The Glacier Noir has a wild ambience: there are no huts, few people, no mobile phone reception, the routes are hard and committing, and the descents long and far from straightforward.

The south side of the glacier is dominated by the great north faces of the Pelvoux, Pic Sans Nom and Ailefroide. On each of these, legendary Ecrins activists Jean-Michel Cambon and Bernard Francou established direct routes.

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