UKC

600m.

Rockfax Description
IV, 600m, 6 - 9 hours. An amazing, varied route which should be high on the list of any climber, regardless of their ambition or ability.
1) Climb the couloir (45 degrees) to reach the Col du Diable. There are several variations on this, which will be more or less appealing depending on conditions. The traditional and most common approach is shown here.
2) Scramble easily around the Corne du Diable on the left to reach the Brèche Chaubert. From here it is possible to climb the Corne via some grade 3 scrambling up its west ridge, before returning to the Brèche by doing a 30m abseil.
3) 5a. Climb the Pointe Chaubert via the east ridge. There is a slabby section on this which may feel tricky in big boots, although the climbing is only 5a.
4) Make 3 x 20m abseils down the northWest Face of the Pointe Chaubert to reach Brèche Médiane, directly below the Pointe Médiane.
5) 5b. Move up and right along a ledge system for 20m to the foot of a 40m corner. Follow this (5b) to a spectacularly perched ledge. Step left and go through the 'letter box' gap to reach the summit of the Pointe Médiane.
6) Descend back to the 'letter box' and make an awkward 30m diagonal abseil to the Brèche Carmen.
7) 4b. Just to the right of the crest of the Pointe Carmen east ridge is a wide crack. Climb this (4b) and continue up blocky ground for 10m then traverse rightwards beneath the first summit of the Carmen to reach a gap between the two summits.
8) Climb the second (western) summit and descend easily to a ledge 10m below the summit, looking down to the Brèche du Diable. Make 3 x 20m abseils down a chimney and broken ledges to reach this and then follow the ridge crest over straightforward but exposed ground to reach the foot of the Isolée. It is not necessary to climb the Isolée. If you want to avoid it, downclimb the 10m couloir in the next section before climbing up and right across broken ground to the Brèche d'Isolée.
9) 5c. Downclimb a 10m couloir under the North Face of the Isolée before climbing cracks (4c) on the North Face to a big overhanging flake. Avoid this on the left (5c) and gain a ledge via a short corner. Continue up a flake and corner (4c) to the top. Abseil 30m down to the Brèche d'Isolée.
10) Stay just to the right of the ridge crest over interesting but not overly technical ground to reach the final step. At the foot of this, move right over some suspect rock and then come back left and follow easy ground to the summit of the Tacul. © Rockfax

UKC Logbook Description
A long and complex traverse over the numerous rocky spires between the Col du Diable and the East summit of the Tacul. Route 54 in Rebuffat's 100 Finest Routes (Mont Blanc Massif).

Ticklists

Rebuffat's 100 Finest Routes in the Mont Blanc Massif , Batoux's 100 finest routes in the Mont Blanc massif , ROCKFAX Chamonix: Top 50 , Big Routes , Alpine Dreamz , Extreme Alpine Rock , Big Alpine Routes , Alpine Progression , Chamonix 2023 , BMC - Easier Classics in the Mont Blanc Range

Feedback

User Date Notes
roryj 18 Jul, 2023 Show βeta
βeta: Ignore the "Downclimb a 10m couloir" in Rockfax description. Just follow the ridge crest to the foot of the Isolée and climb maybe 5m before going left into cracks (or continue up the chossy gully if missing it out).
Show beta
βeta: Ignore the "Downclimb a 10m couloir" in Rockfax description. Just follow the ridge crest to the foot of the Isolée and climb maybe 5m before going left into cracks (or continue up the chossy gully if missing it out).

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High D+
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Low D+
High D
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High 6a
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Style of Ascent
Alt Leads
Lead
Followed
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DNF
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Route of Interest
Red Sentinel

Grade: D+ ***
(Mont Blanc)

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