAINEERING GRADE: AD, III, 55°, II on rock for the exit onto the summit.

SKI DESCENT GRADE: 5.3 E2

TOTAL ASCENT: 600 m

ASPECT: NW

SUPPORT BASES: Rifugio Chabod 2750 m+39 0165 95574 - rifugiochabod.com

CHARACTERISTICS: Snow and ice slope.

EQUIPMENT: Equipment for glacier travel, 6-8 screws.

Gran Paradiso is one of the most popular four thousand metre peaks in the Alps as well as being the only one located entirely in Italy. Its normal route is climbed almost daily in spring and summer by dozens of mountaineers and ski-mountaineers. The same can be said for its famous north-west face, which in the (relatively short) periods when conditions are good can be positively crowded. Recognisable from afar, this vast face is home to numerous different routes, although most groups tend to converge on the most logical line which offers the only obstacle-free route to the summit.

ROAD ACCESSValsavarenche (Valle d’Aosta, IT). Drive along the valley to reach Pravieux (1834 m), parking by a sign indicating the path to Rifugio Chabod.

APPROACH TO THE HUTFollow the path 5 easily to reach the hut (2.30 h).

APPROACHFrom Rif. Chabod continue past the winter room then after 50 m turn right to begin a long traverse to the E-SE, crossing the moraine below the Ghiacciaio di Montandayné (in sum-mer there is a walking path with some visible water pipes). Pass the hut’s water source and the stream and continue traversing towards the large moraine bank below Piccolo Paradiso. As-cend this to reach the Ghiacciaio di Laveciau. Ascend towards the north-west face (treacher-ous crevasses) to reach its base (2 h).

ROUTECross the bergschrund and take a direct line to

reach the exit col. The slope varies from 45° at the start to 55° in the final section. There are often patches of exposed or underlying ice.At the col move right, following the narrow snowy crest to reach the subsidiary summit. Fol-low the ridge to reach the NW summit of Gran Paradiso, then continue south-east to reach the first rocks. Descend a short face (II, exposed, short abseil possible) on the east side by the col which separates this peak from the more popular summit tower, characterised by a large statue of the Virgin Mary. Reach the tower with a few me-tres of easy climbing (II) on steep boulders, or avoid this to the right via a snow and scree slope which quickly leads to the normal route. 3-4 h.

DESCENTVia the Gran Paradiso normal route (F+). De-scend S along the easy glacial slope, passing below various towers (including the Roc, 4026 m) and ascending a steep rise to reach Colle della Becca di Montcorvé. Here leave the main path leading to Rif. Vittorio Emanuele on the left and instead head NW to reach the southern tongue of the Ghiacciaio di Laveciau. Follow this branch of the glacier (some crevasses), going beyond the NW ridge of Gran Paradiso. As soon as possible move right onto the glacier’s north-ern tongue to rejoin with the approach tracks.

FAVOURABLE CONDITIONSEarly summer, from June to mid July with ex-cellent refreezing conditions and stable trans-formed snow. Later on in the season, the sum-mer heat transforms the face into a grey mirror and it usually stays like this until late spring.Be careful when the route is crowded and keep a safe distance away from other parties.

Gran Paradiso Alps l Gran Paradiso l North-West FaceRock&Ice l Ice routes in the Alps l Graian Alps

Becca di Montcorvé

Gran Paradiso

Rif. Vittorio Emanuele

Rif. Chabod

Ghiacciao di Laveciau

Piccolo Paradiso

Gh. di Montandayné

Colle della Becca di

Montcorvé

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SKI-TOURINGApproaching and descending on skis down the normal route is recommended. The normal route is often skiable from March, but at the start of spring the face is usually covered with exposed or black ice. To get good conditions on the route a late season ascent is required: con-sequently skis must be carried on the approach to the hut.

STEEP SKIINGA ski descent down the face is much sought-af-ter by steep ski enthusiasts and is skied relative-ly often, depending on the conditions (ice often present at the exit). Bear in mind that although “officially” the exposure is not too extreme (E2, open face without obstacles), the risk of injury in the case of a fall is nonetheless high due to the height of the face (see the notes given in the introduction in the “Steep Skiing Grade” section). First descended by H. Holzer, S. Walzl, H. Vitroler in 1975.

OTHER POSSIBILITIESThe Adami - Ceresa route via the right-hand slope and NW ridge (AD+, snow and ice, same grade as the classic route) is recommended and quite popular. On the first ascent, (E. Adami, P. Ceresa, 1935) the climbers cut steps into the icy slope to reach the rocky spur on the left side then followed this to exit more easily onto the west ridge. Today the route is climbed entirely on ice. There is often a cornice where the W and NE ridges join.

NOTEThe Rifugio Chabod website offers real time information on the conditions thanks to a web-cam overlooking the face.

A party at the start of the face.

Rock&Ice l Ice routes in the Alps l Graian Alps