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Climbs in the Tour/Saleine/Trient bassin

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 HosteDenis 01 Jun 2014

Hi,

We leave for Chamonix in about 20 days. Me and a friend of mine will climb there and we've selected several climbs to do in the Vallee Blanche, but we'd also like to go to the Albert Premier hut for a day or two (maybe three). So, we'd like to have info and be prepared for about two or three climbs to do there, and hopefully weather and conditions will allow these.

Trouble is, I've already done Eperon Migot on the Chardonnet, north face of the Tete Blanche, the Petite Fourche, and the Aiguille du Tour (both by arete de la Table Roc and normal route). I know my mate has already done Arete Forbes on the Chardonnet otherwise I'd love to do that.

So far, I was thinking about doing the south-ridge on the Purtscheller (i have a good topo) and we can do that one the same day as the approach to albert premier since a late start doesn't matter because the route is all rock. So for the second day I was thinking about NE couloir on the Grande Fourche, but I'm afraid (since it's a bad and too hot year for ice) that the mixed part might be dry.

So, does anyone of you have any good suggestion for climbs that we can do from the Albert Premier hut? Take in mind the following things:

- If snow/ice/mixed route, grade AD or D
- If rock route, grade AD to TD+
- I'd prefer it if we could climb from Albert Premier, but if there are no other options we could take the tent and bivouac closer to (for example) the Dorees after the climb of the Purtscheller.
- I know there are some goulotte routes on the Chardonnet but with these routes I have the same (even stonger) concerns about the dryness than with the Grande Fource.

One or two suggestions would be great!

Thanks

Denis
Post edited at 14:27
OP HosteDenis 01 Jun 2014
In reply to cagm:
I haven't. Thanks, where did you get that link? There might be more where that came from!

That climb lists 8 climbs from Albert Premier: the normal route, the couloir du Table and the arete du Roc du Table of the Aig. du Tour, the north face of the petite fourche, the NE couloir on the Grande Fourche, and the Migot, Forbes and Escarra routes on the Chardonnet.

Basically, all of those are routes I mentioned we've already done (Forbes, Migot, arete Table Roc, normal route AdT and north face TB) or plan on doing this summer but unsure of the conditions (Grande Fource NE couloir or Escarra=goulotte on Chardonnet).

But, and for this I thank you, there's one route left I hadn't thought of: couloir du table. This is a good backup plan in case the Grande Fourche is too dry and will more likely be in condition. I'll look into it a bit.

I was also looking into the Trient and Saleina bassin climbs, like the Purtscheller that's also on that list (and that we plan on doing this summer), but I'm afraid all the others are either too easy (Grande Lui PD+) or too far away from Albert premier unless we take the tent (Aiguilles Dorees).

I know I sound like a difficult person, but so far, thank you. You've given me what I was looking for: a climb from Albert Premier I hadn't considered/done yet. We just might do Couloir du Table if the Gr Fourche mixte is too dry.

Anyone else any more suggestions?
Post edited at 21:58
 walts4 02 Jun 2014
In reply to HosteDenis:
>
>
PD+) or too far away from Albert premier unless we take the tent (Aiguilles Dorees).

Make the effort & go over to the Dorees, there is a bivi hut you can use..

Disclaimer.... Not climbed there, but been for a look on skis this winter to specifically look at the rock routes, they do you like they are worth the effort in getting over there.
OP HosteDenis 02 Jun 2014
In reply to walts4:

How far do you recon the walk is? From Albert Premier you probably walk past Signal Reilly and over the Tour's superior col, right? It's crossing the Trient that looks loooong. About one hour and a half further than the Tour?
 Jerry67 02 Jun 2014
In reply to HosteDenis:

From memory, the walk from the Premier is about 4 hours, but you could do a route on the Purtscheller en route. The south ridge is a great climb(broke my leg falling three feet on it!) and the hut at the base of the Dorees is in an incredible location. The traverse of the Dorees is the obvious route to get you back towards the Premier, but there are other shorter routes up the individual summits and some excellent cragging, with maybe a topo of the cragging in the hut.
Jeremy
 funalps 02 Jun 2014
In reply to HosteDenis:

Concerning the source of the list, it is basically the total of all the routes in the selected climb books given in the table, up to TDinf. The list is part of funalps.com which is now running on the Alpine Club server. Clicking on the route name links you to an English description on the camptocamp site. As the c2c route descriptions can easily be saved in, for example, pdf format, I have them all stored on my phone. Hopefully, one day the AC will provide details of many more routes, including the harder grades and for areas other than Mont Blanc.

I climbed the couloir du table last year, though we stuck mainly to the rocks on the left and abseilled back onto the "table" as my friend wanted his photo on it. If you have already done the Arete du Table, I would not really recommend it.
 Coops_13 02 Jun 2014
In reply to HosteDenis:
I did a route on the Grande Fourche in July 2012. We were aiming for the route you mentioned and started up the best looking snow gully we could find, was very nice until it ended. This led to a sketchy traverse on cruddy neve and loose rock to a more rotten snow/ice couloir. This led to some mixed climbing to the summit. It took a lot longer than planned but was an experience of sorts. Not sure I'd recommend it...
 alasdair19 02 Jun 2014
In reply to cagm:
info on
harder routes and other areas are available in guidebooks you know the things they cost less than half of a midi ride.
OP HosteDenis 03 Jun 2014
In reply to alasdair19:

> info on harder routes and other areas are available in guidebooks you know the things they cost less than half of a midi ride.

Don't worry, I have a ton of guide books, probably over 15 just containing my Chamonix based topo's.

I had gone through a lot (and camptocamp as well) looking for some climbs I hadn't done yet and thought I could ask here as well.
OP HosteDenis 03 Jun 2014
In reply to Ross.Cooper:

> I did a route on the Grande Fourche in July 2012. We were aiming for the route you mentioned and started up the best looking snow gully we could find, was very nice until it ended. This led to a sketchy traverse on cruddy neve and loose rock to a more rotten snow/ice couloir. This led to some mixed climbing to the summit. It took a lot longer than planned but was an experience of sorts. Not sure I'd recommend it...

From what I understand from the topo, it should be a pretty recognizable couloir (going slightly diagonally upwards towards the left if you're looking at the north face). It is in Lelong's and Laroche's most beautiful 'ascensions au pays du mont blanc' and I've heard mention on several occasions it should be a nice climb.

I have however also heard you should not climb the couloir all the way but have to exit it (and climb mixed terrain) before you reach the end of the couloir.

I'm not saying you were in the wrong couloir or took the wrong exit out of the correct couloir (you seem to maybe be implying this yourself slightly, unless I missunderstood you in which case I apologize) but I can understand how bad conditions of the mixed part may turn the climb into something a lot less enjoyable.

Anyway, we'll probably do Purtscheller, and if Grande Fourche looks good and in condition from there (or we might get closer and onto Tete Blanche after Purtscheller if we're too far to judge well) we'll do that, if it doesn't we'll go to the Dorees.





OP HosteDenis 03 Jun 2014
In reply to HosteDenis:

If the weather gods like us enough, that is. We might have bad weather and not go to the purtscheller to begin with. But let's hope for the best and sacrifice a goat or something. Anyone got any experience with the weather gods and how to please them?
 Coops_13 03 Jun 2014
In reply to HosteDenis:

Haha, yeah we must have taken a wrong exit then, but the initial couloir is very nice

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