Type: Trad, Alpine, 750 ft (227 m), 8 pitches, Grade III
FA: R.Vogler, JL. Amstutz and P. Mesot (1988-1991)
Page Views: 610 total · 9/month
Shared By: Eric Blanc on Oct 27, 2018
Admins: Luc-514, David Riley, Bogdan Petre

You & This Route


1 Opinions
Your To-Do List: Add To-Do ·
Your Star Rating:
Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty Rating:
-none- Change
Your Ticks:Add New Tick
-none-
Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

Location Suggest change

Approach: 1h from the Torino hut, 1h30 from l’Aiguille du Midi
The start is about 50m right from the start of the «Salluard» route. Find the obvious large couloir and its snow cone. Reach the bolt with the quick-link, 10-or-so meters above the glacier, right of the couloir.

Description Suggest change

  • «Fil ou Face» is difficult and varied. It requires serious commitment if you go without a C4 n°5. The climbing unwinds from edge to faces, scattered with slabs and flakes in its lower part, then distinctly more athletic. It sometimes requires our full capacities to be put at work, like for the offwidth OW section in L6. The final P7 wall is splendid. The newly-rebolted route ends at R7. It joins «Cache-Cache» for the last pitch.
  • 750 ft of rock climbing / compulsory 5.10d
    Fixed anchors
    2 bolts and chain at the anchor
    Route rebolted in 2015
    50 meter rappels. 60m ropes advised
  • More information: chamgranit-topos.com/cham_n…
  • Translation from french by Aanoud Petermann

Protection Suggest change

- Glacier gear
- 2 racks of camalots C4 up to n°3 (blue)
- One C4 n°5 for the P6 OW, or else compulsory 6b+
- 1 rack of C3 or X4 .1 .2 .3
- 1 well-furnished rack of nuts
- 10-12 quickdraws

Itinerary "Fil ou Face" Suggest change

Pitch1 (40m 5.10c): From R0 «Bolt and quicklink», climb right a short easy corner. Reach above a system of rather delicate   grooves, just right of the large corner. They lead to the R1 ledge.

Pitch2 (30m 5.10b): From R1, do not continue above in the obvious cracked corner. Find on the left, on the edge, a well-visible bolt. Cross the R1 ledge towards the leftand then climb a short easy section. Come out into the slab with a delicate little move and follow in the slab slightly upwards left. Bolts. R2 is a little higher, left of the edge.                            

Pitch3 (20m 5.11b): From R2, traverse clearly right in the wall, bolt, then reach a straight crack which leads to R3, beautiful.
5.10a variant: From R2 climb vertically and reach the flake (old bolt). Get to R3 with a horizontal traverse on the right, easy but a little delicate, balancing flake.

Pitch4 (40m 5.11b): From R3, climb a system of cracks and flakes which line the wall above. Bolts in place, but the itinerary is sometimes subtle. Continue on the edge of the arête in a beautiful easier section. R4 on the edge.

Pitch5 (30m 5.9): From R4, keep going ten or so meters on the edge, then reach left an easy crack system which leads to R5.

Pitch6 (40m 5.11b): From R5, reach to the right a wide crack, bolt, go on in an easily protectable section and get to the OW. Overcome this commiting and sustained section.5.10d mandatory or C4 number 5, and keep on upwards left. Ascend an easier cracked corner on the left, and reach the good platforms of R6.

Pitch7 (30m 5.12-): From R6, overcome the vertical wall, 4 bolts, and climb the edge of the arête on the left. Come back left (or right) onto a ledge and come out directly, 2 bolts. R7 a little higher.

Pitch8 (30m 5.9): «Fil ou Face» ends here, but the last pitch of «Cache-Cache» is pure joy. From R7, climb the slab on your left. R8 at the top of the summit needle.

Descent Suggest change

From R8
From R8, reach R7 with an oblique rappel. It may be a good thing to move onto the North Face after a few meters to avoid the swing under the large roof.
In the route from R7
A few oblique rappels, and a little delicate, the one from R7 to R6 for example. As the route
has many flakes, the ropes can snag. 60m ropes allow you to get from R4 to R2 and from
R2 to the «bolt with quicklink».

In «Cache-cache from R7
The line of rappels indicated with the orange-colored anchors is equipped for abseiling. Itis straighter and less delicate. However it ends in the couloir a little distance from the «bolt and quicklink»

Photos

0 Comments