Rockfax Description
II, 500m. The most climbed route in this area. It is pretty reliably in condition and makes an excellent little day out.Approach - From the top of the Grands Montets Lift, descend gently southwards.1) Climb 50 degree snow for 100m and then follow 60 degree mixed ground to a narrow chimney.2) Head up the chimney (which is superb) to reach a snow slope. Cross it diagonally up and left to reach a 10m high, steep step split by two gullies.3) Climb these (80 degree ice) and a steepening ice/snow slope rightwards to a belay to the right of the crux ice section. 4) Step left and climb 15m of 85 degree ice to easier-angled terrain. Follow this for 10m and then climb the narrow, vertical icy runnel above.5) Continue up 200m of 50 degree snow to reach the ridge.Descent - Abseil on fixed anchors (but take some tat in case you can't find them or they need beefing up). © Rockfax
UKC Logbook Description
Climb snow slopes for 100m. A 65 degree ice wall on the L. leads to another snow slope followed by a deep, icy chimney (60 degrees). Climb the snow slope above for 50m then steep icy wall on the L. (80/85 degrees, can be thin). Above this is another slope then the crux pitch. Climb iced slabs for 10m to a belay on the right. Traverse L. into a corner and climb a sustained chimney (80 degrees) to more iced slabs and optional belay. From here a short steep gully (90 degrees) leads to easy snow slopes to the top.
Ticklists: Batoux's 100 finest routes in the Mont Blanc massif, Batoux's 100 finest routes in the Mont Blanc massif, 10 Routes to Climb in Chamonix in Winter.
Climber | Date | Style | Notes & Partners |
---|---|---|---|
Hidden | 20/Apr | AltLd O/S | |
Hidden | 22/Feb | AltLd O/S | |
Hidden | 30/Apr/16 | AltLd | |
alexm198 | 30/Apr/16 | AltLd O/S | To the top of the difficulties. A good route in shitty condition - snow wading for the first half, then incredibly bare for the second. Moved together for nearly everything, put in two rope lengths at the end, led the final pitch which had no useful ice but cracks filled with verglas made it rather bold. Felt like a short but thuggy section of M6/+. Nearly too pumped to put the ropes in the belay plate by the end! with Tim Oliver |
To the top of the difficulties. A good route in shitty condition - snow wading for the first half, then incredibly bare for the second. Moved together for nearly everything, put in two rope lengths at the end, led the final pitch which had no useful ice but cracks filled with verglas made it rather bold. Felt like a short but thuggy section of M6/+. Nearly too pumped to put the ropes in the belay plate by the end! with Tim Oliver | |||
mike.moss | 29/Mar/16 | AltLd dnf | with Kirill Spiridonov |
with Kirill Spiridonov | |||
Kirill | 29/Mar/16 | AltLd dnf | Only climbed couple of pitches before deciding to bail as the weather got worse. with Mike Moss |
Only climbed couple of pitches before deciding to bail as the weather got worse. with Mike Moss | |||
robpartridge | 28/Mar/16 | AltLd O/S | with Tim Neil |
with Tim Neil | |||
Hidden | 20/Mar/16 | AltLd O/S | |
Matt Groom | 10/Mar/16 | AltLd | |
Hidden | 05/Mar/16 | - | |
Hidden | ?/Mar/16 | AltLd | |
James Thacker | ??/2016 | - | |
benclimbing | 08/Apr/15 | AltLd O/S | Brilliant route. We took a left hand option at the crux which led to some delicate mixed climbing. All abseil anchors in place with guy steven |
Brilliant route. We took a left hand option at the crux which led to some delicate mixed climbing. All abseil anchors in place with guy steven | |||
Uisdean hawthorn | 08/Apr/15 | AltLd O/S | with Tim miller |
with Tim miller | |||
Timothy Miller | 08/Apr/15 | AltLd | with Uisdean hawthorn |
with Uisdean hawthorn | |||
Hidden | 05/Apr/15 | AltLd | |
DigitalSteak | 24/Mar/15 | AltLd O/S | Superb route, getting a little thin now. Heather cruised the very thin and technical mixed crux. I got the ice crux at the top - very hooked out but steep and pumpy! with Heather Swift |
Superb route, getting a little thin now. Heather cruised the very thin and technical mixed crux. I got the ice crux at the top - very hooked out but steep and pumpy! with Heather Swift | |||
Hidden | 13/Mar/15 | AltLd | |
alooker | ?/Mar/15 | AltLd | |
Hidden | 06/Jan/15 | Lead O/S | |
Hidden | ??/2015 | - | |
Hidden | 28/Mar/14 | AltLd O/S | |
Hidden | 28/Mar/14 | AltLd O/S | |
jimmatthews | 20/Mar/14 | AltLd | Top pitch very thin and hard with Richard Andrews, Chris Andrews |
Top pitch very thin and hard with Richard Andrews, Chris Andrews | |||
Hidden | 20/Mar/14 | AltLd | |
Hidden | 20/Mar/14 | AltLd | |
Alessandro Tentori | 07/Mar/14 | 2nd O/S | Fresh snow on final pitches. Not enough ice on the crux, making it feel more like drytooling on alpine grade V. with Damien Tomasi |
Fresh snow on final pitches. Not enough ice on the crux, making it feel more like drytooling on alpine grade V. with Damien Tomasi | |||
GraMc | 13/Jan/14 | AltLd O/S | Scottish conditions!, abbed off after the difficulties with fulton |
Scottish conditions!, abbed off after the difficulties with fulton | |||
Alasdair Fulton | 13/Jan/14 | AltLd O/S | Short weather window, so rammed up to the crux pitches moving together. Graham did a big 60m pitch to the belay on the right before the final steep groove, which is fairly hacked so a little delicate. The bad weather came in as forecast, so we bailed off in a torrent of spindrift. Nice to get something done on an iffy day. with Graham Mcgrath |
Short weather window, so rammed up to the crux pitches moving together. Graham did a big 60m pitch to the belay on the right before the final steep groove, which is fairly hacked so a little delicate. The bad weather came in as forecast, so we bailed off in a torrent of spindrift. Nice to get something done on an iffy day. with Graham Mcgrath | |||
Hidden | ??/2014 | - | |
Hidden | ??/2014 | - | |
Hidden | 27/Mar/13 | AltLd | |
LJC | 24/Mar/13 | AltLd | Fell in the bergshrund and then bailed some way up, after a the top slope started avalanching down the route. with Harry |
Fell in the bergshrund and then bailed some way up, after a the top slope started avalanching down the route. with Harry | |||
HarryB | 24/Mar/13 | AltLd dnf | Simul-climbed up to the chimney then got buried in mini avalanches from the upper slope so bailed. Deep powder on the snow bits was hard work but the difficulties were in good condition. with Luca |
Simul-climbed up to the chimney then got buried in mini avalanches from the upper slope so bailed. Deep powder on the snow bits was hard work but the difficulties were in good condition. with Luca | |||
The old James turnbull | ?/Mar/13 | AltLd | with aiden |
with aiden | |||
mikeyjbs | 02/Apr/12 | AltLd O/S | with Lee Harrison |
with Lee Harrison | |||
Big Lee | 02/Apr/12 | AltLd O/S | An awesome route. Some gripping lean conditions but excellent climbing. Climbed the Direct Route. The slab at the top of the crux was very thinly iced and bold. Ab'ed off after the difficulties. with Michael Stephenson |
An awesome route. Some gripping lean conditions but excellent climbing. Climbed the Direct Route. The slab at the top of the crux was very thinly iced and bold. Ab'ed off after the difficulties. with Michael Stephenson | |||
Hidden | 23/Mar/12 | AltLd rpt | |
davebrox | 17/Mar/12 | AltLd O/S | with owain |
with owain | |||
Neil Adams | 03/Mar/12 | AltLd | with Heike |
with Heike | |||
smithaldo | 03/Mar/12 | AltLd O/S | with mark, Clegg |
with mark, Clegg | |||
Neil Adams | 28/Feb/12 | AltLd O/S | with Heike |
with Heike | |||
Heike | 28/Feb/12 | AltLd | with Neil Adams |
with Neil Adams | |||
Limestone-Lad | 25/Mar/11 | AltLd O/S | With R.K. - Two tired boys after epic on Les Courtes and attempt on Viking. traverse across from 'freque. Snow plod up to start. Then some smashing climbing. Ran out of steam/talent/time all at the same point; the crux high up. zipped down abseil and sprint back for last 'freque to Cham. Totally wasted . Very Happy . |
With R.K. - Two tired boys after epic on Les Courtes and attempt on Viking. traverse across from 'freque. Snow plod up to start. Then some smashing climbing. Ran out of steam/talent/time all at the same point; the crux high up. zipped down abseil and sprint back for last 'freque to Cham. Totally wasted . Very Happy . | |||
Hidden | 05/Mar/11 | AltLd O/S | |
Rhys Macallister | 03/Feb/11 | AltLd | with stuart |
with stuart | |||
stuart34 | 03/Feb/11 | AltLd O/S | Wicked route, crux section a little thin at moment. Very hacked out with Rhys |
Wicked route, crux section a little thin at moment. Very hacked out with Rhys | |||
Hidden | 02/Feb/11 | AltLd | |
Hidden | 02/Feb/11 | AltLd O/S | |
Jack Geldard | ?/Feb/11 | - | |
industrialiceman | 31/Jan/11 | 2nd | |
Ally Baba | 14/Jan/11 | AltLd O/S | Just soloed most of it together, then simo-climbed the crux. Well worth going up to the breche for the view of the dru. Great wee route well recomended. with will sim |
Just soloed most of it together, then simo-climbed the crux. Well worth going up to the breche for the view of the dru. Great wee route well recomended. with will sim | |||
Hidden | 03/Jan/11 | AltLd | |
Hidden | 03/Jan/11 | AltLd | |
Ben Briggs | 03/Jan/11 | AltLd O/S | with Tom |
with Tom | |||
Hidden | 29/Apr/10 | AltLd dnf | |
Tom Livingstone | ?/Mar/10 | - | |
Tom Livingstone | ?/Mar/10 | - | |
nickdonohue | ?/Mar/10 | AltLd | thinly iced on crux, but very shortlived difficulties with Benoit Rosset |
thinly iced on crux, but very shortlived difficulties with Benoit Rosset | |||
thebigeasy | ??/2010 | - | |
Hidden | 17/Sep/08 | AltLd | |
Hidden | 28/Feb/08 | AltLd O/S | |
mike.moss | ?/Feb/08 | AltLd O/S | with Kane Chandler |
with Kane Chandler | |||
Hidden | 09/Apr/07 | AltLd | |
David Horwood | 23/Mar/06 | - | |
Hidden | ?/Jan/00 | AltLd |