UKC

What would routes would you recomenend that will be more like actual climbing but without biting off more than I can chew?

My alpine climbing to date has been a bit bumbley to say the least. Most of what I have done has been steep walking for most part, all the usual bumbley stuff such as

Cosmique arrete
Midi plan traverse
Mont Blanc du Tacul
Mint Blanc via Gouter
Petite Aguille Vert
L'M
Belvedere
Aquille du Toule
Dome De Neige


All has been done under own supervision without a guide and felt fine.

one condition is that my climbing partner is my wife who does not lead and all if is pitched climbing I *must* be able to protect her as a second, she has good mountain sense and climbs anything I can lead.

I am confident with ropework etc climb up to HVS but am most solid at VS and winter III. Got all kit needed.

Would like to do something like the North Face of Tour Ronde and am thinking of trying the North Face of the Tete Blanche as a tester to see how we get on. Is this a good plan?

What else would you suggest?

In reply to NIGBEE: Hi what have you done on mont blanc du tacul,cos im sure you would find something on there to take it up a notch with tha added benefit of having been on there before.

In reply to NIGBEE:

forbes arte or the n spur of the chardonnet are great. get info on snow conditions first as the descent seems to vary quite a lot. The papillon arete near the plan is great.

In reply to blackcat:


+1 for this suggestion. Whenever I want to put the grade up, I try to go for mountains I know the descent from, and where the descent is much easier than the climb (it reduces the stress!). One option might be the direct on the Triangle of Mt Blanc du Tacul. The steep bit is at the start and is shorter than the NF of Tour Ronde. Just start up the left side as the exit from the start is top left - we started right and I had a steep traverse, which your wife might not like.

NF Tete Blanche is no bigger, steeper or harder than the direct route up the face of Petit Aiguille Verte, so wouldn't really help. The Gervasutti couloir on Tour Ronde may be a good idea to get a good view of the face and then learn the descent.

In reply to NIGBEE:

Taking things up a notch, I'd suggest Les Courtes traverse. Take a look at the description on Camptocamp :

http://www.camptocamp.org/routes/54082/en/les-courtes-normal-route-and-trav...

In my opinion one of the finest outings ( in its' class) in the Alps.



Camptocamp also have this helpful list:

Less difficult alpine routes in the Mont Blanc region

http://www.camptocamp.org/articles/302774/en/less-difficult-alpine-routes-i...


I've climbed around Chamonix on a number of occasions but there are other, more expert voices to be heard on UKC !

In reply to NIGBEE:


Maybe try some slightly harder rock climbs with alpine-ish approaches? i.e. no teetering about on unprotectable snow aretes if your wife likes to second on well protected routes. Two I've done which were like this are the Couzy Route on L'M (HVS but you'll know the descent) or the SW Pillar on Petit Charmoz (VS, but then you join the classic ridge route to the summit bloc and descend by abseil). Both are pretty straight up, so no scary traverses for the second. And both give full days out for 'normal climbers'!

In reply to NIGBEE:

Aiguille Diable traverse?

In reply to NIGBEE:

The Papillons ridge on the Peigne is a good, non serious rock climb with nothing harder than VS, and not much more than V diff/severe. You can descend from the end of the ridge or go on to the top if you are in good time.

On the Italian side, the Preuss arete on the Aig de Savoie is a fine rock route at a suitable grade. You could stay at the Dalmazzi hut and try one of the long, bolted VS modern classics on the doorstep at the same time. Abseil down if you run out of time. Also from Italy, try the Aig Croux near the Monzino Hut. Very pleasant, stupendously scenic. In the Vallee Blanche there are several worthwhile, easier objectives, most with abseil descents. Consider the Eperon des Cosmiques, the Pyramid du Tacul, and perhaps the Trident.

I would not go near some of these snow and ice routes in mid summer unless it is very cool. Tour Ronde N Face and Gervasutti couloir have both seen fatalities in recent years. If you want whiter stuff, Forbes Arete on Chardonnet would be a good choice. Maybe traverse of the Domes de Miage, if it's in good nick.

Finally, when you're acclimatised, and feeling very confident, you might aim for the Kuffner (frontier ridge) on Mont Maudit. Much bigger, but not technically hard if you stay on route.

In reply to NIGBEE:

Bionnassay with maybe traverse to Gouter if your partner is ok with sharp ridges

N face Tour Ronde is fine in good conditions

Consider the Kuffner - fine long day

In reply to NIGBEE:
We pitched the North face of the Tour Ronde and topped out before a guided party, so it is possible to pitch it in reasonable time, not sure I'd fancy climbing it with somebody who wasn't up to leading it though. It's a long time since I did it but I reckon she could swing quite a long way in a fall, possibly catching a crampon and breaking an ankle in the process.

Pyramid du Tacul would be a good bet, i did that with a friend who seconded me up every pitch. Long day though if you're not quick, we were glad we left bivi gear at the bottom of the route (not sure how feasible that is now, you might get stopped leaving the midi if you have bivi gear). Also descend down the front arete following the tatty old abseil stations, the bolted abseil descent is a nightmare of rope jamming spikes.

If you're up to leading Scottish IV the Chere Couloir is another route where it would be ok if the second fell off.

In reply to NIGBEE:

Well recommended:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=66934&lgn=62010

Considerably easier in my opinion than the midi plan traverse!

In reply to NIGBEE:

Don't do the Bionassay! The ridge connecting it to the main mass of the Dome de Gouter is horrendously exposed and after sun-up, turns to wet sugar. A very scary, serious place.

In reply to NIGBEE:

+1 for Pyramid de Tacul, a fun short route. Petit Cap, Roi de Siam and the Lepiney on the Trident are also shortish but up a notch. Gervassutti on the Tour Ronde is a great warm up for the North Face route - if in condition / you are there early in the season. Dent de Geant.
+1 for the N Face Triangle of the Tacul; the Grisolle is a great little route, slightly easier than the others.
Papillons is a great route, longer than above but as Dave said mostly Severe with a few F5c moves thrown in. Quite exposed in parts.
One of the rock routes to the summit of the Peigne provides a longer moving together plus pitching day.
For long rock routes / confidence you could try the Aiguilles Rouges. The Voie Ravanel is 400m, a couple of F 5c sections but mostly easier. Bolts plus a lovely descent can be made traversing over the Crochues to Lac Blanc. Perseverance is a lovely summit.
Aiguille Moine S. Ridge.

In reply to davidoldfart:

Interesting you say that

Agree that it's an exciting exposed traverse, but we had fine snow on it end July with leaving the Durier at 5am

Maybe we were just lucky

In reply to NIGBEE:

Bionassay is an amazing route. Just done the kuffner, which is technically easier but much longer.

In reply to NIGBEE:

Rochfort Arete is awesome and just a bit harder than the routes you mention - could be good before some of the longer snowy ridges mentioned?