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France scrambles + via ferrata 2016
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I'm based in the northern Alps of France, and this morning I was up in the Haute Savoie area to drop off Sharon at the airport, so I tried a route constructed recently ...
Key drawback is that the descent trail (and also approach trail) are steep dirt through dense forest (with fallen leaves). Would be dangerously slippery if it were wet (or in a season with a thick layer of fallen leaves?). So if any chance of rain, bring a rope for belay (or rappel) off trees on descent. . (Might consider also bringing some kind of traction aid for shoes, say like Micro-Spikes). Key location GPS points:
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Directions: from Parking, NE 40m on dirt path up to asphalt road. Turn Left and go 100m NW on road to sign "via ferrata". Turn Right off road onto dirt trail with several zig-zags: first steep up NE 80m, then gentler SE 70m, then steep NNE 100m, then gentler NW 80m, then steep NNE 70m to reach yellow-on-green arrow pointing Left -- This at (N46.2468 E6.6481) is the junction with the Return trail. Turn Left and go gentler WNW 220m, then steep up N 40m to reach bottom of cables for VF routes. The left cable is for the D+ rated route, the right cable for the more strenuous ED rated route (which I did). Follow the cable. There are two intermediate points where the cables rejoin. In each case, take the right cable to continue the ED rated route. At the top of the cable, follow orange-paint trail upward gentle ENE for 0.2 mile (0.3 km). Next down gentle E a short ways, then very steep down SE (with a steel cable) about 100m, then bear right and very steep down SW 320m to meet the Approach trail, and back down that to the asphalt road. Ken |
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VF Jacques Revaclier near St-Julien-en-Genevoise
- - > See on Map This via ferrata is remarkably short. I dropped off Sharon early at the Geneva airport and was up the VF and back down to my car before her plane took off. It has a very short overhang sequence (which accounts for the French VF rating of D Difficile) in the midst of a rather short vertical section. My reasons for choosing it where that it was close to Geneva Switzerland and it was the first time I did anything on Mont Saleve. Otherwise you better enjoy a steep hike through dense forest and a horizontal traverse with a steel cable hand-rail under an curved roof, with a decent view out across the green valley. ? Or find a way to continue hiking higher above the VF to some better viewpoint or other destination which is significant for you. Protection for a falling climber was not that good compared with other VF routes (so while on most VF routes, a fall would likely result in some injury, on this route it could be a longer fall). Most of the cable anchors were "pig's tails", which makes is easy for a Lead climber to a give a rope belay to following climbers without needing to use quick-draws to tend the rope in traversing sections). Location GPS points:
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Directions: First drive to "Chartreuse de Pomier", then follow signs for Parking "Promeneurs" a short ways SE above the abbey buildings. Final section becomes dirt before reaching Parking. Start hiking SSE on "Converts" trail (occasional yellow markings) which goes as wide dirt road up generally ESE for 300m (take the steepest way at each fork). Then turn off Left onto a dirt trail and go E up steep about 150m. See VF cable to Left and scramble up to reach it. Next traverse NNW with the cable, at first downward, then under an overhang. Reach a metal plaque and next the cable bends to go directly up the cliff, with a short overhanging section. Soon the cable ends, with more of the same forest above. Return by hiking up at first a bit Left, NE about 35m, then turn Right on trail (with orange paint) and go SE gentle up 135m. Next down gentle S 120m, then turn sharp R and go generally W down steep about 70m to meet the Approach trail. Down another 150m to meet the dirt road and back down that to Parking. Ken |
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Pic du Pin, South ridge, in the Belledonne mountain chain near Grenoble
- - > See on Map Really more of a South->North ridge traverse than a summit climb - (also known as "Arete du Pin" or "Crete du Pin"). I love ridge traverses, and this was a very good one: + lots of exposure, with + sections of climbing on the narrow edge. + sound rock, with + lots of easy holds. I'll do it again. I climbed and traversed the ridge up to (and over) the South summit of the Pic du Pin [ See French-language route description ]. I had intended to make the traverse at least to the Central summit [ See French-language route description ], but I got confused about which summit and had not brought a rope for rappels. Really I was glad not to carry a rope, because feeling light and free allowed me to play with fun variations, and gave me the opportunity to climb all the fun sections a second time on return (since I could not make rappel exit near north end). Location GPS (approx latitude longitude)
Description quick summary: Hike on trail roughly E up to Pas de la Coche. Head N up off trail (passing E of a building), then down into a depression, then across talus field to the south face of the first sub-peak. Keep heading north, finding the most interesting ways to climb up and over various sub-peaks and gendarmes (sometimes rappeling their N side), or bypassing some of the sub-peaks along their west side (for details, See the French-language route description). Likely can reach the South summit without a rope for rappels. Perhaps could continue north toward the Central summit as far as your climbing ability and mental state will take you -- but make sure you can reverse any moves or sections, since you need to return back south at least as far as Pas du Pin. Or if you brought two ropes, could make a 45-meter rappel off the north side of Central summit and then exit down to the west without reversing your route (though some sources say you can break this descent into two rappels with a single rope). . . . (Hope I can add more details later) . . . Ken |
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Ken, |
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Yes, good idea Rui. |
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in our tour we went up the West side of Pas du Pin and dropped in on the other side and then went up to Dent du Pra and on to Col d'Aigleton from the NE resulting in a big loop returning back to our car in Prabert. |
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Excellent! |
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Grand Pic de Belledonne N Arete normal
- - > See on Map Lots of work for not a great climb. To try the N ridge normal route (without continuing into the N-S traverse), you have to really want to bag the Grand Pic (understandable because it's the highest summit in the Belledonne chain, and it looks so good from the valley and from other mountain groups). Because much of this route [ see French-language description ] is really not on the arete -- rather a dark gully with loose rock - (perhaps this could be solved by doing the "integrale" route instead, but then the descent would still be the normal route). There's lots more loose talus and scree on the approach (from the west anyway), and anyway it's just a long distance and vertical from any parking (for France -- there's lots of peaks in USA that remote). The scenery is worthwhile and the terrain is steep and wild, still with a glacier even -- but (except for the summit view), you could experience more of that by doing a loop around the Grand Lance de Domene over Col Freydane. statistics:
hints: a) the climbing starts at Col de la Balmette. Need to be careful because you have to hit the col in the right place, because the "saddle" ridge between Pic Lamartine and Grand Pic is narrow and jagged with several notches, so when I arrived at one of the wrong notches 80 meters too far north, my only choice was to scramble back down. The correct notch for climbers is not the point labeled on topo maps, not the low point (nor the mid-point) of the saddle ridge, and not visible during most of the normal approach from the NW. The climber's notch is at about (N45.1733 E5.9911) and the couloir you scramble up to reach it is WSW below that. So the correct couloir starts near the glacier, and appears to go up right-to-left as you approach from the NW, and at least its lower section normally has some snow in it. Almost any year after August 15 the snow is avoidable and crampons are not needed. b) As you hike around the NE side of Lac Blanc, there are now two trails continuing higher, both well-used and well-marked with cairns. The one which is the obvious continuation of the one you took to reach Lac Blanc (and which has a red+white paint GR symbol apparently aiming along it) is not the trail to the Grand Pic -- as I discovered after I arrived at Lac Blanc with first morning sun so strong directly in my eyes that I was having trouble just following any trail -- so I missed that ... At the trail's low point NE past Lac Blanc, need to make a definite Right turn and head SE even though at first there's no beaten track that way. If you're not soon seeing a high dark wall topped by three big peaks with several little ones in between, you're not going to the Grand Pic. c) Pre Marcel (N45.2216 E5.9551) is where I parked, and it's popular. It allows you to drive to a higher elevation on an asphalt road. But that elevation gain might be mis-leading, because there's a substantial drop in the trail just E from the Refuge, which adds like +200 vertical feet (+60m) in each direction. And it's a longer horiontal distance (with yet more small ups+downs) than other trailheads. Perhaps people prefer it because the first couple of hours are not steep -- I found starting before dawn the trail offered fine views of the sun hitting first the peaks of the Chartrese and Vercors and then the valley and city of Grenoble. My conclusion: If I were going to again do all that work in hiking and scree-talus scrambling, might as well do the N-S traverse of three summits -- but that requires hauling some rope in and up the long approach. And maybe sleep in a hut, instead of car-to-car. But there's several other good ridge traverses in France with shorter approaches or less equipment to haul. Ken |
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VF La Roche a l'Agathe in city of Thones, Haute-Savoie
. . . See where on Map . . . Waited to get out until afternoon for things to improve on a misty unsettled day. I arrived at the parking and suddenly it poured rain. Make some phone calls sitting in my car. Then it was sunny again, with no chance of thunderstorm and I expected that most of the moves were on fixed hardware instead of rock, so I got out of my car and climbed the via ferrata route. Had a nice time. What I found:
Most of the cable anchors were "pig's tails", so makes it easy for a Leader (without bringing quickdraws) to tend the rope on traversing sections for belaying a follower. Protection quality typical of modern French VF routes - (so if using a normal VF kit properly, in some sections there's still a good chance you'll get hurt if you actually fall -- if not happy with that possibility, then do a normal rock-climbing-route with a Leader and Followers using a rope). Parking / Trailhead: (N45.8839 E6.3224) Ken |
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Yes, East couloir of Pas du Pin is away from Prabert. The West Couloir is frequently skied as well if you are not looking to do a grand tour. Of course you can ski the East couloir and come back to Prabert by climbing up Pas de la Coche |
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Aiguilles de l'Argentiere - Belledonne chain E side
- - > See where on Map I tried exploring here because it forms an obvious high ridge, with recommended traverses -- but with much higher and closer trailhead than the Grand Pic du Belledonne -- parking at Col du Glandon (lat long ~ N45.2396 E6.1754) (elev 1924m / 6312ft). - guidebook (French): Escalade Belledonne by Lionel Tassan - web info c2c Ridge is almost as high as Grand Pic du Belledonne. Some rappels required. The more obvious traverses might require crampons and/or ice axe for descent. Approach from Col du Glandon is all above tree line. Pleasant + pretty, but grass is slippery. Also some S-facing rock climbs. ____________________________________________ Grandes Aiguilles - West half (traversée occidentale) : Must be done W->E with long talus approach to W end, then crampons (ice axe?) to descend from middle of ridge at Col Dulong de Rosnay (N45.2443 E6.1350), North down glacier. . . . Perhaps easier approach early season with snow covering talus?) . . . Perhaps avoid some talus by taking trail first to Lac de la Combe (with building), then stay low S at first as go farther W. . . . Aiguille Marcieu S side climb? Not worth long talus (except early season?) ___________________________________ Grandes Aiguilles - East half (traversée orientale) : Can be done either direction. Perhaps more normally E->W, then crampons (ice axe?) to descend from middle at Col Dulong de Rosnay (N45.2443 E6.1350), to the North down glacier. . . . (Perhaps make this longer by starting w Petites). Could avoid need for crampons (unless need to escape) by doing complete W + E traverse - (but still long talus approach). ___________________________________ Petites Aiguilles de l'Argentiere traverse E->W : shorter approach, less talus Two possible approaches to the (? Breche Piniollet ?) col (N45.2470 E6.1506) at east end. Either traverse across talus below Left, then climb roughly straight up (with some arete climbing possible already on S approach below col). Or scramble up hidden gully on Right side. Perhaps could start at another col farther E. But big loose blocks on ridge. Lower ridge even farther E has more walking than climbing -- and then that big-loose-block section. Starting even lower farther East and closer to parking at foot of ridge has more walking than climbing -- and then that big-loose-block section. ___________________________________ Also there is an interesting ridge off to the NorthEast. Closer than the Grandes Aiguilles, but access not so convenient from the main road. Not sure what is the difficulty of traversing that ridge (or its connection to the main Aiguilles ridge) - (? perhaps could do a sort of V traverse with that NE spur and the lower East section of Aiguilles ridge ? Totally exploratory). Ken |
