300m, 8 pitches. See https://petitclocherduportalet.ch/ for good topo, though sometimes I'm not sure the line goes exactly where you should. Generally, follow the shiny gold bolts. All belays are good/comfy.
P1: Start at right end of the tower, just after the snowy couloir. You should see a ramp feature with some bolts visible, straight up that.
P2: Straight up, follow the bolts.
P3: Bear left on easy but a bit loose ground, aim for the bottom of the big arching crack in the lighter coloured rock.
P4: An odd pitch. The bolts take you up to the right on a slab (delicate and a bit lichen-y), then left up a crack, straight up another crack to a ledge. From here go up the crack until you traverse right into a final crack up to the belay. Pitch feels a bit illogical.
P5: Up a left slanting slabby ramp, down a couple of metres then take a nice crack up. Follow the diagonal crack up from here.
P6: Over some blocks to the airy start of the corner, then straight up. A cool move getting into corner.
P7: Short chimney, then aim for a vertical crack and keep to right of slab above.
P8: Up slab to finish easily then wander up to top.

All in all, a good route on an epic formation. Could benefit from more people to clean up the lower pitches. Shortest walk from hut/bivi and no-one on it when we did it, compared to the circus on the NF proper.

Rémy Brothers 2008.

Feedback Always Hide βeta

1 users have logged this