UKC

Hey,

Has anyone done this who can give me some hints?
I'd like to know more or less how long it takes for an average party of 2.
Also, how long is the approach/descent.
Fundamentally I'd like to know if it's quite easy to make it back in time for the last lift if I get the first one. The stuff online and in the guidebooks implies it is, but it would be nice to know of any experiences, particularly if there's route finding difficulties.

Thanks!

In reply to JuneBob:


It's what everybody does. You'd have to be very slow to miss the last lift.

In reply to JuneBob:

Hi JuneBob, great route, done it twice...once privately and once with clients guiding. Eminently doable in 5-6 hrs for a party of 2 going at a reasonable pace. Approach from the top of the 'phrique is about 90mins and descent to the station can be done really fast..about 45 mins.
So, start on the first cabin up in the morning and you will be ok to catch one down. No real route finding problems. Take a camera - can get some great shots of rock climbing with MB as a backdrop!
Enjoy!
ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

What? I'd have said 30 mins so I checked and see Piola gives it 40 mins. Descent back to the Index is about 30 mins.

@ JuneBob.

If you think you're going to miss the last lift because you're too slow or have been held up by other parties or didn't manage to get an early enough lift, you can always miss out the Chapelle bit. It's the hardest part and is time consuming as it also involves an abseil. Simply scramble around left of the Chapelle from the start of that final section and you'll find yourself at the bottom of the abseil.
Assuming you did mean the SSE Ridge, that is?

In reply to JuneBob:

Perfect, thanks very much for the comments. Much appreciated.
Yup, I did mean the SSE ridge - I'd gathered it's the popular one.
Now just hoping for some decent weather next week

In reply to JuneBob:

Great route, we bivvied at index lift. didn't take enough water

descent back around to index would be easy to mess up

In reply to JuneBob:

Clinbed this a few years ago. Trickiest bit for us was locating the start which wasn't that obvious IMO. After that route finding is straight forward. Descent might be tricky to pick in bad viz.