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Alpine Route Suggestions up to D

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 Nathan Adam 24 Feb 2015
Looking for some route suggestions for a first Alpine trip this summer. Planning on going mid May until Mid June(ish) so plenty time to travel and will have the car there. Both my climbing partner and myself are happy on IV,5 and steady at VS, happily soloing II+ and V-Diff in big boots.

Currently on the list of possible objectives;

Some 4000'ers/general walking type peaks
Cosmiques,
Tour Ronde NF,
Mont Blanc via Gouter,
Dent du Geant SW Face and Rochefort Arete
Matterhorn via Hornli
Eiger via Mittellegi
Piz Badile North Ridge

Obviously conditions dependant and will play it by the ear but does anyone have anything to add to the above list and/or general advice for a first alpine season?

 Derry 24 Feb 2015
In reply to Nath93:

Had my first season last year in the eastern alps - Engadin valley. The aim was for the biancograt on Piz Bernina but forecasts were sketchy, in hindsight would have been fine.
Instead we did Piz Morterasch, Piz Cambrena and Piz Palu traverse on 3 non consecutive days, camped on the glacier for two of the nights.
All well worth the experience for a first Alpine trip, but seeing the Biancograt, I definitely want to go back with the experience I gained and give it another go.

Enjoy.
 summo 24 Feb 2015
In reply to Nath93:
I would consider scaling down your grade or expectations for your first season and also try and hook up with somebody who has some Alps experience. Whilst you might be a demon in the UK, it's worth having a bit of advice when first encounter glaciers and huts. Even pay for a day or two with a guide, if you are competent on your feet, they'll stretch you to give a good experience, but also skills for life.

To do some of the routes you've mentioned you need to be pretty slick as a pair, absolute bare minimum of communication, just getting on with it, dropping coils, pitching a little, then back into moving together etc. If you have some mileage on the bigger Scottish ridges Tower, Castle, Skye, Obs etc. then that will certainly help. But decision making when crossing glaciers and reading the line is something that only experience in the Alps gives, crossing rimayes or large bergshrunds too.. there are one or two things to consider other than the pure grade. Also just knowing or sensing when you should really just run away!!

I would suggest stuff like first Phrique up to cosmiques, plod out MB d Tacul, then do the Arete on return. Plenty of time for both, limited gear required and you are always heading nearer to safety as you climb up on return. A series of steady days, where you don't burn yourself out or get spooked will pay off next year.

other scaled down suggests, Dent du Geant, Rochefort Arete, Aig d Moine.. all just half days to the fit and fast, with limited if any objective danger.. so you can take your time and not be under pressure to motor along. There are similar peaks around Saas Fee if your prefer that area.

EDIT - Dave Searle's article is pretty good on here, but there is also no substitute for just being very fit!
Post edited at 17:01
 MG 24 Feb 2015
In reply to Nath93:

Normally summer climbing doesn't really start until mid-June or later. There will be loads of snow (think knee and thigh deep) on approaches and the huts will likely be closed before then. I would suggest moving your trip a month later at least. Good advice above.
 LakesWinter 24 Feb 2015
In reply to Nath93:

Zinal Rothorn N Ridge, classic AD but a decent alpine day out.

Gross Diamanstock E ridge, classic D- rock route, crux VS, mostly easier. Need to carry crampons and boots up route, PD scramble and abseil descent. This route is above the grimselpass, where there is stacks of top quality granite rock climbing too.
 AdamCB 24 Feb 2015
In reply to Nath93:

Given how early in the season you are going I think it's unlikely the Matterhorn and Eiger will be do-able as they will be plastered in snow still. How about looking at some mixed routes, Triangle du Tacul has loads of good options, Contamine-Grisole for instance. Enjoy!
 Pbob 24 Feb 2015
In reply to Nath93:
Having tried the Gouter route on MB I'd recommend steering well clear. Just a solid plod following the crowds. I had an Epic (with a capital e) but can't say I enjoyed anything about the route much. I later tried another route on the ridge to the right of the Grande Mulet hut, not the other tourist route. Failed to summit again but had much more fun. Harder route, dodgy collapsing snow bridges, steeper sections of hard ice, had the ridge to ourselves all day. The route joins the tourist routes on the Dom de Gouter which is as far as we got due to weather. Didn't really mind missing the last plod with the crowds to the summit. It was 20 years ago so do your own research, but if I were going back to try MB a fourth time...
Can't find the name of the route at the moment but its up the ridge to the right of the Grand Mulet route. I'll look it up in the guide tomorrow.
Post edited at 22:12
 summo 25 Feb 2015
In reply to Pbob:

> Having tried the Gouter route on MB I'd recommend steering well clear. Just a solid plod following the crowds. I had an Epic (with a capital e) but can't say I enjoyed anything about the route much. I later tried another route on the ridge to the right of the Grande Mulet hut, not the other tourist route.

We may have crossed wires, but if you head right (looking up hill) out of the Mulets, you reach the Dome/gouter route and the same tourist route as from the Gouter, all be it a slightly different approach for the first hour or two.

For MB, I would only recommend the full traverse from the Cosmiques end, setting off at 10pm when they kick you out the hut!! Requires a bit more fitness, a tiny bit of route knowledge, but better conditions, no crowds etc.
 Webster 25 Feb 2015
In reply to Pbob:

> Can't find the name of the route at the moment but its up the ridge to the right of the Grand Mulet route. I'll look it up in the guide tomorrow.

Its the Grand Mulet route (with a detour up the north ridge of the Dome du goutier) which is the much safer way of doing things than the original line under the ice cliff. A good option early season when la jonction is passable.

Chere couloir on the tacul triangle is basically a very long scottish IV which can be done in any weather and conditions as it is easily escapable with bolt belays/absail stations. should be well within your capabilities, though i would recomend climbing something easier at altitude first as grade IV at over 4000m is not the same as grade IV at 900m!
 Pbob 27 Feb 2015
In reply to Webster:

Yep. You're right. North ridge of the Dome de Gouter. Listed in the Alpine Club guide. Listed as PD + but felt harder when we did it. Just conditions on the day I guess.
 jcw 28 Feb 2015
In reply to Nath93:

MG's rely is the essential one in all this.
 kenr 28 Feb 2015
For people not using skis.
 jcw 28 Feb 2015
In reply to kenr:

Skis are not going to get you up most of those routes
 Somerville 06 Mar 2015
In reply to Derry:

Hi, what tent did you use mate? looking to do my second trip to alps and huts are not on the cards.
 Derry 07 Mar 2015
In reply to Somerville:

It was a swedish make; Hilleburg. Just a standard 4 season mountain tent. 3 person. Worked brilliantly. Camped on the glacier, packed and stowed away during the day and reset it each night (or when the weather came in). Think one of the pics on my profile has an image of it.
Did climb one day with it in my pack with food and stove shared between the 3 of us and can't say I really noticed the weight that much. To be honest, I really enjoyed the fact we did the trip under our own steam and didn't need the huts. Couldn't afford them anyway.
 Tim Davies 07 Mar 2015
In reply to Nath93:

Domes de Miage. Fantastic route


 Tom Last 08 Mar 2015
In reply to Nath93:

Rebuffat on the Eperon de Cosmiques into upper part of Arete de Cosmiques is pretty good day out, rather than just Cosmiques on its own. About VS, with one hardish move.
 Somerville 09 Mar 2015
In reply to Derry:

Thanks mate, ill have a look!
Thats my idea this time around!
 Solaris 09 Mar 2015
In reply to Nath93:

Something that I don't think has been mentioned so far, though it has been implied, is this: don't underestimate the learning curve that a first season in the alps involves.

One person I've climbed with (who's done all the alpine 4000ers) reckons that Scottish winter climbing is no use in training for the alps, and whilst I wouldn't 100% agree with him, he is on to something.

On the other hand, people have gone out to the Alps and done the Mittellegi (or even the Walker Spur) in their first season, but I suspect they would look back and think that they'd be quite ambitious.
 Petarghh 09 Mar 2015
In reply to Nath93:

May is early, some lifts/huts may not be open. Looks like you're aiming to be around Chamonix.

Aig. Du chardonnet.
Aig. Du Tour is a perfect first peak from the Albert 1er hut.
The rock climbing at the Envers is top class but probably too early in the season for you.
Kuffner is a big tick but very very good indeed.

Best thing to do is go with no massive objectives and just try and climb every day rather than wait for a particular route. Go to the guides office and ask what is in and see what has been done in the logbook then go and do it. Expect to spend more time in a deck chair in front of the tourist office than on a route.

Make the most of a weather window, an afternoon storm prediction can still mean a blast up the chere or a route on the brevent in the morning.
Removed User 10 Mar 2015
In reply to LakesWinter:

I would expect the Zinal Rotehorn N Ridge to be a fairly diffcult mixed undertaking in late May early Jun and pot5entiallt punch well above its D grade!
 LakesWinter 10 Mar 2015
In reply to Removed User:

Ah yes, I missed the May/early June part, yeah I'd get on that in reasonably dry weather in July August, sorry for any misunderstanding. It's a superb route though

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