Argentière Basin Climbing

(This area is for listing ICE, MIXED and SNOW routes only, rock routes should be added elsewhere) 

The Argentière basin is the gateway to the famous north faces of Les Droites, Aiguille Verte and Les Courtes. At the end of the glacier lies Mont Dolent and the Aiguille du Triolet. This is truly a test ground for steep long north faces but also shorter technical ice climbs and mixed routes on the north face of the arete des Grands Montets and the Triolet amphitheater.

This basin has plenty to offer in both quality and quantity with over 160 ice, snow and mixed lines. The classic lines include the North Face of Les Courtes and the Couturier Couloir on Aiguille Verte, while the lines on the North Face of Les Droites add another level of difficulty and are the benchmark for modern day alpine ice climbing in the range.

A word of caution, the long North Faces require conditioning and good route finding to get up and down. Some times the way down is as challenging or more so than going up. Be prepared to hunker down or rappel your line (v-threads) if conditions or time warrant you to back off.