UKC

My wife and I are taking 3 months off this summer to go to the Alps. Whenever we have been before on 2 week trips we have just used the excellent hut system. However, for this trip I would like to try a few bivis (however misguided you might think this is!). The only issue is convincing my wife that this is a good idea. So, please could I get suggestions for good routes that require/benefit from a bivi (up to AD)? We have no fixed area of the Alps in mind but will probably spend most of our time in France, Italy and Switzerland.

Thanks in advance.

In reply to Robbo1:

Deant de Geant? Take the lift up and there is a reasonably flat walk to several bivi sites to the left as you leave the snow for the scramble up to the Deant. The Deant is MEGA busy in the morning and early after noon with numpties all trying to catch the last lift. I suggest you climb it the afternoon you arrive, the rock will have warmed in the sun and there will be less queues and rush. Arete de Rocheforte the next morning is another great route, but having done the Geant, there is no rush for the lift (you can shake your heads in amusement at the queues.)

In reply to Robbo1: I had a couple of nice days bivvying and climbing in the Aiguille Rouges last year - means you can be first on the routes and don't have to worry about getting the last bin back down. Views are alright too. =o)

In reply to Robbo1: As "the wife" in this thread, I would really appreciate some suggestions. I'm happy to bivvy, but only if there's something worth bivvying for! Many thanks.

In reply to Robbo1:

If the route is worth doing, it's worth bivvying for.
(I'm not being facetious!)

If not using huts, the majority of routes will need a bivi anyway.

In reply to Robbo1:
You could bivi near the Charmoz; the traverse of the both the Petit and Grand Charmoz are AD, although the Grand is much longer and more committing.
You could also try the Spencer Couloir on the Blatiere for an AD snow route.
You don't "need" to bivi for any of these, but it does avoid the slog from the Plan telepherique in addition to your climbing.

In reply to jayjackson: super - thanks.

In reply to Robbo1: Another one could be the Normal Route on the Doldenhorn (PD). Some flat bits close to running water just before the path ascends to the ridge leading to the Glacier. I would never have wanted to climb this route from the hut as it is significantly lower down at around 1900 m.

In reply to Happy Haggis:
Pleasure.

You could also bivi near the Albert Premier hut and climb on the Tour and the Chardonnet (the Forbes Arete is the classic AD), since there are loads of good bivi sites here, however you will be right next to the hut (we only bivi'd because we were skint and couldn't afford the hut) so it's not exactly a "wild" camp.

We also bivi'd in a cave where the Chardonnet Glacier meets the Argentier Glacier; ideal for PD/PD+/AD on the Aiguille d'Argentier, although again there is a hut very close here.

In reply to Robbo1:

In Chamonix area:
-Near the Index telepherique. Luxury bivvy with five minute stroll to plenty of spots. Being close to lift you can take many bivvy luxuries -gets sun early and awesome views. Lots of routes (great warm up area )
- A few minutes from the Midi halfway telepherique. Luxury as above. Lovely evening sun. Toilets and bar nearby
- About half an hour downhill close to the Cosmiques hut. Lots of sites and loads of routes to do from there. Can use hut for toilets and lovely soups. Great views. Snowholes often in area if you like.
- About 2 hours of traversing and uphill walk leads to great bivvy sites around Albert Premier Hut.
- Around Torino hut area, assuming building works have finished!
- Five minutes walk down from the Petite Aiguille Vert. Gets busy in the morning!

All these sites have awesome views, are easy to get to, provide access to loads of routes, are fairly comfortable and most are near 'facilities'. You can find private quiet spots

In reply to Happy Haggis:
Biviing near a hut might sound a bit pointless but I really enjoyed my evening by the Ecrins hut - we popped in for a lovely meal, sat on the veranda with a carafe of wine watching the sun go down, then left the residents to their stuffy snoring and fart filled dormitories while we retired to our quiet little bivi spot to watch millions of stars slowly encircle the earth, the great swathe of the Milky Way plastered across the sky, the odd sattelite traversing its way across the heavens and more shooting stars than I could count...

In reply to Joe G:

Yes, bivvying beats huts anytime!

In reply to Robbo1: Thanks for all the responses so far - it might be an uphill battle to convince the wife to bivvi when there is a hut nearby but at least I can point to the posts on here to back up the suggestion. There are also some really good ideas for routes, so thanks for taking the time. Any more suggestions are welcome.

In reply to Robbo1: there is also the option of um wardened huts which can be awesome. the arben grat from the arben bivvy accesed from Zermatt. there is a bivvy hut below the grand cornier with amazing views of the dent blanche ad rock ridge to summit and no glaciers so can have a lazyish morning. there is quite a few on the italian side of mont blanc email luca for details and suggested routes.

In reply to alasdair19:
Beat me to it! Bivvy huts could be a good first step away from wardened huts. The normal route on the Aletschhorn, starting from Mittelaletsch bivvy hut, might be another suitable target for the o.p.

In reply to Robbo1: "the wife" is convinced! Really appreciate all of these suggestions, thanks all.