Avg: 3.7 from 3
votes
A gorgeous route on classic orange and speckled Mont Blanc Granite. Lots of cracks, sharp flakes and dihedrals make this a must-do route. The 5th pitch is the crux and it's rated 6b. There are two parallel cracks that bulge out into an overhang, and you have to try and place protections while you're wrestling to get over the bulge.
The entire route is breathtaking - with views of Italy and the entire Vallee Blanche area. You can either walk off the top and descend on the Lachenal traverse (shorter and easier) or you can rap down and then hike the 90-120 minutes back to the Aiguille du Midi.
[BP: Original pitch by pitch route description contributed by Andy Hansen copied below]
P1 20m 5b: Begin to the right of the Contamine route in a great looking hand crack. When a feasible foot traverse appears on your left, go left to a bolted anchor. Alternatively you can continue up the crack for the complete 6a+ start of this route. There is a belay anchor at the start of this pitch which can be helpful depending on the condition of the snowpack thereabouts.
P2 20m 5b: Another moderate pitch will lead up and left to another bolted anchor. These can feasibly be linked with the first pitch if you've judiciously used runners appropriately.
P3 20m 5c: Work up and left into a left facing corner. When it gets steep, place some pro and move right on a jutting fin of rock to arrive at a bolted belay.
P4 40m 6a: Work up, and slightly left, in a somewhat incipient crack. This is likely the most challenging pitch to protect but does so with small stoppers and small cams. At the end of this pitch there is a bolted anchor- use this for protection and do a hard traverse right to another bolted anchor to the base of parallel crack/flake system.
P5 30m 6a: Work up the parallel crack system favoring the left crack at first and then when it makes sense, switch to the right crack. Continue up this on beautiful jams and granite flakes to an overhang. Pull the overhang (crux) and continue on a splitter 5b crack to the base of another, steeper, parallel hand crack.
P6 20m 6b: Athletic movement using the two cracks lead to a thin hands crack through a bulge. Pull this and another thin hands section to arrive at a flake/offwidth crack. Squirm into the flake with your left side and oppose this with the crack on the right. A beautiful, strenuous and physical pitch at high altitude.
P7 20m 5c: A strenuous bulge leads to a nice crack and a slung horn. Clip this and traverse right to a bolted belay.
P8 50m 4c: Follow the crack system up and left. Great movement... there are two ways to finish this pitch to arrive at the same anchor. Either left or right. Both are about 4c or so.
P9 30m 5b: Work up from the good stance to a corner and follow this for a way to a strenuous steep bit to get onto the arete proper. Make a few more moves left and belay at a good stance nearly on the arete.
P10 20m 5b: Work up and right directly onto the arete, cross a notch, and slither into the v-groove with a great handcrack in the back. This will put you on the summit.
Two cable cars up to the top of the Aiguille du Midi - walk off the arette and follow the skiers path down the Vallee Blanch until you see the North facing side of the Mt Blanc du Tacul.
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Cannes
Indeed, a true "chamonix 6a" ;) Mar 1, 2021
Longmont, CO
Approach: Take the bin up to the Aiguille du Midi summit. Descend the arete and cross the upper Vallee Blanche headed south and slightly east. The glacier will begin to drop rather quickly, don't drop down too far. Aim for the southeast face of Pointe Lachenal. 45min.
[Admin Edit (BP): Hansen's pitch by pitch description below has been copied to the description section of this page. It's a living doc which may change with time so the original is left here for posterity, but is redundant with the content in the Description section above as of this note]
P1 20m 5b: Begin to the right of the Contamine route in a great looking hand crack. When a feasible foot traverse appears on your left, go left to a bolted anchor. Alternatively you can continue up the crack for the complete 6a+ start of this route. There is a belay anchor at the start of this pitch which can be helpful depending on the condition of the snowpack thereabouts.
P2 20m 5b: Another moderate pitch will lead up and left to another bolted anchor. These can feasibly be linked with the first pitch if you've judiciously used runners appropriately.
P3 20m 5c: Work up and left into a left facing corner. When it gets steep, place some pro and move right on a jutting fin of rock to arrive at a bolted belay.
P4 40m 6a: Work up, and slightly left, in a somewhat incipient crack. This is likely the most challenging pitch to protect but does so with small stoppers and small cams. At the end of this pitch there is a bolted anchor- use this for protection and do a hard traverse right to another bolted anchor to the base of parallel crack/flake system.
P5 30m 6a: Work up the parallel crack system favoring the left crack at first and then when it makes sense, switch to the right crack. Continue up this on beautiful jams and granite flakes to an overhang. Pull the overhang (crux) and continue on a splitter 5b crack to the base of another, steeper, parallel hand crack.
P6 20m 6b: Athletic movement using the two cracks lead to a thin hands crack through a bulge. Pull this and another thin hands section to arrive at a flake/offwidth crack. Squirm into the flake with your left side and oppose this with the crack on the right. A beautiful, strenuous and physical pitch at high altitude.
P7 20m 5c: A strenuous bulge leads to a nice crack and a slung horn. Clip this and traverse right to a bolted belay.
P8 50m 4c: Follow the crack system up and left. Great movement... there are two ways to finish this pitch to arrive at the same anchor. Either left or right. Both are about 4c or so.
P9 30m 5b: Work up from the good stance to a corner and follow this for a way to a strenuous steep bit to get onto the arete proper. Make a few more moves left and belay at a good stance nearly on the arete.
P10 20m 5b: Work up and right directly onto the arete, cross a notch, and slither into the v-groove with a great handcrack in the back. This will put you on the summit.
Descent: Rappel the various anchors on the wall (two ropes required) or walk back to the Aiguille du Midi summit station
If I had good weather forecast I'd bring a 50m single rope, stoppers, cams 00-1 C3's, .4-#3 with doubles .75-2. Jul 26, 2024