Chamonix: A Guide To The Best Rock Climbs and Mountain Routes Around Chamonix and Mont Blanc

1
Chamonix
Glacier du Tour
Glacier d'Argentière
A guide to the best rock climbs
and mountain routes around
Chamonix and Mont Blanc
Grandes Jorasses
Envers des Aiguilles
Plan de l'Aiguille
Text and topos by Charlie Boscoe
Additional text and topos by Jack Geldard
Crag photography by Charlie Boscoe and Jack Geldard
Helbronner
Action photography as credited
Edited by Alan James
Technical Editor Stephen Horne
Printed in Europe on behalf of LF Book Services
Mont Blanc du Tacul

(ISO 14001 and EMAS certified printers)
Distributed by Cordee (cordee.co.uk)
All maps by ROCKFAX

Some maps based on original source data from
openstreetmap.org
Mont Blanc
Published by ROCKFAX in September 2016
© ROCKFAX 2016
rockfax.com
Tré la Tête
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in

a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying or otherwise without prior written permission of the
copyright owner. A CIP catalogue record is available from the British Library.
This book is printed on FSC certified paper

Aiguilles Rouges
made from 100% virgin fibre sourced

from sustainable forestry
ISBN 978 1 873341 57 5

Valley Cragging
Cover: Steve Wakeford on the Arête des Cosmiques (AD)

- page 220 - on the Aiguille du Midi. Photo: Ben Tibbetts
This page: Two climbers on the serac of The Rochefort Ridge (AD) Charlie Boscoe
- page 247. Photo: Jon Griffith
with Jack Geldard
Contents Chamonix 3
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Glacier du Tour
The Rockfax App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Rockfax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Other Guidebooks and Maps . . . . 12
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Chamonix Logistics . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Emergencies and Rescue . . . . . . . 18
Where is Chamonix? - Area Map . 20
When to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Getting There . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Glacier de Talèfre
Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Where to Stay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Refuges and Bivouac Shelters . . . 30
Shops and Tourist Information . . . 32
Grandes Jorasses
Other Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Chamonix Climbing . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Guiding Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Grades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Route Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Symbol, Map and Topo Key . . . . . 45
Alpine Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Alpine Dangers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Plan de l'Aiguille
Destination Planner . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Glacier du Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Glacier d'Argentière . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Aiguille du Midi
Glacier de Talèfre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Grandes Jorasses . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Envers des Aiguilles . . . . . . . . . . 148
Plan de l'Aiguille . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Aiguille du Midi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Helbronner
Helbronner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Mont Blanc du Tacul . . . . . . . . . . 264
Mont Blanc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Tré la Tête . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Aiguilles Rouges - Brévent . . . . . 338
Aiguilles Rouges - Index . . . . . . . 362
Chamonix Valley Sport Climbing 384
Chamonix Valley Bouldering . . . . 388
Servoz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Mont Blanc
Les Gaillands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Les Mottets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412
La Joux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Les Chéserys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 422
Tré la Tête
Vallorcine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432
Barberine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436
Route Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446
Aiguilles Rouges
Mountain Route Index and Tick List
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455
Crag and General Index . . . . . . . 456
Valley Cragging
Gabriel Mazur on the Grands Montets Ridge (D+) - page 108 - Aiguille
Verte, Chamonix. Photo: Ben Tibbetts (bentibbettsphotography.com)
4 Chamonix Introduction Introduction Chamonix 5
Jonathan Crabtree scrambling onto Pointe Selle, the lower summit of the Dent du Géant, after climbing the Lying at the heart of the Alps, and home to
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
Southwest Face (AD+) - page 245. In the background is Mont Blanc and the Brenva Face with Kuffner Ridge
in front of it leading up to Mont Maudit. The rocky spurs and pinnacles of Mont Blanc du Tacul are visible their highest peak, Chamonix was always
on the right as is the huge unstable serac at the top of the Gervasutti Couloir. Photo: Peter Riley going to be a major alpine centre. It is also the
place where mountaineering was 'invented'
featuring some of the steepest and most
spectacular mountains in the world, all made

accessible by an incredible lift system, and
making Chamonix mountaineering's Mecca.
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
Just about every legendary alpinist in history

has spent time climbing amongst the stunning
peaks of the Mont Blanc Massif; Bonatti,
Cassin, Rébuffat, Terray, Whymper, Messner,
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
Bonington, Lafaille and Steck have all left their

mark on the range. Even today it remains
the place that anyone serious about alpine
climbing needs to visit to test themselves

against climbing's most legendary mountains.
Unusually for an alpine climbing area, the rock

quality is mainly excellent across the range
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
(although rockfall remains a major danger

is the summer months) so in addition to the
snow and ice adventures common to glaciated
mountaineering, the Mont Blanc Massif also
provides many stunning granite rock climbs.
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
Furthermore, there are a number of superb

sport climbing crags in the Chamonix Valley,
meaning that this book contains routes of
almost every type, from short bolted climbs
Helbronner
Helbronner
to the huge 1000m mixed routes and the

legendary north faces of the Alps.
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
In 1786 Mont Blanc was climbed by Jacques

Balmat and Michel Paccard in return for
a financial reward from Genevan scientist
Horace-Bénédict de Saussure (who was
fascinated by the peak). Nearly 250 years
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
on, Chamonix and Mont Blanc continue to

attract those who feel drawn to high and wild
places. The unique mix of high, beautiful and
solid mountains, combined with extraordinary
access to them, means that this range remains
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
the best alpine climbing destination on earth.
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
6 Chamonix Introduction Introduction Chamonix 7
Trevor Duggan ahead of an unknown climber on a busy day on Southeast Ridge (AD)
Route Inclusion Policy
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
- page 252 - on the Tour Ronde. Photo: Ben Tibbetts (bentibbettsphotography.com)

Deciding which routes to include and which to leave out is one of the toughest
parts of writing any selective guidebook. Never is this more true than in Chamonix,
where the comprehensive mixed and ice climbs guidebook contains over 1200
routes (spread over two volumes). The Aiguilles Rouges (Brévent, Planpraz and
Index), Envers des Aiguilles and the valley crags all have their own comprehensive
guidebooks, and that still leaves all the sporadically documented granite rock climbs
in the massif to consider.
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
Our belief has been that describing routes that are (relatively) safe, despite the
changing climate and glacial retreat, matters more than covering former classics
which no longer see the traffic they used to, be that because of changing conditions
or tastes. We have focused on routes which are regularly climbed. This is not to say
that every route will be busy (in fact solitude will be virtually guaranteed on some
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
of the routes) but, if a route is in this book, you can assume that it is still climbed at
some stage most years. However, proper research into conditions and weather is
still vital; even popular and well-travelled routes are the scenes of plenty of epics for
unprepared teams.

Our aim was to create a book that would give maximum benefit to the majority of
alpinists. We are confident that nearly all of classic routes in the valley have made
it into the final book, along with some lesser-known but still deserving routes and
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
even the odd hidden gem. The quality, not to mention the quantity, of routes above
Chamonix is staggering and this is reflected in the diversity of the climbs we've
described.
The focus of this book is mainly on popular routes rather than hard ones but
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
higher-grade climbers should still find plenty to go at and ticking every TD+ or ED
in here would be a huge project. We have focused on routes easily accessible from
the Chamonix Valley itself. This means that even without transport you will still be
able to consider the vast majority of routes in this book. There are still some wild
and remote areas described (the Tré la Tête basin and the Italian side of the massif
Helbronner
Helbronner
spring to mind here) but most of the climbs we’ve described begin from Chamonix
itself.
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
Most climbers who go to Chamonix don't just want to do high altitude snow ridges,
or mountain granite rock routes, or just climb in one small area. They want to be
able to choose from all types of climbing over the whole area and have a book that
gives them everything they need to find and choose the best routes - this is that
book.
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Route Names
Many of the routes have different names in French, Italian, German and English.
We have mostly gone with names used in the Alpine Club guides, or French names.
These have been synchronised with the logbook section of UKClimbing.com.
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
Guidebook Footnote
The inclusion of a climbing area in this guidebook does not mean that you have a right of access or the right to climb upon
it. The descriptions of routes within this guide are recorded for historical reasons only and no reliance should be placed on
the accuracy of the description. The grades set in this guide are a fair assessment of the difficulty of the climbs. Climbers
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
who attempt a route of a particular standard should use their own judgment as to whether they are proficient enough to
tackle that route. This book is not a substitute for experience and proper judgment. The authors, publisher and distributors
of this book do not recognise any liability for injury or damage caused to, or by, climbers, third parties, or property arising
from such persons seeking reliance on this guidebook as an assurance for their own safety.
8 Chamonix The Rockfax App
This Chamonix guidebook is also available on the Rockfax App which
Glacier du Tour
brings together all the Rockfax climbing information with UKC Logbooks
and presents it in a user-friendly package for use on Apple iOS devices
(Android version available from late 2016).
The heart of the app is the Rockfax crag and route information which
is downloaded by way of paid in-app purchases for individual crags,
or bundles of crags, in 'Areas' which correspond roughly to printed
guidebooks. You can purchase each crag or area individually, or the whole book. The main
Glacier de Talèfre
data on the app is downloaded and stored on your device so you don't need any signal
to be able to read the descriptions and see the topos and maps. There is a free sample
crag for each area and some of these are quite extensive, enabling you to get a really
Grandes Jorasses
good impression of
what the app is like
without shelling out
any money.
The Rockfax App

itself is a free
download and
Plan de l'Aiguille
incredibly useful
in its own right. It
contains a detailed
crag map linked
Aiguille du Midi
to the UKClimbing
crags database
(currently with
basic information
and routes lists for
Helbronner
around 20,000 crags

worldwide). The map also displays all the 4,000+ listings from the UKClimbing Directory
of climbing walls, outdoor shops, climbing clubs, outdoor-specific accommodation and
Mont Blanc du Tacul
instructors and guides amongst others.
To find the app, search for 'Rockfax app' in Google or on the appropriate app store.
Mont Blanc
UKC Logbooks
An incredibly popular method of logging your climbing is to use the UKClimbing.com
logbooks system. This database lists more than 368,000 routes, over 20,100 crags and,
so far, more than 29,900 users have recorded over 4.6 million ascents! To set up your own
Tré la Tête
logbook all you need to do is register at UKClimbing.com and click on the logbook tab.
Once set up you will be able to record every ascent you make, when you did it, what style
you climbed it in and who you did it with. Each entry has a place for your own notes. You
Aiguilles Rouges
can also add your vote to the grade/star system linked to a database on the Rockfax site
used by the guidebook writers. The logbook can be private, public or restricted to your own
climbing partners only.
The Rockfax App can be linked to your UKClimbing.com user account and logbook so that
Valley Cragging
you can record your activity while at the crag and look at photos, comments and votes on
the routes. To do this you will need a 3G/4G data connection. You can also look at the UKC
logbooks to see if anyone has climbed your chosen route recently to check on conditions.
10 Chamonix Rockfax
Rockfax publishes guidebooks to areas all
Glacier du Tour
over Europe. All the books are available Lofoten
from specialist outdoor retailers or direct

from rockfax.com
If you are struggling to get good weather

in Chamonix, or just fancy a break from Norway
stressful big mountain challenges, then Rjukan
have a look at the Haute Provence

Glacier de Talèfre
18 UK Guidebooks
guidebook, or Côte d'Azur where the
weather is almost certainly better. Also of
interest is the superb Dolomites guidebook
Grandes Jorasses
which covers this amazing area in northeast

Italy including the sport routes, big mountain
routes and via ferrata. Chamonix
The Dolomites
France
The majority of Rockfax books are also Haute Provence
available in app form including a few new Ariège
Italy
app-only guides to places like Kalymnos Kalymnos
and Catalunya. Catalunya
Plan de l'Aiguille
Spain Côte d'Azur Greece

App and book versions available Costa Blanca
Languedoc-Roussillon
El Chorro Mallorca
Only available on the app
Aiguille du Midi
Grands Montets East Ridge - page 110

Helbronner
Photo: Longo Bruno

Mont Blanc du Tacul
2016 2014 2012 2011 2010 2009

Mont Blanc
Tré la Tête
2016 2016 2013 2008 2016 2005

Aiguilles Rouges
Valley Cragging
2016 2015 2015 2013 2012 2010

12 Chamonix Other Guidebooks and Maps Other Guidebooks and Maps Chamonix 13
Maps Other Guidebooks Available in 2016
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
The maps included in this book should contain enough detail to navigate to and from the peaks
and routes described. However, they are designed for locating faces and mountains rather than This is the first guidebook to combine coverage of all
micro-navigation and a 1:25000 topographical map is still essential, as is the ability to use it. Chamonix's various types of climbing, from high altitude
The easiest maps to find are the French IGN rock and mixed climbs, mountaineering routes and the
maps. Map numbers 3630 OT, Chamonix, Aiguilles Rouges to the highlights of the valley cragging.
Massif du Mont Blanc and 3531 ET,
St-Gervais-Les Bains are available in There are many other guides that cover either specific
virtually every climbing shop in Chamonix areas, or climbing disciplines, of Chamonix; here is a
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
and all the routes in this book are covered selection.

over these two maps. Kompass also produce
a 1:50000 map that covers much of the Mont Blanc classic & plaisir (2015) by Marco Romelli
Massif (Kompass map number 85, Mont 80 classic Mont Blanc rock, ice and mixed routes.
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
Blanc, Monte Bianco) as do Swisstopo (map

number 5003, Mont Blanc Grand Combin). Crag Climbs in Chamonix (2015)
by François Burnier and Dominique Potard
A guidebook covering 30 sport climbing areas and four

bouldering areas in the Chamonix Valley.
Selected Climbs: Mont Blanc

& The Aiguilles Rouges (2015)
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
by Jean-Louis Laroche and Florence LeLong

Rock climbs in the Mont Blanc range and the Aiguilles
Rouges.
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
Mountaineering in the Mont Blanc Range (2014)

by Jean-Louis Laroche and Florence LeLong
Highlights of Chamonix's lower-grade snow, ice and mixed
climbs.
Helbronner
Helbronner
Mont Blanc: The Finest Routes (2013) by Philippe Batoux

A coffee table book showcasing the 100 finest routes in the
Mont Blanc Massif.
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
The 4000m Peaks of the Alps (2012) by Martin Moran

Over 230 routes on the Alps' 4000m peaks.
Mont Blanc Supercracks (2012)
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
by Lamberto Camurri and Giovanni Bassanini

A guide to Chamonix's best granite crack climbs.
The Aiguilles Rouges 1 (2008) by Michel Piola
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
A comprehensive guide to the Brévent, Planpraz, Index and

Chéserys areas of the Aiguilles Rouges.
Envers des Aiguilles (2007) by Michel Piola
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
A comprehensive guide to the Envers des Aiguilles area.
Snow, Ice and Mixed 1 and 2 (2006) by François Damilano

A comprehensive guide to all non-rock based routes in the
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
Mont Blanc Massif.

Matt Livingstone nearing the summit of the Aiguille d'Entrèves on the
Aiguille d'Entrèves Traverse (AD-) - page 251. Photo: Charlie Boscoe
14 Chamonix Acknowledgements Acknowledgements Chamonix 15
As well as conveying the relevant information, a I would also like to thank Sharon Wray, who Tim Neil climbing Direct des Capucins (ED1) - page 277 - on
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
the Grand Capucin, Mont Blanc du Tacul. Photo: Calum Muskett

guidebook also serves to inspire, and to instill the looked after me through the frantic last few
passion of the author into the reader. My passion months of writing this book and seemed to know
for the mountains that tower above Chamonix instinctively when to suggest getting out for some
is so strong because I’ve been lucky enough to air, and when to let me stay buried in papers,
share them with some wonderful friends. I would maps and computer screens.
particularly like to thank the following climbers It is with great sadness that this page should
for their company, support and good humour on contain a roll call of those friends who went
countless Chamonix adventures - Peter Riley, into the mountains and never came back. The
Tom Grant, Matt Livingstone, Tristan Wise, Tom otherwise enjoyable process of sending copies of
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
Moores, Phil Ebert, Emma Jack, John Cuthbert this book to those listed above will be tainted by
and Sharon Wray. the knowledge that I would prefer to be sending
In addition, I would also like to thank the following out four more copies. The loss of Liz Daley, Will
people, some of whom have accompanied me Eaton, Will Wilkinson and Martin Widén remind We are grateful the following
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
on routes, some who contributed their fantastic me that high and beautiful mountains demand companies who have supported
photographs and others who have patiently sat constant vigilance and respect. this guidebook.
and given me the benefit of their knowledge so Finally, I thank my parents, who provided me with
that every description, line and detail is just right. a loving and happy childhood then watched me Action Outdoors - Page 11

Whichever category you fall into, thank you for disappear off to Chamonix aged 22 in search of action-outdoors.co.uk
your help: Caroline Mulligan, Matt Helliker, Ben adventure. Ten years on, their love and support is
Tibbetts, Alex Buisse, Charley Radcliffe, Alistair unwavering. This book is for them. Alpine Guides - Page 39
Hurst, Alastair Lee, Calum Muskett, Alex Mathie, Charlie Boscoe, August 2016 alpine-guides.com
Tom Ripley, Jon deMontjoye, Mike Lea, Oscar
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
Alauzon - Page 25
Lopez-Bueno, Kyle Wood, James Thacker, Dan alauzon.com
Fitzgerald, Kathy Cosley, Tim Neill, Nick Taylor,
Nick Jennings, Dave Searle, Gary Tulloch, Dave Awesome Walls - Page 2
Thexton, Sophie Headeach, Owain Jones, awesomewalls.co.uk
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
Morgan Sinclair, Nora Hanson, Ross Hewitt,

Dane Burns, Paul Maine, Ally Swinton, Nicolas BMC Insurance
Bussieres, Andy Houseman, John Vincent, - Inside back cover
Damien McCutcheon, Finn McCann, Andy thebmc.co.uk/insurance
Wardle, Joel Evans, Ed Docwra, Krister Jonsson, Climbing Technology
Helbronner
Helbronner
Jon Griffith, Jon Bracey, Lukasz Warzecha, Oscar - Back cover flap
Lopez, Ronnie Legg, Mike Lea, Guilhem Martin climbingtechnology.com
Saint Léon and Nick Draper.
Crux - Page 47
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
Elsewhere, Jack Geldard, Alan James, Stephen

Horne, Jaimella Espley, Rebecca Ting and the crux.uk.com
rest of the Rockfax team deserve huge credit
DMM - Back cover
for their efforts in getting this project started,
dmmclimbing.com
let alone finished. To state that it wouldn’t have
happened without them is to say the least of it. Joe Brown Shops - Page 9
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Alan's skill and hard work in editing and layout joe-brown.com

has transformed the basic information into the (in
my opinion!) stunning final product. Jack Geldard - Page 49
It also goes without saying that we are extremely jackgeldard.com
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
grateful to all those climbers over the years who

Highland Mountain Guides
have developed the superb climbs in this book.
- Inside front cover
From the old pioneers of the 1800s to prolific
highland-mountain-guides.co.uk
bolters like Michel Piola, their efforts are much
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
appreciated since, without them, we would have Lowe Alpine - Page 41

nothing to write about! lowealpine.com
Petzl - Page 33
petzl.com
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
Tulson Tolf - Page 19

tulsontolf.com
Glacier du Tour Glacier d'Argentière Grandes Jorasses Envers des Aiguilles Plan de l'Aiguille Helbronner Mont Blanc du Tacul Mont Blanc Tré la Tête Aiguilles Rouges Valley Cragging
17
Chamonix
Logistics
Grand Capucin, Mont Blanc du Tacul. Photo: Oscar Lopez-Bueno

Juha Kauppila on the Swiss Route (TD+) - page 275 - on the
16
Glacier du Tour Glacier d'Argentière Grandes Jorasses Envers des Aiguilles Plan de l'Aiguille Helbronner Mont Blanc du Tacul Mont Blanc Tré la Tête Aiguilles Rouges Valley Cragging
18 Chamonix Logistics Emergencies and Rescue
Emergency Services
Glacier du Tour
In the event of a mountain incident requiring the assistance of the emergency services:
Dial 112
Be sure to have the details of the incident and a good description of your location.
Mobile phone coverage is generally very good around Chamonix but some of the more
remote spots around the Mont Blanc Massif do have small black spots.
Glacier de Talèfre
Travel Insurance
UK citizens currently have reciprocal healthcare rights in France, Switzerland and Italy but it
is vital that you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). These are free and easily
Grandes Jorasses
obtained via an online application. An EHIC gives you the right to access state-provided
healthcare on temporary stays in other European Economic Area (EEA) countries and
Switzerland at a reduced cost, or sometimes for free. It will cover immediate and clinically
necessary state-funded treatment until your planned return home to the UK. This may
change in the next few years after Brexit. Personal travel insurance is still essential to
cover the potential costs of rescue and repatriation. Depending on where a rescue takes
place, you may be picked up by either French, Swiss or Italian emergency services and
comprehensive insurance is vital to ensure that you do not end up footing a huge bill for
Plan de l'Aiguille
the helicopter. One climber who appears in this book was given a bill for €8000 after a
helicopter pick-up in Switzerland when he was uninsured!
For minor injuries and illnesses, Chamonix has an excellent (albeit quite small) hospital and
there is a larger hospital in Sallanches, 25km west of Chamonix, on the way to Geneva.
Aiguille du Midi
There are also numerous pharmacies in the Chamonix Valley.

Most of the health centres accept the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for
emergency treatment and usually just take a copy of it, although some of the private clinics
will charge. The same goes for hospital treatment - this must sometimes be paid for and
Helbronner
claimed back through your insurance policy.
Rescue Procedure
Mont Blanc du Tacul
If you are involved in an incident then give the rescue services as many details as you can. Try
to let them know your precise location, grid reference, peak name and route name. It may take
an hour or more for the emergency services to reach you so any first aid you can administer
is critical. If a helicopter is called to the scene you need to signal to the pilot by standing with
your arms up making a 'Y' shape. Once the pilot has seen you, and he looks like he is coming
Mont Blanc
in to hover, move to a safe distance away since the helicopter will either come into land or send
a winchman down. The downdraft is considerable so collect all the loose equipment together
and get someone to sit on them to stop them being blown away. Do not approach the helicopter
unless directed to do so by the aircrew since the rotating blades are extremely dangerous.
Tré la Tête
Smartphone Apps
If you have a smartphone then download the Echo112 app from the iOS or
Aiguilles Rouges
Android app store. This useful app has an SOS button that will call the correct
emergency service no matter which country you are in and send your location
using your phone's GPS system. There are also other useful apps that can
calculate your OS grid reference from your phone's GPS system - search for Grid
Reference to find one of these in the appropriate app store.
Valley Cragging
Echo112 app
20 Chamonix Logistics Where is Chamonix? Where is Chamonix? Chamonix Logistics 21
About 10km Where is Chamonix?
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
Calais
Chamonix is an alpine town
located in the Haute Savoie
Barberine Barberine
Paris Nancy p.436
region of France. It has an official
Glacier du Tour Glacier du Tour population of around 10,000

Nantes Chamonix
Vallorcine
Map p.60 Champex but this can swell by up to 10
Bern Vallorcine
Geneva times in the peak of the summer
p.432
Lyon season.
Bordeaux
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
Grenoble Turin The town, and the huge moun-

Toulouse
D1056 tains that tower above it, lie
Les Chéserys Le Tour Le Tour
Marseilles
Nice
p.422
80km southeast of the Swiss city
of Geneva and 170km northwest
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
Aiguilles Rouges
of Turin. The proximity of these
Map p.338 Glacier d'Argentière Glacier d'Argentière
Argentière Argentière
Map p.80
cities make Chamonix a rela-
La Joux
tively easy town to get to (by the
p.414
standards of the Alps) and also

mean that escaping the moun-

Le Lavancher tains in favour of a bit of culture
Les Mottets when the weather turns bad is
p.412 quite straightforward.
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
Glacier de Talèfre Glacier de Talèfre

Envers des Aiguilles Map p.118
Servoz Chamonix Map p.154
The Chamonix Valley runs from
Plan de l'Aiguille
southwest to northeast and
Les Gaillands
Servoz Map p.182 this guidebook covers the Mont
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
p.396
p.390 Blanc Massif, the legendary
range of glaciated alpine peaks
Les Bossons Grandes Jorasses Grandes Jorasses
N205
Map p.138
on the southern side of the
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Aiguille du Midi valley, the rock climbing paradise
Helbronner
Helbronner
Les Houches
Map p.215 of the Aiguilles Rouges range
Mont Blanc - France Side on the north side, and the best
Map p.302 of the low altitude cragging in
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
the area. The relatively small

area covered by this guidebook
means that being based
anywhere in the Chamonix Valley
will allow easy access to every
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc route in this book, whether by

(4808m)
Map p.242 car or pubic transport.
Map p.267 Helbronner Helbronner
Tré la Tête Mont Blanc du Tacul If you do drive, allow the
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
Les Contamines-Montjoye Entrèves Entrèves following times for your journeys:

Chamonix to Courmayeur
SS26 SS26 (though the Mont Blanc
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
Tunnel) - 30 minutes (€43.50

Courmayeur Courmayeur one way, €54.30 return - 2016).
Chamonix to Vallorcine - 25
Map p.314 A5 A5 minutes
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
Mont Blanc - Italy Side Chamonix to Les

Contamines-Montjoye - 40
Map p.330 minutes
22 Chamonix Logistics When to Go When to Go Chamonix Logistics 23
Average Temp ˚C Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
Chamonix (maximum) 2 5 8 12 17 20 23 23 19 14 7 3
Chamonix (minimum) -7 -6 -3 0 4 7 9 9 6 2 -3 -6
Hours sun/day Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Chamonix (average) 4 5 8 9 10 11 11 10 8 7 5 3
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
Precip. days/month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
Chamonix (average) 9 9 10 10 13 12 11 11 9 10 10 10
When to Go July - August - The peak of the climbing

The range of routes described in this book season, both in terms of temperatures and
means that you should be able to climb visitor numbers. With the exception of pure ice
something in here on any sunny day of climbs, virtually any route could be possible
the year. The guide below outlines typical depending on conditions. Rockfall and open
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
conditions but, as with all mountainous regions, glaciers can be big issues so sensible route
weather can be unpredictable and snow can fall choice is vital.
unexpectedly at any time of the year.
September - A colder and quieter version of
January - February - Generally this is peak July and August. By September the mountains
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
season for powder skiing but some alpine ice are usually very dry so rock routes are usually
routes such as the mixed climbs on the Pointes the best options and solitude is much easier
Lachenal (page 288) and the routes on the to find.
east face of the Grands Montets Ridge (page
Helbronner
Helbronner
102) are possible for those with a tolerance for October - November - A quiet time of year
cold temperatures. which often has unsettled weather. When the
sun is out, conditions for snow and ice routes
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
March - April - A great time to be in the can be superb. The valley looks beautiful in
Alps. Some of the valley crags will be dry by autumn, with snowy mountains towering above
mid-March and ice is also likely to be plentiful green and golden trees.
in the high mountains. Much of the south-facing
mountain granite will be dry too and can be December - Options in the mountains tend to
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
approached and descended from on skis. be limited so south-facing valley cragging is

the best bet.
May - Usually quite an unsettled month
with insufficient snow in the mountains
for approaches on skis, but too much for
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
approaches on foot. Valley rock climbing is

usually the best option.
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
June - Often the least settled of the summer

months because the rapidly melting remainder
of the winter snows can create unstable
weather and regular thunderstorms. If the
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
weather is good, and the nights cold, some

of the massif's snow-based routes can be in Two climbers dwarfed by their surroundings on the The Rochefort Ridge (AD) - page 247 - a route
stunning condition. best enjoyed under a clear blue sky and in snowy, early summer conditions. Photo: Tom Moores
24 Chamonix Logistics Getting There
Flying
Glacier du Tour
Chamonix is just over an hour's drive from Geneva

airport. It is served by direct flights from the UK by
BA, Swiss Air and EasyJet. It can also be reached
from many other international airports.
Car Hire
Car hire is an option if you intend to drive around,
Glacier de Talèfre
tackle climbs on the Italian side, or do a lot of valley

cragging. The comparison site rentalcars.com is a
useful resource for finding the best deal, but be sure
to read the small print or you may be stung at pick-up
for various extras and add-ons. Also check if you are
Grandes Jorasses
allowed to drive in Italy and/or Switzerland. If you hire

in the Swiss section of Geneva airport, then you will
need a Swiss motorway vignette, which is expensive
but means that you can take the motorway. Hiring the
car from the French side means you avoid this charge
but will have to drive through the centre of Geneva,
which can add delays to your journey.
Plan de l'Aiguille
Driving from the UK

Driving your own car is a good choice if you plan
an extended stay, or have a lot of kit. It also gives
you the option of bailing out to the Haute Provence
Aiguille du Midi
sport crags should the weather turn nasty. It takes

almost exactly 8 hours of driving time from Calais
to Chamonix if you just go for it, but going via Paris
and the stunning boulders of Fontainebleau is only
Helbronner
half an hour longer. These times assume that you

will use the toll roads, which cost roughly €80 each
way and are well worth paying for. The situation
Mont Blanc du Tacul
mentioned above for getting through Geneva applies

for the motorway vignette - avoid the motorways
through the city and it will be slow, but you will save
yourself a bit of money.
Mont Blanc
Parking Spots
The parking spots where some of the
GPS 44.39626
4.19651
main approaches start from are indicated
with a precise GPS location. This is in the form of
Tré la Tête
two decimal numbers as in the sample blue box.

Different GPS devices accept these numbers in
alternative formats; some devices are happy with two
comma-separated numbers, others require a North
Aiguilles Rouges
and East value to be entered separately.

You can also use a QR Scan app on your
scan for map
smartphone to open the coordinates direct

into a navigation app like Google Maps.
Valley Cragging
Peter Riley low down on the North-

northeast Ridge (D) - page 184 - of the
Aiguille de l'M. Photo: Charlie Boscoe
26 Chamonix Logistics Getting Around Getting Around Chamonix Logistics 27
It is possible to pay for each lift individually. Tom Grant and Charlie Boscoe traversing off from the top of the
Lifts
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
Mallory-Porter (AD+) - page 212 - under the Aiguille du Midi lift. The
Use them! Chamonix's mountains are Prices are for a return ticket, one way tickets photo is taken from the Frendo Spur. Photo: Guilhem Martin Saint Léon
legendary, not only for their beauty but also are roughly 25% cheaper.
because they are so easy to access using Aiguille du Midi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . €58.50
Plan de l'Aiguille. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . €31.00
the valley's incredible lift system. Many an

alpine trip has been a flop because tight Panoramique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . €27.00
climbers have tried to save money and wore Grands Montets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . €34.50
themselves out walking up to routes instead. Le Tour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . €27.00
Brévent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . €31.00
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
When you consider how much your kit,

travel to Chamonix and accommodation has Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . €27.50
already cost, and how precious each day of Montenvers Train. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . €31.00
an alpine climbing trip is, the extra expense Tramway du Mont Blanc. . . . . . . . . €31.00
Prices correct for summer 2016 but tend to
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
of using the lifts is well worth paying for.

creep up a Euro or two every year. Passes
Opening Times - The Aiguille du Midi is are available at the lift stations.
open virtually all year (it closes for 3 to 4 All the lifts in Chamonix are operated by the

weeks in November for maintenance). Compagnie du Mont Blanc.

The Helbronner cable car from Courmayeur compagniedumontblanc.fr
is open all year but the Panoramique lift
which links the Helbronner and Aiguille du Public Transport
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
Midi is only open in the summer season. One of the reasons Chamonix is so popular
The Montvenvers train is always open from is that you don't need a car to get there or to
mid December until mid-September but move around once you arrive. The train from
closes for at least 6 weeks every autumn. Geneva airport to Chamonix is expensive
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
The Grands Montets is open for the winter and takes over 3 hours but airport transfers
season from mid December to early May are very reasonable at €25 - €35 each way
and then reopens for summer in July and and take roughly 1 hour 15 minutes.
August.
Helbronner
Helbronner
The lifts at Le Tour, Brévent and Flégère are Once in the Chamonix valley there is a train
all open for skiing in winter and from mid from St Gervais to Vallorcine. For climbers
June to mid September for climbing. wanting to visit the crags of Barberine
there is a further train which carries on
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
Cost - If you are planning to spend multiple from Vallorcine to Châtelard. There is also
days climbing in the valley, then the best a regular bus service from the train station
option is to buy a Mont Blanc Multipass. at St Gervais to Les Contamines-Montjoye,
This enables you to choose how many where the routes in the Tré la Tête chapter
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
days of lift usage you need, and whether are approached from.
you'd prefer the days to be consecutive or
non-consecutive. There is also a good network of buses
For consecutive days, the pass costs €105 serving all corners of the valley, from Les
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
for 5 days, €155 for 10 days and €205 for Houches to Le Tour. Up-to-date bus and train
15 days. The non-consecutive option is 10% timetables can be found at the Chamonix
- 20% more expensive. The full summer Tourist Office.
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
season pass is €385.

The Mont Blanc Multipasses don't cover For routes approached from, or descending
the Panoramique lift between the Aiguille into, the Italian side of the massif, it is
du Midi and the Helbronner, the Bellevue possible to get a bus through the Mont Blanc
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
cable car in Les Houches, or the Italian lifts. Tunnel to Courmayeur. Further buses can
The Tramway du Mont Blanc and Prarion be taken to the valleys of Val Veni and Val
gondola are both included. Ferret, where some routes begin and end.
28 Chamonix Logistics Where to Stay Where to Stay Chamonix Logistics 29
Mountain Camping
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
Pitching a tent and camping in the mountains above Chamonix is illegal. It is legal to bivouac
(without a tent) between sunset and sunrise. The PGHM (Chamonix's mountain police
and rescue service) are increasingly cracking down on mountain camping, particularly on
Mont Blanc's more popular routes, so please use the huts and lift system and refrain from
camping. In addition to keeping you out or trouble, this also has the huge benefit that it saves
carrying a tent and sleeping bag around the mountains.
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses

Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
Helbronner
Helbronner
Chamonix has countless places to stay to

suit most budgets.
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
Hotels, Hostels and Apartments

Camping For those not keen on camping, Chamonix
There are numerous campsites in the has plenty more on offer. There are several
Chamonix Valley that cater for tents, hostel-type options with shared bathroom
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
caravans and campervans. Generally these facilities, and these cost €21 - €25 per night
are fairly cramped but the facilities are good for a bed in a dormitory. There is also a
and always clean. Each person, tent and large selection of hotels, from (relatively)
car is charged individually so prices can cheap and cheerful options costing roughly
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
add up but camping remains the best value €100 per night, right through to 5-star luxury
accommodation in the valley. Expect to pay choices. The various hostels and hotels are
something in the region of €5.50 - €9 per accustomed to walkers and climbers and
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
person, €7 - €10 per pitch and €3 - €4 for often have a boot room where you can dry
an electric hook-up per day. Prices vary out kit or leave muddy boots.
Tom Moores descending from the Grands Montets down the
between low and high season (July and There is also a large selection of chalets Glacier du Nant Blanc heading for Voie Ravanel (D) - page
August). Campsites are indicated on the and self-catered apartments ranging from 111 - up the southwest arête of Pointe Bayère. In the
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
maps with each section. Unlike the old single room studios costing roughly €400 - distance is Mont Blanc and the Dôme du Goûter with the
Envers des Aiguilles and its two main peaks, the Grépon and
days, wild camping in the valley is no longer €600 per week to enormous chalets which Grands Charmoz, in front. Above and left of the climber's
permitted. may be out of most people's financial range. head is the Montenvers train station. Photo: Charlie Boscoe
30 Chamonix Logistics Refuges and Bivouac Shelters Refuges and Bivouac Shelters Chamonix Logistics 31
Refuges The following is a list of the staffed refuges Relaxing on the terrace of the Rifugio Boccalatte (page 145)
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
and reading the hut book having made the long descent from
Refuges (or 'Rifugios' - in Italian) are in the areas covered by this book. the summit of the Grandes Jorasses. Photo: Peter Riley.
mountain huts which offer full board
accommodation in dormitory rooms.
Glacier du Tour
Generally refuges are warm, dry and

Refuge Albert Premier . . +33 450 531603
welcoming but fairly basic. A sleeping bag
Cabane du Trient . . . . . +41 277 831438
is not required as blankets are provided,
but a thin sleeping bag liner is sometimes
expected and ensures a more pleasant night Glacier d'Argentière
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
in the highly likely event that the hut blankets Refuge d'Argentière . . . +33 450 531603
are a bit grubby and threadbare.
Generally you can choose to stay 'demi- Glacier de Talèfre
Refuge du Couvercle . . . +33 450 531694
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
pension/mezza pensione' (half board) which

will usually be a set three course meal and
a basic breakfast; 'petit déjeuner/con prima Grandes Jorasses
colazione' (bed and breakfast) or 'seulement Refuge de Leschaux . . . +33 636 953264

nuit/solo pernottamento' (bed only). In some Rifugio Boccalatte . . . . +39 165 844070
refuges half board is compulsory. Breakfast
is served at whatever time you request but Envers des Aiguilles
often this means that the guardian leaves Refuge d'Envers des Aiguilles
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
breakfast out for you the night before rather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +33 450 531603
than getting up to serve you. In refuges
offering only a bed, a cooking area is
provided and there is sometimes running Aiguille du Midi/Mont Blanc du Tacul
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
water. Refuge des Cosmiques . +33 450 544016

Prices range from €13.50 for just a bed
through to €90 for half board in some of the Helbronner/Mont Blanc du Tacul
most expensive French and Swiss refuges. Rifugio Torino . . . . . . . +39 165 844034
Helbronner
Helbronner
Any bottled water, drinks or snacks will

be extra, as will a packed lunch, which is Mont Blanc
offered in most places. Credit cards are Refuge du Goûter . . . . +33 450 544093
not universally accepted so taking cash is
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
N.B. The Refuge du Goûter can only be booked

the best option. A membership card to a online at refugedugouter.ffcam.fr
European alpine club gives roughly a €10 Refuge Tête Rousse . . . +33 450 582497
discount on half board or bed and breakfast. Refuge de Nid d'Aigle . . +33 450 477623
It is advised to book refuge places in Refuge des Cosmiques . +33 450 544016
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
advance but if you do turn up last minute, Rifugio du Gonella . . . . +39 165 885101 Bivouac Shelters
you will rarely be turned away. Most refuge Rifugio Monzino . . . . . +39 165 809553 Bivouac shelters are generally little more
guardians speak some English but, if you are Refuge Durier . . . . . . . +33 689 532510 than a metal shed with some bunkbeds and
struggling, any tourist office in the Chamonix a small area to cook in, but they do provide
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
Valley can make reservations for you. Any Tré la Tête convenient and well-located shelters. Most
huts mentioned in this book but not listed Refuge des Conscrits . . +33 479 890903 have blankets and as such a sleeping bag
here are unmanned and reservations are not Refuge de Tré la Tête . . . +33 450 470168 is usually not required, though you may be
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
required. Almost all staffed huts have a very glad of a sleeping bag liner. You do need to
basic winter room which do not require a take your own cooking equipment and food.
Aiguilles Rouges
reservation and will be open in low season, There is no reservation system for bivouac
Refuge du Lac Blanc . . . +33 450 534914
whenever no guardian is present. huts so they can often be full; turning up
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
early is advised if you want a bed in a

popular hut in peak season. When full there
are often DIY bivvy locations nearby.
32 Chamonix Logistics Shops and Tourist Information
About 4km Argentière
Glacier du Tour
Index
D1056
Le Lavancher
Glacier de Talèfre
Les Tines Grands

Montets
Les Bois
Les Praz
Servoz Brévent OHM
Grandes Jorasses
Montenvers
Centre Sportif
Richard Bozon
Chamonix
Les Pelerins Mer de

Mont Blanc Glace
Escalade
N205
Les Bossons
Tunnel du Shopping
Plan de l'Aiguille
Mont Blanc
Les Chauvants Taconnaz Refuge
Campsite
Les Houches Tourist Information
Hospital
Aiguille du Midi
Tourist Information Opening Times

Chamonix, Les Houches and Argentière all Most shops, supermarkets and services
have tourist information offices which provide close for an extended lunch break, usually
excellent information on shops, services, from around 12pm to 3pm. On Sundays,
accommodation and events. They will also virtually every shop is closed so stock up on
Helbronner
help you book a refuge if your French isn't Saturday! Restaurants, bars and refuges are
good. always open on a Sunday.
Chamonix Tourist Office
Mont Blanc du Tacul
+33 450 530024 Climbing Shops

Les Houches Tourist Office If you like gear shops, you'll enjoy Chamonix
+33 450 555062 and its surrounding villages. As well as
Argentière Tourist Office a number of brand-specific shops there
Mont Blanc
+33 450 540214 are numerous large outdoor shops selling

everything you could need for an alpine trip.
Supermarkets Chamonix - Snell Sports
The Chamonix Valley has a selection of Chamonix - Cham 3S
Tré la Tête
small supermarkets and, for those with a Chamonix - Sports Alpins

car, there are several large supermarkets in Chamonix - Ravanel
Sallanches down the valley westwards. Chamonix - Alplib (a book shop with an
Aiguilles Rouges
Chamonix also has some pleasant, if a little excellent selection of maps and guidebooks
expensive, specialist shops selling various for the Mont Blanc Massif).
local meats, cheeses and wine. Argentière - Hurycana Sports
Sallanches - For those with a car, the
Valley Cragging
huge Quechua/Decathlon store and the

comprehensive Aux Vieux Campeur are well
worth a few hours of a rainy rest day.
34 Chamonix Logistics Other Activities Other Activities Chamonix Logistics 35
Walking Wet Weather Options
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
The walking in Chamonix is superb With a huge range of outdoor shops,

and offers views of some of the world's museums and nice cafes, passing a rainy
best known peaks. The paths are well day in Chamonix is rarely a problem. For
signposted and there is a good network of those with a lift pass, getting a workout on a
mountain huts to provide refreshments and rainy day by hiking up to a cable car station
accommodation. and then descending on the lift is a popular
option, albeit not a particularly restful one.
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
Paragliding
For a different perspective over the Swimming
mountains, paragliding is an interesting There is a large public swimming bath in the
option and can be easily organised in Centre Sportif Richard Bozon with an indoor
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
Chamonix. Take off options are numerous, and outdoor pool - see map on page 32.
with Brévent and the Plan de l'Aiguille being Down the valley on the way to Sallanches is
the most popular. Lac de Passy - an outdoor swimming lake.
Take some beers and a barbeque for a full

Road Biking relaxing day out.

With only one bike-friendly road into and
out of the valley, Chamonix is not an ideal Indoor Climbing
road biking venue in itself. However, those Finally for those who don't want to go a
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
with a car can drive to some stunning areas day without training, there are two climbing
nearby, particularly the Aravis range to the walls open to the public in the valley. There
west of the Mont Blanc Massif. For road are other indoor walls but these are for
biking in the valley, going from the MBC pub members only and require an application
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
on the outskirts of Chamonix town centre to process.

the Col des Montets makes for a good time
trial course. Chamonix (+33 450 53 23 70)
Part of the Centre Sportif Richard Bozon,
Helbronner
Helbronner
Mountain Biking this small bouldering wall is well located but

After climbing, mountain biking is probably can be busy at peak times.
the second most popular summer sport in
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
Chamonix. The excellent lift system allows Les Houches (+33 450 54 76 48)
access to numerous downhill trails and Called Mont Blanc Escalade, this is a
there is also an excellent network of cross popular lead climbing wall, with 14m routes.
country tracks. Chamonix town centre has There is also a very small bouldering area.
See map on page 32.
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
a number of good mountain biking shops,

with plenty of information available, and
bikes for hire. More Information
The web site Chamonix.net has a lot of
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
Museums options for all sorts of activities throughout

For those with an interest in the history of the year including canyoning, rafting,
alpinism, Chamonix is an excellent place to kayaking, via ferrata and golf.
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
indulge your passion. The Alpine Museum,

Guides Office and, morbid as it may sound,
Chamonix cemetery are all worth a visit to
pay your respects to the pioneers of the
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
Alps.
A slack liner above the Brévent's east face which is often used
as an exit point for local BASE jumpers. Spectating in Chamonix
can often be as fun as the climbing itself. Photo: Charlie Boscoe
36 37
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
Chamonix
Climbing
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses

Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
Helbronner
Helbronner
Mont Blanc du Tacul
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
Roger Knox on the crest of the Brenva Spur (D-) - page 263 - Mont Maudit. Far below is a
cloud inversion in Val Veny and Val Aosta. Photo: Ben Tibbetts (bentibbettsphotography.com)
38 Chamonix Climbing Guiding Services
Guiding Services The following guiding agencies are friendly,

Glacier du Tour
There are many qualified mountain guides professional, flexible and able to guide all types
operating in the Chamonix area. A guided of routes and instruct alpine skills.
itinerary can be an excellent way of seeing the
mountains for those with insufficient experience High Mountain Guides (inside front cover)
to feel safe attempting it alone, or for those who highmountainguides.com

simply wish to complete a route in the company Alpine Guides (opposite)
of other people. Guiding offices offer either alpine-guides.com
tailored itineraries to suit the specific needs of a
James Thacker Mountaineering
Glacier de Talèfre
party or individual, or a set weekly programme of

some of the most popular routes in Chamonix. jamesthacker-mountaineering.co.uk
Options include high mountain alpine adventures, Jack Geldard (page 49)
trad climbing, modern multi-pitch sport routes, a (Trainee Mountain Guide, will be guiding from 2017)
day at a sport crag, via ferrata, glacier trekking or
Grandes Jorasses
jackgeldard.com
ice climbing.
Employing a guide for a few days can also be In order to guide or instruct in the Chamonix
extremely beneficial to climbers looking to 'learn mountains, guides must hold the UIAGM/
the ropes' of alpine climbing. UIAGM/IFMGA
IFMGA Mountain and Ski Guide qualification.

mountain guides are superb instructors and hiring
one at the start of an alpine trip is an excellent
way of learning the skills needed to move through
high mountains.
Plan de l'Aiguille
Aiguille du Midi
Helbronner
Mont Blanc du Tacul
Mont Blanc
Tré la Tête
Aiguilles Rouges
Valley Cragging
Sam and Alan McIntosh enjoying the Aiguille d'Entrèves

Traverse (AD-) - page 251. Photo: James Thacker
40 Chamonix Climbing Gear
Outside the Aiguilles Rouges and valley cragging Slings
Glacier du Tour
chapters, there are no routes which can be Slings are light, quick to place and have many
climbed entirely on fixed gear. As such, a rack of functions, so take lots of them. Some tat can also
climbing protection is necessary to climb most be useful for equalising abseil anchors (don't be
routes in this book. The size and nature of the rack afraid to take a knife to some of the stations and
required for each route depends on the ability of clear out old tat).
the team, the difficulty and nature of the climbing A set of prussiks is mandatory for the many abseil
and the length of the route. Judging what to take descents and for potential hauls and rescues.
and what to leave behind is an important skill for A belay plate that can operate in 'guide mode'
an alpine climber and can only be learned through
Glacier de Talèfre
is advisable to assist with moving quickly, and

(often bitter!) experience. doubling up as an abseil device. Finally a good
number of longer extenders is advised to help
Runners keep rope drag to a minimum.
Several pages could be dedicated to the
Grandes Jorasses
discussion about which runners are required for Shoes

alpine climbing. As a general rule, the granite For all routes outside the Valley Cragging and
above Chamonix is well featured and swallows Aiguilles Rouges chapters of this book a pair of
climbing protection. The uniform nature of most of
B2 or B3 mountaineering boots is required to

the cracks means that cams are more useful than approach and descend from your climb. Mixed and
wires. On harder rock climbs it is often better to lower-grade rock climbs can also be done in these
take a double rack of cams than one set of cams boots but for technical rock, a pair of rock shoes
and a set of wires. Indeed, having a set of wires will be required. Given the length of the routes,
Plan de l'Aiguille
on a granite rock route can often be a giveaway comfortable rock shoes are a better choice than
that you are not a local! Most of the cracks in tight, high-performance ones.
Chamonix are at least finger-sized so a micro-cam
or two can be handy but usually not essential.
Bivvy Gear
Aiguille du Midi
Some routes, such as the Tournier Spur on Les

Ropes Droites and Peuterey Integrale on Mont Blanc, are
Trad - Deciding whether to take one or two so long that a bivouac will be essential for most
ropes is often one of the toughest calls in alpine people. If you are planning to bivvy on a face you
climbing. The decision will depend on the nature will need other gear such as extra warm clothing,
Helbronner
of the climbing (does the route wander or is it or a sleeping bag, extra food and plenty of water.
fairly direct?); the technical difficulty of the route For shorter routes the decision about whether
and what the descent entails. One rope wins for to take bivouac kit can be a tough one. The old
simplicity and weight but two offers the possibility
Mont Blanc du Tacul
adage that, if you take bivvy kit, you'll need it, is

for longer abseils and reduces the potential for still true today but going fast and light carries its
time consuming rope drag issues. own risks as well. As with gear and rope selection,
Sport routes - A single rope is recommended for experience and judgement is required to make a
sport climbing in the Aiguilles Rouges and valley well-informed decision.
crags. Some routes require a 70m rope but you
Mont Blanc
will get by with a 60m rope for most of the pitches.

Other Gear
The scale of the routes above Chamonix means
Ice Axe(s) jm that you will need a rucksack on most routes. One
All mixed ice climbs described require technical certainty is that, if a route requires crossing a wet
Tré la Tête
axes - a hammer and an adze. Many of the ridges glacier at any stage, then full crevasse rescue kit
and longer mixed routes require at least one axe and the ability to use it is vital.
for negotiating the snow and ice sections. Regard Carry some extra food and water in case of
the axe symbol (above) shown with the routes as
Aiguilles Rouges
emergency plus a small first aid kit.

a rough guide but please use your own judgement A lightweight windproof/waterproof layer is advised
as to whether you need none, one or two axes on and a knife for cutting old tat out of the way.
a given route. A headtorch for each climber is essential. Mark
Twight, a former resident of Chamonix, quipped in
Valley Cragging
his book about alpine climbing, "You can try taking

one headtorch between two, but you will only try
it once!"
42 Chamonix Climbing Grades Grades Chamonix Climbing 43
Alpine Grade Alpine Grade Table Aid, Free, 'Obligatoire'
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
The Alpine grade takes into account the overall Traditionally, rock climbs in the Mont Blanc
seriousness of a route, not just the technical Sport Alpine Grade UIAA USA Massif were given a free climbing grade and
difficulty. Even if a route is well within your technical an obligatory grade. The 'obligatoire' (or obl.)
1 I 5.1
level, the glacial approach and objective dangers grade refers to the difficulty of the climbing
can make it a much more serious proposition than

it would otherwise be in a smaller, non-glaciated 2 F II 5.2 assuming that you pull on the fixed gear at
every opportunity. For example '5b/A0 or 7a'
range. means that the move is 7a if done free, but
There are routes in the book for which traditional 2+ III+
5.3
only 5b if you pull on the fixed gear.
PD-
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
rock grades might have been more appropriate, but A0, A1, A2,... are aid grades indicating
we wanted consistency and also to allow novice
3a 5.4
increasing difficulty of using the actual aid,
IV-
alpinists to gradually understand what they can 3b PD 5.5 although in most cases in this book the aid
expect from more serious routes at each grade. moves are straightforward A0 or A1 moves.
The Aiguilles Rouges area in particular is a popular 3c IV 5.6 We have given most routes a free climbing
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
venue for learning the alpine game, so the multi- grade with easier aid options mentioned. In
pitch routes here have been given alpine grades 4a IV+ some cases we have given the route an overall
where most might expect a more conventional grade.
PD+ 5.7 grade assuming use of an aid point or two. This
Alpine grades are the standard grading system 4b V- has been done in cases where virtually every

for the Mont Blanc Massif, where most climbing ascent is done in this style usually because of
protection is hand-placed and/or contains fluctuating 4c AD- V 5.8 a disproportionately hard crux move.
levels of fixed protection (pegs or bolts). AD V+
This provide an overall grade, based on the length, 5a
AD+ VI- 5.9 Route Lengths
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
difficulty and seriousness of the climb.

Alpine grades begin with F (Facile - easy) and 5b D- In addition to a grade, routes are also given
then go to PD (Peu Difficile), AD (Assez Difficile),
5c D VI 5.10a
a length. Virtually all route lengths refer to the
D (Difficile), TD (Trés Difficile) and finally ED vertical height gain. For some routes, such as
traverses, which climb and descend repeatedly,
(Extrêment Difficile) which is open-ended - ED1,
6a D+ VI+ 5.10b
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
ED2, ED3 and upwards. TD- a vertical route length is not a useful way of
6a+ TD VII- 5.10c
suggesting how long a climb will take and is
also difficult information to interpret. In these
Alpine Technical Grade cases we have given approximate horizontal
The technical grade refers to the hardest section of 6b VII 5.10d route distances.
Helbronner
Helbronner
climbing on the route. For predominantly rock climbs,

sport climbing grades are used with each pitch. On 6b+ TD+ VII+ 5.11a
predominantly mixed terrain or ice, technical grades Route Timings
from 1 (easy cramponing or mixed scrambling) to 7 6c ED1 5.11b Climb times are given for most routes other
VIII-
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
(steep, sustained and extremely technical climbing) than pitched rock climbs. These times are a
are used. 6c+ 5.11c suggestion of what the average ascent time is
VIII from the bottom to the top of a given route. It
7a ED2 5.11d doesn't include the approach time to the crag
Commitment Grade VIII+ nor does it include descent time and you need
The first line of most route descriptions has a 7a+ 5.12a
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
to factor these in when calculating your timings.

commitment grade, a route length and a rough IX- Pitched rock climbs aren't given route times
climbing time. The Roman numeral commitment 7b 5.12b since these can vary from team to team. As a
grade refers to the seriousness of the route, which
may be determined by the difficulty of the approach Colour Coding general rule allowing 20 to 30 minutes per pitch
is a good target to aim for.
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
or descent, the level of objective hazard or the The routes are given a colour-coded dot
corresponding to a grade band. The colour Please keep in mind that the times given
difficulty of retreat once on the climb. are approximate but conditions change and
The roman numerals go from I (a short route with represents a level that a climber should be
happy at, hence valley sport routes tend to be being slightly outside a suggested time is
easy access and a straightforward descent) to VI
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
technically harder than equivalent alpine routes. not necessarily a disaster. However, if you
(a long, serious and sustained line with a difficult are consistently slower than the suggested
approach and descent in a remote area). These Alpine Routes Sport Routes times then consider whether your fitness,
should not be confused with UIAA grades. 1 Up to PD+ Up to 4c acclimatisation and climbing skill are suitable
for the routes you are attempting.
2 AD- to D
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
5a to 6a+
Ally Swinton high up on the Innominata Ridge
Sport Grade
(D+) - page 320 - on the Frêney Face of Mont Sport grades are used for single and multi-pitch 3 D+ to TD+ 6b to 7a
Blanc. Photo: Jon Griffith (jonathangriffith.co.uk) sport climbing in the Brévent and valley crags. 4 ED1 and above 7a+ and above
44 Chamonix Climbing Route Descriptions Symbol, Map and Topo Key Chamonix Climbing 45
Alpine Mixed Routes Route Symbols Topo Key
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
Commitment Grade
- Seriousness of the
Two Ice Axe Symbol - Two axes
are advised since the route involves 1 A good route which is well worth the effort.
Route line
Route illustrated
on a different topo
A very good route, one of the best on the hidden from view
route. Difficulty of sections of steep mixed ground or ice.
2
approach or descent, Alpine Grade - crag or mountain.

A brilliant route, one of the best in the Possible bivvy
level of objective
hazard and difficulty 2 Migot Spur . . . . . . . . . . 4mΩ D- 3
Overall grade taking
account of the length, 3 Chamonix area. location
5b Descent
of retreat once on the IV, 450m, 4 - 5 hours. Another classic and an ideal first north One of the Top 50 most iconic routes of the
climb. face, the Migot provides a feel of seriousness without any
difficulty and serious-
ness of the climb. 4 Alps.
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
particularly difficult climbing.

Technical climbing requiring good balance
Climbing/Route
1) Cross the bergschrund and climb mixed gullies (may be
dry in late season) through the rock band, to reach the crest Alpine Technical t and technique, or complex and tricky moves.
Alpine mixed
route Abseil
Length - Length of of the north ridge. If conditions are poor there is another line Powerful climbing; roofs, steep rock, low 6a
climbing from bottom further right to get through the rock band, although there is no
Grade (Mixed Route)
- On predominantly p lock-offs or long moves off small holds.
6a line
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
guarantee that this will be any better than the normal start!
of route to top. Total Sustained climbing; either lots of hard
length on longer
2) Follow the snow ridge as close as possible to the crest to
stay safe from potential serac fall.
mixed terrain or ice,
technical grades from s moves or steep rock giving pumpy climbing. Belay 50m
routes and traverses. 1 (easy cramponing Fingery climbing with significant small holds
3) Climb through mixed ground just to the right of the serac.
The exact line will depend on conditions. Assuming there is or mixed scrambling) f on the hard sections. 5c
Approximate
vertical

Climbing/Route good ice, climb the gully closest to the crest, or the one just to to 7 (steep, sustained Fluttery climbing with big fall potential and Alpine rock 6a
Time - Approximate
timing from bottom of
the left to reach the upper snowfield.
4) Follow the snowfield (50 degrees and exposed) in a stunning and extremely tech- h scary run-outs. route
height >30
Lower-off
nical climbing). A long reach is helpful, or even essential, for
route to top. Does not
include approach or
position to join the Forbes Arête just below the summit.
FA. A.Migot, C.Devouassoux 28.7.1929 r one or more of the moves. 5c
Pitch 25m
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
Graunchy climbing, wide cracks or awkward

descent time. k thrutchy moves.
2
grades on
long routes
Approximate
vertical
l
6c+
Loose rock may be encountered. height <30
Alpine Rock Routes
One ice axe is advised. For easier ridge and
j
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
Commitment Grade One Ice Axe Symbol - One ice axe is walking routes and glacier approaches.
1
- Seriousness of the advised. Usually for easier ridge and Sport route
Two axes are advised. Route involves
route. Difficulty of
approach or descent,
walking routes and glacier approaches.
Alpine Grade -
m sections of steep mixed ground or ice.
3
level of objective Overall grade taking Crag Symbols Approach
Helbronner
Helbronner
hazard and difficulty 3 Majorette Thatcher. . . . . 3jΩ TD+ 6b+ account of the length, Angle of the approach walk to the base of
of retreat once on the
climb.
II, 170m. A great crack climb, with an equally good name.
1) 6a. Climb a series of flakes and cracks leftwards and then
difficulty and serious-
ness of the climb.
S
20 mins the routes with approximate time. Map Key
back right to belay just beneath a roof.
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
Approach walk to a crag that requires

Climbing/Route
2) 6b+. Make a stiff pull through the roof then climb easier
flakes to belay beneath some wide cracks. Alpine Hardest Pitch Z
2 hours crossing a glacier or snowfield. Road
Crag in another chapter
page
Length - Length of 3) 6b. Climb the wide cracks and step right to an exposed stance. Grade (Rock Route) Approximate time that the crag is in the
E
Paths
climbing from bottom 4) 6b. Step left and climb the wide off-width crack that leads out - Sport grade of the direct sun (when it is shining). Peak (height)
of route to top. Total left across an exposed hanging slab. hardest move or pitch
5) 6a. Step left from the belay and head up a narrowing crack a
IOPB
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
length on longer on a predominantly Best season for this crag. Lift or Mountain face
couple of metres left of the ridge crest directly above the stance. cable car
routes and traverses. Be careful not to go too far left and stray onto the final chimney rock route. page
Pitch Grade - Sport

grade for rock moves
pitch of Les Diamants du Président.
FA. M.Piola, P-A.Steiner 17.7.1984 J An abseil approach is required.
Trees
Refuge
(height)
Lake
Col
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
Sheltered from bad weather and may be a

* Building Glacier
on a pitch. suntrap in colder weather.
Sport Routes Deserted - Quiet and seldom visited. Open rocky

Less good routes or a remote area. ground
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
Route length - Check Quiet - Less popular sections, or good

4 Surbac à bras . . . . . 3spΩ 6b
Glacier
spot heights on the Sport Grade - Single areas with awkward or long approaches.
topos - 30m 1) 3c. Start up Le pas d' la fin but move right to a belay. grade for sport routes
2) 5c. Make a few juggy moves over the overhang then romp to (Brévent and valley Busy - Places you will seldom be alone. Steep rock
the belay up on the right.
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
Pitch Grade - Sport crag chapters only). Good routes and easy access. Long route
3) 6b. The left-leaning ramp/flake is tough to enter and steep
page
grade for rock moves and juggy all the way up - brilliant. A great climb to do in one Crowded - The most popular crags which Bivouac
on a pitch. massive 36m pitch. are usually busy when in condition. (height) Scale
46 Chamonix Climbing Alpine Skills
Part of the appeal of alpinism is that it is a One of the most important alpine skills is the
Glacier du Tour
test of so many skills beyond just climbing. ability to move quickly at all times. Get up
Route selection, gear choice, complicated early, walk in quickly, climb quickly, descend
approaches, lengthy descents and objective quickly and walk back out. Climbers who
dangers all have to be considered, as does dawdle and take in the view, or faff over gear
the physical and technical capability of a team. on easy pitches seldom make good alpine
Here are some of the things that can catch climbers (especially if they block a route for
people out and a few ideas about how to other teams).
prepare for an alpine climbing trip.
Glacier de Talèfre
Moving Together
Fitness Moving together means both climbers climbing
Alpinism requires higher levels of all-body at once, with the leader placing runners
fitness than rock climbing because it involves and the second removing them, and taking
Grandes Jorasses
covering lots of terrain over a long period of belays only occasionally to switch over or
time. On a typical alpine climb the day starts re-gear. Many climbers are nervous about
early, often with a multi-hour walk in mountain moving together but when done correctly it
boots. Then follows a long and technical climb, is a relatively safe way of covering moderate
a tricky and potentially dangerous descent, ground very quickly. Provided that there are
then finally another long walk. Factor in that a couple of pieces of good protection and
you will carry a rucksack and likely be at never more than a few metres of slack rope,
more than 3000m above sea level for much of a fall is unlikely to be disastrous (and better
Plan de l'Aiguille
the time. All this after the previous night was than an unroped fall). That said, if protection
spent in a mountain hut which was unlikely is unavailable, or very poor, consider moving
to be have been a vintage night of sleep, unroped since you are doubling your chances
and certainly a short one, and the challenge of a serious fall with two of you tied together if
Aiguille du Midi
becomes even greater. you have no decent gear in place.

Any form of cardiovascular exercise will help When moving together, having roughly 30m of
to prepare for an alpine trip, but walking or rope between climbers is usually about right,
running uphill is the most effective. Gym though more or less may be appropriate on
work, in the form of lifting weights is also certain terrain. Extending runners liberally will
Helbronner
beneficial and for those lacking access to a reduce rope drag - which can be the cause of
gym, bodyweight squats, lunges, pushups and much friction, both literal and social!
pullups are all excellent and simple ways of
Mont Blanc du Tacul
improving strength. Abseiling

Ultimately, the best way to prepare for an Although most climbers can happily make
alpine trip is to replicate it by linking together single abseils, doing multiple abseils quickly
multiple rock climbs or scrambles and doing and safely is a very different skill and a vital
plenty of walking in between them to give one. As a rough time guide when descending,
Mont Blanc
yourself some long days out. The mountains completing one abseil every 10 minutes is
of North Wales are great in this respect and about right and allows for more accurate
Tryfan and Cwm Idwal in particular offer lots of planning and time management (ie. if a
possibilities to join relatively easy routes with descent requires six abseils, then you should
Tré la Tête
walking sections to create excellent long days. aim to complete these in one hour). The 10
The Lake District and Scotland have plenty of minutes is based on the assumption that the
similar options. abseil anchors are already in place; if you
Aiguilles Rouges
have to build your own then it will take longer

than 10 minutes per abseil.
Both climbers should be busy with rope
management and preparing for the next abseil
for the whole time during a descent. If you are
Valley Cragging
not, then you are not efficient enough!

48 Chamonix Climbing Alpine Skills
The Aiguilles de l'M (page 184) and Petits Charmoz (page 188) with their
Glacier du Tour
'shadow' of the Drus and the Aiguille Verte, as seen from the Plan de l'Aiguille.
Glacier de Talèfre
Grandes Jorasses
Route Finding
Plan de l'Aiguille
Route finding in Chamonix is generally not

as tough as in some alpine areas because
the routes in the Mont Blanc Massif usually
follow prominent features. That said, locating
Aiguille du Midi
the correct descent and navigating across

glaciers, often by headtorch, are whole skill
sets in themselves and can be the toughest
part of an alpine route. Understanding where
Helbronner
Route Choice and how crevasses form is essential and

The dangers associated with alpinism make can be learned partly through reading about
route choice even more vital than in most glaciers, partly through common sense and
Mont Blanc du Tacul
climbing areas. The key to making good mainly by spending time travelling in and
decisions is to gather maximum information analysing crevassed terrain.
about routes and conditions, and to be honest One issue to be aware of is that there are
about the ability of you and your partner. many hard routes in the Mont Blanc Massif
Leading HVS rock climbs wearing rock shoes, that we have not described and that when
Mont Blanc
clipping solid gear every few metres and climbing in the area you are likely to find fixed
taking plenty of time over it does not translate gear, from pegs to bolted belays, which are
into leading an HVS alpine pitch quickly in big part of a line not included in this book. Seeing
boots, with limited protection and carrying a gear does not indicate that you are on the
Tré la Tête
rucksack! If in doubt, aim low. Coming away right route and blindly following a line of pegs
from an alpine trip with half a dozen easier of bolts is not a good idea.
routes in the bag is far preferable to going It is worth spending some time studying your
home with a list of glorious failures on tougher proposed route from a distance, committing
Aiguilles Rouges
climbs. the route line to memory and mentally marking

You should also take account of current key features; an obvious-looking line seen
conditions when choosing your route. Refuge from the ground is nearly always less apparent
guardians, online forums and the Office de once on the route. Similarly, taking time from a
Valley Cragging
Haute Montagne (OHM) in Chamonix (near hut or lift station to study and try to understand
the Tourist Information Office) are all excellent that subtleties of a glacier will likely pay
sources of up-to-date conditions information. dividends later on.
50 Chamonix Climbing Alpine Dangers Alpine Dangers Chamonix Climbing 51
Adrian Samarra and the late Ben Winston crossing the Vallée
In addition to the normal climbing dangers Bergschrunds
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
Blanche with the Trident du Tacul (page 272) and the Grand
(falling off), alpinism involves a whole host Bergschrunds are large crevasses which Capucin (page 274) in the back ground. Photo: Calum Muskett
of other potential dangers which need to be separate the edge of a glacier from a
understood and managed if an acceptable mountain and no matter how innocuous
safety margin is to be maintained. they look, they deserve respect and

a cautious approach; looks are often
Glacier Travel deceiving. On some routes, such as Petit
When travelling on a wet glacier (one that Viking (page 89) on the Pointe du Domino
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
is snow covered and is not simply blue ice) near Mont Dolent, crossing the bergschrund
then roping up correctly is essential, as is is widely recognised as being the crux of
carrying, and knowing how to use, a full the route!
crevasse rescue kit. Crossing bergschrunds ('rimayes' in French)
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
For reasons understood only by the is best done by one climber being 20m or
protagonists, certain glaciated parts of the so downhill of the bergschrund and belaying
Mont Blanc Massif (particularly around their partner as they approach and cross
the Aiguille du Midi) seem to have been the gap. This climber should then build a

deemed safe enough to walk around on belay above it and bring up their partner.
unroped by some climbers, possibly due Crossing the bergschrund can involve a
to the sheer number of people travelling large step and/or climbing some difficult soft
on them. Given that the Pointes Lachenal snow. Bergschrunds change quickly with
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
(page 293) near the Aiguille du Midi is so weather and conditions so take care when
named because legendary French alpinist dealing with them.
Louis Lachenal died in a crevasse fall
nearby, the stupidity of not roping up should Seracs
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
be obvious. Numerous crevasse falls occur Seracs are large blocks of glacial ice which
on well-travelled and long established paths are formed as glaciers move downhill. There
across glaciers. is a big one on page 1 of this book. They
can often become overhanging on steeper
Helbronner
Helbronner
Learning and refining crevasse rescue skills ground, at which point they are liable to
takes time but it is vital. Before an alpine collapse and fall, causing devastation to
trip, get plenty of practice holding simulated anyone caught below. Passing under seracs
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
crevasse falls, setting up different anchors can sometimes be unavoidable and the
and hauling systems and prussiking up best way to minimise the danger is to move
ropes. For some real life practice it is highly as quickly as possible. Take a short break
recommended to take the Montenvers before going under them, drink some water
train up and walk down to the Mer de and have a bite to eat and then keep going
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Glace which (in its lower section) is a dry once underway.

glacier and provides a perfect spot to try Probably the best known areas of seracs
out different systems and equipment. The above Chamonix are on Mont Blanc's
scenery isn't bad either! Trois Monts Route (page 304). These have
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
collapsed with disastrous consequences

several times in the past decade but it is
worth keeping in perspective that thousands
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
of climbers pass safely under them every

year.
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
52 Chamonix Climbing Alpine Dangers Alpine Dangers Chamonix Climbing 53
Weather
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
Many routes are committing to the point that retreat

is extremely difficult if not impossible. Choosing a
route which fits the weather forecast is essential
because being stuck high up on a long climb when a
thunderstorm arrives is extremely serious.

The weather in the Alps often deteriorates in
the afternoon (particularly in early summer) so
if the weather forecast is predicting a possible
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
thunderstorm later in the day, pick a route that will

almost certainly not take more than a few hours.
Even if there is no thunderstorm forecast, keep
a close eye on the weather and only commit to
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
continuing to climb when the sky is blue.

Rockfall All the routes in the Aiguilles Rouges, many
Rockfall danger is increasing as the earth's of the granite rock climbs, and just about any Weather/Avalanche Forecasts
route which follows a ridge throughout, should Chamonix is well served with weather forecast

climate warms up. The good news is that

rockfalls generally occur in fairly predictable be safe even in hot conditions, so avoiding websites. The best known is chamonix-meteo.
places and at predictable times. Snow and snowy faces and couloirs shouldn't limit your com but yr.no and meteofrance.com (where the
ice-filled faces and couloirs are the main areas choice too much. avalanche bulletin can also be found in winter) are
of danger so be aware of what is above you, If there is a good overnight freeze, and you also excellent. Amalgamating different forecasts is
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
and how the weather will affect its stability, do a route which could have rockfall danger, advised as there can be some differences.
when climbing on or below these features. getting up early is always advised. It is far The weather forecast (and avalanche bulletin in
Generally, rockfall danger is lowest during the better to be already above a potentially winter) are posted every day outside the Office de
night when temperatures are below freezing, dangerous area and waiting for the sun to Haute Montagne (OHM) in the centre of Chamonix.
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
but if there is no overnight freeze, rockfall is a come up than below a dangerous area,
constant danger during the day and night. desperately racing to beat the heat! A good
There are two key ways of minimising rockfall example of this can be seen in the Grand
danger - correct choice of route and getting up Couloir on Mont Blanc's popular Goûter Route
early. In the height of summer, the best option (page 308) which can be extremely dangerous
Helbronner
Helbronner
is to simply avoid routes with the potential of in the middle of the day but relatively benign
rockfall danger. in the dead of night when all the loose stuff is
frozen solid.
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
Yoshiko Miyazaki-Back heading to the summit of Les Droites - page 94. The
Aiguille d'Argentière dominates the background. Photo: Oscar Lopez Bueno
54 Destination Planner Total m F to PD+
up to 4c
AD- to D
5a to 6a+
D+ to TD+
6b to 7a
ED1 upwards
7a+ upwards Approach Best season Summary Page
An excellent area for low/mid-grade alpinists, the Glacier du Tour provides a

Glacier du Tour 18 16 2 - 9 6 3 - Z I O P 56
Glacier du Tour
Glacier du Tour
range of superb snow and mixed climbs on moderately high peaks.
When it comes to long, classic ice and mixed climbs, the Glacier d'Argentière is
Glacier d'Argentière 37 31 6 - 4 10 16 7 Z I O P B likely the most densely packed valley in the world. There's some decent rock too! 76
Home to several classic alpine ridges, some excellent rock routes and a couple
Glacier de Talèfre 10 6 4 - 1 7 2 - Z I O P of good snow climbs, the Glacier de Talèfre is a mid-grade mecca. 114
A legendary peak and one of the most impressive mountains in the Alps, The
Grandes Jorasses 7 5 2 - - 2 2 3 Z I O P B 134
Glacier de Talèfre
Glacier de Talèfre
Grandes Jorasses is home to long, serious and amazing alpine climbs.
One of the best (and best known) areas for granite climbing in the Alps, the
Envers des Aiguilles 33 - 33 - - 1 18 14 F I O P Envers provides relatively safe and extremely high quality rock climbing. 148
Grandes Jorasses
Grandes Jorasses
An area with just about everything an alpinist looks for, from short and
Plan de l'Aiguille 26 8 18 - - 7 18 1 Z I O P un-committing granite rock routes through to huge 1200m mixed lines. 178
The focal point of Chamonix climbing, the Aiguille du Midi is home to some
Aiguille du Midi 15 6 9 - 1 2 9 3 Z I O P B legendary rock and mixed routes, from easy ridges to high-grade rock climbs. 214

As well as an extensive range of fun low/mid-grade alpine climbs, the Helbronner

Helbronner 18 11 7 - 3 13 2 - Z I O P is also home to two stunning, wild climbs - the Brenva Spur and Kuffner Ridge. 238
A mountain with just about everything, from splitter granite cracks to long,
Mont Blanc du Tacul 38 18 20 1 9 19 9 Z I O P B 264
Plan de l'Aiguille
Plan de l'Aiguille
-
alpine ridges, stunning ice climbs and mixed routes of all grades.
Mountaineering was 'invented' on Mont Blanc after it was climbed from the
Mont Blanc - France Side 3 3 - - 2 1 - - Z O P French side and repeating this feat rightly remains a highly coveted prize. 298
Aiguille du Midi
Aiguille du Midi
For those looking for a tougher way of reaching the top of Europe, the Italian
Mont Blanc - Italy Side 6 4 2 - 1 1 2 2 Z O P side of the mountain provides wild and remote routes of all grades. 314
The Tré la Tête is a perfect place for low-grade alpinists, combining as it does
Tré la Tête 5 5 - - 4 1 - - Z O remote mountaineering, beautiful summits and stunning views. 326
Helbronner
Helbronner
Aiguilles Rouges For those wishing to avoid the seriousness of alpine mountaineering, Brévent
- Brévent and Planpraz 56 - 6 50 2 19 33 2 F O offers a selection of brilliant rock climbs, most of which are fully bolted. 338
Mont Blanc du Tacul

Mont Blanc du Tacul
Aiguilles Rouges The Index is a great place to climb bolted and traditional multi-pitch routes and it
- Index 40 - 14 26 4 10 18 8 F O has one of the finest mountain views in the world as a backdrop. 360
A sunny, west-facing roadside crag with a good set of sport routes in the
Servoz 27 - - 27 5 13 8 1 H I O P mid-grades. Some multi-pitch offerings. 390
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
A set of popular buttresses with easy access and lots of routes. A great place to
Les Gaillands 106 - - 106 24 64 17 1 S I O P
1/5 min get some multi-pitch practice in but the lines are confusing as it is over-bolted. 396
Three long routes that are easy to reach and are good for getting used to long
Les Mottets 3 - - 3 1 2 - - S I O P
20 min days and moving together. 412
Tré la Tête
Tré la Tête
Valley Crags
A beautifully situated crag with some good mostly single-pitch routes across the
La Joux 41 - - 41 8 18 10 5 S I O P
10 min lower and mid-grades. 414
Aiguilles Rouges
Aiguilles Rouges
A set of high quality multi-pitch bolted climbing with no lift access required.
Les Chéserys 25 - - 25 3 22 - - S I O P
1 hour Magnificent views and relatively easy grades make it a good place to start. 422
A nicely-located west-facing slab with a good set of single and multi-pitch
Vallorcine 27 - - 27 11 13 3 - A I O P
5 min routes. Can get crowded with groups. 432
Valley Cragging
Valley Cragging
A vast hillside with a series of long multi-pitch routes connecting the quality
Barberine 48 - - 48 1 10 28 9 S I O P
30 min sections of rock, plus a great set of harder routes on the Zone area. 436

Chamonix: A Guide To The Best Rock Climbs and Mountain Routes Around Chamonix and Mont Blanc

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1

Mont Blanc du Tacul

All maps by ROCKFAX

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in

This book is printed on FSC certified paper

made from 100% virgin fibre sourced

ISBN 978 1 873341 57 5

Cover: Steve Wakeford on the Arête des Cosmiques (AD)

Envers des Aiguilles

Mont Blanc du Tacul

Route Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446

spectacular mountains in the world, all made

Just about every legendary alpinist in history

Bonington, Lafaille and Steck have all left their

Envers des Aiguilles

against climbing's most legendary mountains.

Unusually for an alpine climbing area, the rock

(although rockfall remains a major danger

Furthermore, there are a number of superb

to the huge 1000m mixed routes and the

Mont Blanc du Tacul

In 1786 Mont Blanc was climbed by Jacques

on, Chamonix and Mont Blanc continue to

the best alpine climbing destination on earth.

- page 252 - on the Tour Ronde. Photo: Ben Tibbetts (bentibbettsphotography.com)

Envers des Aiguilles

Mont Blanc du Tacul

The Rockfax App

around 20,000 crags

instructors and guides amongst others.

over Europe. All the books are available Lofoten

from specialist outdoor retailers or direct

If you are struggling to get good weather

have a look at the Haute Provence

which covers this amazing area in northeast

Spain Côte d'Azur Greece

Grands Montets East Ridge - page 110

Photo: Longo Bruno

2016 2014 2012 2011 2010 2009

2016 2016 2013 2008 2016 2005

2016 2015 2015 2013 2012 2010

Maps Other Guidebooks Available in 2016

and all the routes in this book are covered selection.

Blanc, Monte Bianco) as do Swisstopo (map

Envers des Aiguilles

bouldering areas in the Chamonix Valley.

Selected Climbs: Mont Blanc

by Jean-Louis Laroche and Florence LeLong

Mountaineering in the Mont Blanc Range (2014)

Mont Blanc: The Finest Routes (2013) by Philippe Batoux

Mont Blanc du Tacul

The 4000m Peaks of the Alps (2012) by Martin Moran

Mont Blanc Supercracks (2012)

by Lamberto Camurri and Giovanni Bassanini

The Aiguilles Rouges 1 (2008) by Michel Piola

A comprehensive guide to the Brévent, Planpraz, Index and

Envers des Aiguilles (2007) by Michel Piola

A comprehensive guide to the Envers des Aiguilles area.

Snow, Ice and Mixed 1 and 2 (2006) by François Damilano

Mont Blanc Massif.

the Grand Capucin, Mont Blanc du Tacul. Photo: Calum Muskett

Envers des Aiguilles

Morgan Sinclair, Nora Hanson, Ross Hewitt,