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> Aiguille du Midi
Contamine
5.11c/d YDS 7a French 24 Ewbanks VIII UIAA 25 ZA E4 6a British
Avg: 3.8 from 20
votes
Routes in Aiguille du Midi
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Ballade pour Aurelia T 5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a |
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Contamine T 5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a |
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Ma Dalton T 5.12c 7b+ 27 IX- 27 E6 6b |
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Monsieur de Mesmaeker T 5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b |
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Super Dupont T 5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a |
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Voie Kohlmann T 5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b |
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Voie Mazeaud T 5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a |
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Voie Rébuffat-Baquet T 5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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| Type: | Trad, Alpine, 450 ft (136 m), 5 pitches, Grade III |
| FA: | Contamine, Bozon, Juge and Labrunie (1957) |
| Page Views: | 3,507 total · 47/month |
| Shared By: | Eric Blanc on Oct 2, 2018 |
| Admins: | Bogdan Petre, David Riley, Luc-514 |
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Location
Approach: 15 minutes from Aiguille du Midi.
From Aiguille de Midi descend the Arete de Midi to the glacier. On the glacier, Aiguille de Midi will appear on your right. Follow the safest way to the base of the climb paying attention for crevasses.
The start of “La Contamine” is common to the usual start of the “Rébuffat-Baquet” route. The approach abseiling from the top is possible, but not recommended at times when the routes are heavily frequented. Many rope-teams are in the South face until mid-afternoon. Prefer an approach from the bottom coming out at the summit, or abseiling during the less busy hours of the day.
From Aiguille de Midi descend the Arete de Midi to the glacier. On the glacier, Aiguille de Midi will appear on your right. Follow the safest way to the base of the climb paying attention for crevasses.
The start of “La Contamine” is common to the usual start of the “Rébuffat-Baquet” route. The approach abseiling from the top is possible, but not recommended at times when the routes are heavily frequented. Many rope-teams are in the South face until mid-afternoon. Prefer an approach from the bottom coming out at the summit, or abseiling during the less busy hours of the day.
Description
- La Contamine” is a classic route on the Aiguille du Midi. The pitches are beautiful and sustained. The crack in pitch 5 which crosses the vertical wall of the summit is particularly aesthetic.
- 450 feet of rock climbing / compulsory 5.10b
Fixed anchors
2 bolts and chain at the anchor
Route has been rebolted
50 meter rappels. 60m ropes advised. - More information: http://web.archive.org/web/20220925235343/ chamgranit-topos.com/cham_n… [admin edit: page appears to have disappeared, this link isn't very useful anymore, but putting the wayback machine link here for posterity]
- Translation from french by Aanoud Petermann
Protection
- Glacier gear
- 2 racks of camalots C4 up to n°3 (only one blue 3.)
- 1 rack of C3 or X4 .1 .2 .3
- 1 rack of nuts
- 12 quickdraws
- 2 racks of camalots C4 up to n°3 (only one blue 3.)
- 1 rack of C3 or X4 .1 .2 .3
- 1 rack of nuts
- 12 quickdraws
Itinerary "Contamine"
Pitch2 (20m 5.10a): From R1, reach above a thin oblique rainbow-shaped crack going upward left. R2 is at the end of the crack, slightly above. Aerial and beautiful. Variant: From the Rébuffat’s ring, go left, reach the back of the big roof, follow it towards the right. No anchor at the end of the roof. Continue in the corner, piton, climb over the overhang on the left and reach R2. (45m from R0). It is also possible, from R1, to reach the last section of the variant. Watch out for drag.
Pitch3 (40m 5.10d): From R2, climb the fluted cracks above the anchor. Climb over the roof with a delicate and intense move, and continue right with two athletic cracks, pitons. After the difficult part, continue with the line of cracks. R3 is on the right, in a pronounced corner.
Pitch4 (40m 5.8): From R3, climb the big corner above. It is possible to build an anchor on a platform or continue in one single pitch by climbing the short, slightly delicate rise (5.9). Reach an easy, sometimes snowy area, watch out for unstable rocks. R4 is at the top of the plateaus, slightly on the left of the very visible crack of pitch5.
Pitch5 (35m 5.11c): From R4, reach right to a vertical crack. Watch out for the big bloc at the start. After about 20m, climb a short athletic wall, pitons and bolts, and then traverse right following a diagonal crack. Get to the R5 flat through an easier section which moves up towards the right.
Descent
- From R5, follow the abseil line of “Contamine” route. Watch out, R4 is not equipped for rappelling. Use the “R4 Rappel”
which is a few meters to the right. “R4 rappel” allows you to then reach R3 with a 50m rope. - By the summit of the Aiguille
From R5, continue the climb passing right of the obvious spur. Anchor above the couloir of the second-to-last pitch of the
"Rébuffat" route (5.8). A last short pitch leads to the summit (5.10c). With a short diagonal rappel in the North face, reach the
tourist gallery of Aiguille du midi.
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