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Mont Blanc - The Finest Routes

© Vertebrate Publishing

Mont Blanc - The Finest Routes  © Vertebrate Publishing
Mont Blanc - The Finest Routes
© Vertebrate Publishing
Now available from Vertebrate Publishing, Mont Blanc – The Finest Routes is a collection of the 100 must-do climbing routes in the Mont Blanc Massif.

Modern alpinism is a multi-faceted activity for which the Mont Blanc Massif is the perfect playground. Classic routes to which every mountaineer can aspire are surrounded by the towering rock faces, huge mixed walls, precipitous ice shields, serrated ridges and narrow gullies that define the massif's harder climbs.

In order to attain these prestigious summits via the most interesting routes, this book presents a modern selection of 100 must-do climbs, ranging from historic classics to more recent lines, described in order of increasing difficulty.

Author and mountain guide Philippe Batoux provides a comprehensive account of each route, outlining its history and atmosphere and giving all the technical information needed to climb it. These written descriptions are complemented by photo diagrams and detailed topos. In addition, every route is illustrated with superbly evocative photos that make best use of the book's large format.

The snowy step below the Gendarme des Cosmiques.  © Philippe Batoux/Vertebrate Publishing
The snowy step below the Gendarme des Cosmiques.
© Philippe Batoux/Vertebrate Publishing

The routes were chosen for the quality of the rock, the reliability of the in-situ gear, the beauty of the surroundings, the prestige of the summit and the enthusiasm the route inspires.

Mont Blanc - The Finest Routes - Sample Spread  © Vertebrate Publishing
Mont Blanc - The Finest Routes - Sample Spread
© Vertebrate Publishing

Preference has been given to routes in the modern idiom, whether they are gullies that only form in winter, difficult free climbs on high-altitude cliffs, long ridge scrambles or traverses of major summits. There are routes here for all tastes, from famous classics such as the Cosmiques Ridge on the Aiguille du Midi, the American Direct on the Petit Dru, the Whymper Couloir on the Aiguille Verte, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses and the Kuffner Ridge on Mont Maudit to more recent gems such as J't'ai conquis, J't'adore on Pointe Lépiney, No Siesta on the Grandes Jorasses and Le Vent du Dragon on the Aiguille du Midi.

View a preview of Mont Blanc - The Finest Routes on Issuu

Published in hardback by Vertebrate Publishing, Mont Blanc – The Finest Routes is available from selected book shops, climbing and outdoor retailers and direct from the publisher: www.v-publishing.co.uk

photo
The last snow slope before the mixed ground below the Flèche Rousse.
© Philippe Batoux/Vertebrate Publishing


For more information Vertebrate Publishing



24 Jun, 2013
I got my copy at the weekend. Really impressed. Inspiring photography, detailed topos and route descriptions.

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