UKC

250m, 10 pitches.

Rockfax Description
III, 250m. Ease of access, incredible textured granite and some of the best views and situations in the Alps, this is an uber classic and for good reason. As if all that wasn't enough, the climbing is as enjoyable as it is varied, with slabs, finger-cracks and laybacks all featuring heavily. The only downside is that, if you want to get the full experience and top out, you'll need to wear big boots and crampons for 10 minutes and then carry them for the rest of the day; but this is alpinism - a heavy bag is par for the course! To reach the first pitch, climb easily off the glacier and onto a large grey ledge. The belays are all bolted so it is possible to abseil the line, although this becomes tricker and less logical the higher you get due to the wandering nature of the upper section.
1) 5c, 30m. Step left off the ledge and climb up the corner with minimal difficulty. Exit the corner leftwards at the top and make a few delicate moves across the slab under the overhang. There is a bolt to protect this section and a double bolt belay 2m before the overhang ends. Ignore this and continue for 5m until out from under the overhang, where there is another bolt belay with a much better view of the crux pitch.
2) 6a, 25m. THE pitch - the 'S' crack is a contender for the single most famous piece of rock in Chamonix so no pressure if you're going for the onsight! Climb the thin finger-crack straight above the belay, with numerous helpful edges for feet and many pegs, which can supplemented with small cams as and when needed. The crack goes straight up and then curves leftwards, with the exposure increasing all the time, and leads all too quickly to a small ledge and a bolted belay.
3) 5c, 20m. Climb the corner-crack up and rightwards until you are standing on top of a block. Climb back diagonally leftwards via a series of steep flakes and descend slightly to an exposed belay. A brilliant pitch.
4) 5b, 20m. Continue up the same flake system, still trending leftwards to reach a steep slabby corner, which is climbed using a helpful crack to a large ledge.
5) 5c, 30m. Step right off the ledge and carry on up the ramp with some awkward moves thrown in for good measure. At the top of the ramp, cross the slab leftwards and climb the crack system above to another good ledge.
6) 5b, 30m. It is possible to go straight up the steep wall above the ledge at 5c. However, it is easier to traverse up and right on blocky ground and then move back left on good holds to finish above the steep section.
7) 5b, 30m. Traverse easily across ledges for 10m (don't go up too early!) to pass around the ridge taken by pitch 6 of La Dame du Lac before launching up the wide chimney, which can be snow filled, or at least wet from snow melt. Climb this and follow it up and rightwards until it peters out, at which point, step right to belay.
8) 4a, 10m. A link pitch - step down and left and traverse ledges until underneath the deep-cut gully.
9) 5b, 30m. Follow the right-hand side of the gully over satisfying and occasionally quite exposed blocky terrain to reach a ledge system below the imposing final tower. It is possible to climb up the middle of the gully, but this is often snowy and has numerous loose blocks.
10) 5c/A0 or 6b+, 25m. Climb up to the foot of the final tower and follow its right arête in an outrageous position until it begins to curve leftwards and becomes slabby. At this point you mantel onto the slab and follow it to the summit. This pitch is rarely done without several good pulls on the bolts which line the arête so don't feel bad if you yard on them! It is possible to avoid this section by traversing left around the final tower, but whether you do it free or 'French free', the final slab to the top is probably the best situated pitch in this chapter, if not the whole book, and shouldn't be missed. © Rockfax

Ticklists

Rebuffat's 100 Finest Routes in the Mont Blanc Massif , ROCKFAX Chamonix: Top 50 , Parois-de-legende , Big Routes , Escalades Choisies Mont-Blanc Aiguilles Rouges (60 Routes 4 to 6a+) , Alpine Dreamz , European Multipitches! , Greatest E2s in Europe (or thereabouts) , Mont Blanc Super Cracks , Batoux's 100 finest routes in the Mont Blanc massif , Alps 2023 , Chamonix 2023 , BMC - Easier Classics in the Mont Blanc Range , TM Alps , My alpine list.

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User Date Notes
Kileyb11 3 Sep, 2023 Show βeta
βeta: Crack gloves are a good idea.
βeta?
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βeta: Crack gloves are a good idea.
paboyle 8 Aug, 2020 Show βeta
βeta: Did this a long time ago. S-crack and slab pitches exquisite. Tried to finish the cretton described in Rebuffat/Piola, but messed up when we hit snow in the gully. Meandered onto the final pitch in a corner of the "Midi Sonne" final pitch 6a, and was very run out instead. Didn't realise till now it was a 6a pitch - thought it was scary and went something like 15m between pieces till got to the capping block. A guide followed us, and my belayer said the guide was whimpering more than I was. He said "is old fashioned climbing, huh". Anyway, pay attention to the route finding at top. I thought the difficulties were over and made it hard for myself. Would never have embarked on a pitch I now reckon was E2 5b at altitude if I'd known!
βeta?
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βeta: Did this a long time ago. S-crack and slab pitches exquisite. Tried to finish the cretton described in Rebuffat/Piola, but messed up when we hit snow in the gully. Meandered onto the final pitch in a corner of the "Midi Sonne" final pitch 6a, and was very run out instead. Didn't realise till now it was a 6a pitch - thought it was scary and went something like 15m between pieces till got to the capping block. A guide followed us, and my belayer said the guide was whimpering more than I was. He said "is old fashioned climbing, huh". Anyway, pay attention to the route finding at top. I thought the difficulties were over and made it hard for myself. Would never have embarked on a pitch I now reckon was E2 5b at altitude if I'd known!
Webster 4 Sep, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: other posters have been scathing about the rockfax description of this route, but for once its pretty accurate. the 4c and 4a pitches are a bit off but in general its spot on. there are lots of possible variations in the upper half and every guidebook has a different 'main line', but following this description will get you up on one piece
βeta?
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βeta: other posters have been scathing about the rockfax description of this route, but for once its pretty accurate. the 4c and 4a pitches are a bit off but in general its spot on. there are lots of possible variations in the upper half and every guidebook has a different 'main line', but following this description will get you up on one piece
GGD 27 Aug, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: E2-ish...
βeta?
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βeta: E2-ish...
Kike Kikon 22 Jul, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: P6 "original pitch" is more like a 5c (esp if you have an ice axe dangling from your rucksack). I'd recommend doing the more direct 6a hand crack instead: fun and well protected
Show beta
βeta: P6 "original pitch" is more like a 5c (esp if you have an ice axe dangling from your rucksack). I'd recommend doing the more direct 6a hand crack instead: fun and well protected

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Guidebooks for Aiguille du Midi

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Voting
High ED1
Mid ED1
Low ED1
High TD+
Mid TD+
Low TD+
High TD
Mid TD
Low TD
Votes cast 26
High 6a+
Mid 6a+
Low 6a+
High 6a
Mid 6a
Low 6a
High 5c
Mid 5c
Low 5c
Votes cast 7
Votes cast 45
Style of Ascent
Alt Leads
Lead
Followed
Soloed
Not Set
Onsighted
DNF
Repeated
Flashed (β)
Dogged
Redpoint
Ground Up
Not Set
Route of Interest
Poème à Lou

Grade: TD+ 6c ***
(Aiguilles Rouges)

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