UKC

I've heard wild talk that the seracs are much less of a worry of late - is the Brenva face of Mont Blanc back in fashion?

Opinions and links to recent pictures welcome - I've looked on summitpost but drew a blank.

Thanks

In reply to Duncan I:

The problem with the Brenva were (both the Spur and the route on the face proper) were never much the seracs rather than the access - the left flank of the spur beyond col Moore (thus, the traverse towards the Red Sentinel, the access to the Great Couloir and the descent from Col Moore) were all interested by a major rockfall in 1997. Terrain there has now settled down a bit, so Brenva spurt via the original start, Major route (and to a lesser extent the Red Sentinel) are now doable again). Brenva spur via the Gussfeldt couloir was more or less always climbed, and the Pear/Poire is as nasty now as it always has been more or less in the last 60 years!

Summing up:

Brenva spur alternative start / Gussfeldt couloir -> regularly climbed (the couloir is dangerous)

Brenva spur original start -> being done again in good snow conditions, less difficult and dangerous than the Gussfeldt, but more ackward

Red Sentinel -> being somehow done again but rather dangerous

Major -> was completely abandoned for years because of the rockfall, now been done again (repeated at least twice last year) and apparently in excellent conditions after the Great Couloir crossing, but requires good snow for access

Pear -> aaaargh (as usual!)

Pilier D'Angle NF and EF -> being done with three abseils from Col Moore and rushing up below the Pear seracs (as always) fashion now is to start climb in the afternoon.

Hope this has been of some help

In reply to Duncan I:



For pictures get a copy of "Brenva" by T Graham Brown. Obviously not recent but there are several dozen very detailed photos in the back showing the face from all sorts of angles. Also close ups of most parts of the routes. The descriptions of the climbs are similarly detailed - clinically so. It is available fairly easily second-hand.

In reply to Luca Signorelli:

Hi Luca

Is there a route description of the new original route on the Brenva Spur? I recall it involved a scramble up and rightwards from the toe to gain a big leftward ramp back to the ridge, then stick to the ridge.
I'm curious to know what remains.

In reply to MG:

Thanks for that - "Brenva" is what's inspired this summer's objectives although being a graduate of Edinburgh Uni, where TGB was the "father" of the EUMC, it's been on my wishlist for over a decade.

Luca, thanks for the picture. Very helpful. See the huts thread for a hut question.... http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=302092&v=1#x4467065

More or less the same, but the original ramp is now (with good snow ) an uniform slope that leads to the ridge. If conditions are dry, it becomes a babel of boulders/unstable rock, but in snowy conditions can be done.


The best descriptions (actually, the real Bible) for Brenva is and remains this one

http://emporio.parks.it/images/GuidaMonti-MonteBianco.jpg

the 1995 "Monte Bianco I" guide by Gino Buscaini. Francois Damilano "Ice, Snow and Mixed" integrates it, but doesn't replace it. It's in Italian, but the (BW) photographic topo are worth the price. If you're interested in the Brenva, try to locate a copy.