The Finest Routes in the Alps
Mont Blanc (4810m) via Grand Pilier D’Angle North Face – (Cecchinel-Nominé/Boivin-Vallençant) TD+, V 5, 1400m
All photos, drawings and text by Ben Tibbetts
in association with
FA – W Cecchinel + G Nominé, 17 Sept 1971 / JM Boivin + P Vallençant, 23 July 1975
Located on the upper Peuterey Ridge in the western corner of the Brenva Glacier basin, this is a remote and spectacular part of the Mont Blanc massif. The faces are impressive, and abundantly decorated with huge tottering seracs. The north face of the Grand Pilier d’Angle offers a stunning selection of mixed, ice and rock routes. It can give climbers a taste of the scale and commitment of routes in the greater ranges as even a retreat to the bottom of the route still leaves you a long way from safety. Nevertheless the descent off Mont Blanc is convenient and easy. The access usually takes a first day to reach either the Forche Bivouac hut, or the wild Col Moore and then a further day to climb the route and descend.
The Cecchinel-Nominé/Boivin-Vallençant climbs the 850m north face via an aesthetic mixed line before hitting the Peuterey ridge and a further 550m of ascent to exit onto the summit of Mont Blanc. The approach to the foot of the route is exposed to the menacing seracs of the Poire so it is essential to arrive acclimatized and be able to move through the exposed sections rapidly. The Boivin-Vallençant variant provides a more consistent finish via an ice gully, rather than the tricky mixed climbing and pendulum rappel taken by Walter Cecchinel and Georges Nominé on the original line.
Conditions
The upper section of the route can be inspected from the Helbronner or the whole face can be seen from the Tour Ronde. The Boivin-Vallençant route holds ice most of the year but is much more pleasant to climb with sticky fresh ice. The Cecchinel Nominè start requires a good build up of snow-ice to make the crux corner amenable, though it can be climbed dry at 5c/A1. Good conditions often form in an autumn after a wet summer or during a stable spell in springtime.
Gear
The route climbs predominantly on ice with the occasional mixed sections or belays on rock. 2 x 60m ropes, 8-10 screws + extenders, slim set of nuts, cams, pegs and slings, 2 technical axes, crampons, glacial travel gear. Stove and possibly bivouac gear.
Access
From either the Aiguille du Midi or Helbronner walk round into the Cirque Maudit. The Forche bivouac is out of sight on the Italian side of the Arête de la Brenva. Locate the access couloir (150m, 45º) which is to the right of the distinct two gendarmes of Forche de la Brenva. The hut has places for about 15, some blankets but not much else. Either stay the night here or continue by 2-rappels directly from the hut and then down climbing onto the Brenva Glacier. Traverse south across the crevassed glacier to Col Moore. Bivouac here for a good view of the approach and face. The descent from Col Moore is a section that has suffered many landslides in recent years so changes regularly and is still exposed to rockfall if warm. Either take a line of abseils that start down left (east) of the col or if sufficient snow build up traverse right and down across snow slopes directly onto the glacier below. An ice or snow bollard abseil may be required to pass the rimaye. Cross the glacier south-west, exposed to seracs of the Poire above, to reach the base of the face.
Route
The correct line can be difficult to locate in the dark. Climb the Cecchinel Nominè gully (the last major gully line before you reach the wide snow slopes) for 4 pitches (70º) to a vertical corner. Climb the corner pitch on ice, or 5c/A1 rock and then 3 further ice pitches (60º). At the mixed ground follow a ramp leading right for two pitches to the base of the Boivin ice gully Follow this for several beautiful pitches (steps of 85º) onto the ice slopes above. Climb these slopes left of the hanging serac and then right above to the ridgeline. Follow the mixed ridgeline with passages on the Brenva side to the summit of the Grand Pilier d’Angle. Follow the elegant snow ridge until is steepens and merges into the face above and exit on Mont Blanc de Courmayeur. Head NW along the broad ridge to reach the summit of Mont Blanc.
Descent
By stable snow conditions the ‘3 Monts’ route back to the Aiguille du Midi is the quickest way to the valley, otherwise the ‘Arete des Bosses’ via the Gouter Refuge can provide a safer descent.
Valentine Fabre on the approach to the Forche Bivouac, Cirque Maudit, France
After climbing the goulotte we headed up and rightwards and ended up finally on the correct line in the fat upper gully of the Boivin route. It looked like excellent ice stretching up several pitches to the horizon. With the uncertainty of not knowing where we were on the route Valentine had by this point forgotten to eat or drink all day and so felt a bit unwell. We ate and drank copiously but nevertheless slowed down a lot from there on. Thankfully there was no great rush as the top section of the route from the GPA summit was much easier terrain, and more importantly there was no bad weather imminent.
The ice was excellent quality and despite being steep it provided easy climbing and good belays. Instead of moving together I ran out a few pitches, enjoying the big wild face, and took some photos. The goulotte eventually narrowed and then ended on the upper face just to the left of a large hanging serac. The upper slopes were of an easy angle, but provided quite a lot of hard black ice to cross. By the time we hit the ridge it was quite late in the day!
Valentine Fabre on the Grand Pilier d'Angle ridge, Italy
Valentine Fabre leaving the bivouac on the Grand Pilier d'Angle, Italy
Valentine Fabre on the Grand Pilier d'Angle summit ridge to Mont Blanc, Italy