Ballade pour Aurelia

Approach : 15 minutes from the 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.
Watch out with the bergschrund and the sometimes tricky space between the rock and the glacier. Of course, it is possible to approach by abseiling from above, but this is advised against during peak season.

- Glacier gear
- 1 set of camalots C4 up to n°3 (blue)
- Doubles from grey 0.4 to red 1.
- 1 set of C3 from 0 or X4 .1 .2 .3
- 1 set of nuts

Pitch1 (25m 5.9 ): A new pitch due to the glacier decline. Different itineraries are available. For example, climb the vertical cracked corner, just right of Ma Dalton’s roof. Personally, I prefer to use the first pitch of «Super Dupont», farther right,  
which is protected from rockfalls.

Pitch2 (35m 5.12a ): From R1, head left, taking the easiest way, and reach the crack system which ends vertical of the right end of the roof. Easy at first. Becomes harder to get over the roof. 2 bolts. Keep going upwards left to reach R2.

Pitch3 (30m 5.11b): From R2, start a long horizontal traverse to the right to avoid the overhang, 2 bolts. Do not overcome the wall at the height of the first bolt, but keep traversing, keeping your feet quite low. Regain your balance, and after a few meters, cross the compact slab towards the left. After a few cracks and flakes, keep on left to the ridge. R3 is just above.

Pitch4 (35m 5.11c): From R3, traverse right towards the bold, reach a slightly mossy clogged crack that you will need to follow for a few meters. Keep going by way of a horizontal traverse to the right, bolts. Reach R4 using a cracked corner. The anchor is shared with the Rébuffat route.

Pitch5 (35m 5.11c): From R4 follow the platform towards the left to its end. Overcome the technical corner above, 3 bolts. Keep going upwards left on the ramp, tricky if you go with your feet, powerful if you use your hands on it... Pass the intermediate anchor and reach left the crack that goes upwards right, which leads to R5 that is shared with the  
Rébuffat route.

Pitch6 (40m 5.9): Easy pitch, common to the Rébuffat route, in the mid-line following the crack system.

Pitch7 (35m 5.10d): From R6 overcome the short crack curving towards the right. Leave it as you go left into the middle of the slab, 2 bolts and keep going through the slabs slightly upwards right, bolts, stunning. R7 is on the slab.

Pitch8 (40m 5.10c): From R7 overcome the short slab section, reach a crack going upwards right and get up onto the pillar. Keep going left until you reach the ridge, avoiding the overhanging bulwark on its left. R8 is on the ridge.

Pitch9 (30m 5.11b): From R8, downclimb a few meters to cross the often snowy couloir, find a short finger-crack, 2 pitons, which is on the left of the classic Rébuffat route exit. Overcome this crack, and keep going left in the final, slightly runout wall. Bolts. Stunning.