UKH

I'm heading off to the Ecrins (around la Berarde) in a couple of weeks for my first foray into alpine climbing. There seems to be more than a few guidebooks covering the area - does anyone have any strong thoughts on which is best for easier routes?

In reply to tehmarks:

http://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Books-Maps-DVDs/Foreign-Climbing-Guid...
...is a good start for easier alpine routes. Only 25 routes, but they are good beginners ones.

In reply to tehmarks:

Thanks, that was one of the guidebooks I was considering, although I wasn't sure if it might be a bit limiting. The other was the Alpine Club guidebook, but the Needlesports description put me off somewhat!

In reply to tehmarks:

I have used the one above and found it as useful a any other Apline guide i have used & is full of good intro stuff. Its pretty good at pointing out what essential gear is required too such as cravasse gear etc.
I would Defo recommend taking a climbing guide too as in the past i would have has wasted trips without that option + the multipitch in ailefroide is cracking, the campsites in a pretty amazing spot too!
Not sure if the Escalade guide has been outdated yet but that's the one i have and have found it pretty good once you have your bearings of what what.

In reply to tehmarks:
Always worth looking at CampToCamp as well, frequently quite detailed and up-to-date accounts and descriptions, with good pictures.

If you want some hints on the North couloir of Les Bans, or the Coolidge couloir in the Barre des Ecrins, give me a shout. I am guessing that the Les Bans will still be in if you are going so soon.

We did the middle one here, the blue one :

http://s.camptocamp.org/uploads/images/1311433028_1895462241BI.jpg

Also the Barre Noir couloir over to the left 2 years ago. Not that a huge amount of route finding is required on either, if you can find the start.

In reply to BloodyJam:

Ailefroide is our plan for the second week out there - there's a lot of stuff I didn't manage to get done the first time round and want to tick off. Already have the local guide for there though

In reply to tehmarks:
First, a heads up: the road linking la berarde and ailefroide (over the col) will be shut when you go, so you are limited to the west/northwest. Unless you drive round by gap that is...

RE books:
- Brailsford (ac) - more than adequate for low grade stuff even if it is dated and not particularly user-friendly
- Cambon, oisans nouveau oisans sausage - the best mountain rock book for the area, though it is in French
- for valley rock just buy the 11/12 euro little book when you're there!

If this is your first foray into alpine routes then I would stay away from les Bans. Not so much because of its difficulty in ascent, but because of its more complicated descent - it has great potential to turn into what might seem like a rather long day out. Look at peaks like the rateau from the selle, gioberney, the replat, dibona (though I personally feel the normal route is a bit of a waste of time), fetoules. These are all simple out and backs with straightforward route finding and descents.

Have fun!

In reply to tjhare1:
There is a road that links La Berade and Ailefroide? I just remember a pretty high col in the mountains up from La Berade, which we bivied underneath. Never knew there was any road you could go by!

Not sure I really agree with you about Les Bans, but I think I recall this discussion before. I do remember that the traverse from the top of the North couloir was a nightmare of looseness and insecurity, but the actual descent seemed pretty straightforward glacier stuff.

In reply to tehmarks:

Sounds a good plan.
I am fairly new to Winter/Alpine style stuff and only climb about Scottish III but have found it good around Ecrins for starting out.
I have also found it useful to use the Refugio and plan to stay high up for a few nights. Tends to give more opportunity and while you finding you feet allows you to be on the more technical stuff early in the day.

Have a good trip!

In reply to BruceM:

i used this guide last year its quite out of date. for instance where it says i pitch ab to the glacier its now 2 or 3. it looks new but its a translation of an old french guide. maybe we should translate old english guides and sell them to the french...

In reply to tjhare1:

there is no road from la berarde to ailefroide. la berarde is in a (beautiful) dead end. you have to drive over the col lautaret. 2 hours plus

In reply to tehmarks:

For some reason I thought it was a ~2 hour drive, but Google is suggesting almost double (via Gap). Rubbish. We're planning on meeting up with the rest of our group in the second week and climbing less snowy things, so I'll have to give some thought to the best overall compromise.

I've ordered the Alpine Club guidebook for now, may well also get the Vertebrate book too though. Thanks for all the help, suggestions and info

In reply to tehmarks:

the road is shut below la grave. has ben since april. they are talking about re-routing the tour de france on 25th july so it must be serious!
http://www.lemedia05.com/2015/22946/tunnel-du-chambon-la-voute-fragilisee-s...

In reply to philipjardine:

It all makes sense now. I thought I was losing the plot, I could have sworn the journey time should have been shorter! Might rethink our plans and head straight to Ailefroide then, or look into other options that are less of a pain in the rear end.

In reply to philipjardine:

Thanks for pointing that out, that is going to seriously screw things up in those parts. The route over the Col du Lauteret is a major artery.

In reply to cdpej:


Likewise cheers very much. That is good to know for July.

In reply to tehmarks:

Having looked at the options, it seems that basing ourselves in La Grave (with the option to easily move to Ailefroide) seems the best way forward. Any particular routes that people think we should be looking at from La Grave? Seems to be plenty on the various bits of le Rateau, plus the North Face of Pic de la Grave.

In reply to tehmarks:

Head up to the Adele Planchard for routes like the grande ruine (normal route or there's a nice rock ridge to the main summit at a not too difficult grade called something like 'nuit des refuges'. Also, go up to the pave and do the cavales and pointe Emma. Both these areas are nicer than things from the top lift at la grave in my opinion and will give you a more complete experience.

Hope that's helpful!

In reply to tehmarks:

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. Now that I finally have a map (and bothered to download Google Earth), it's all starting to make sense. I think we might just base ourselves at Ailefroide; there's enough within easy access of the Ecrins/Glacier Blanc huts to more than fill the time we have available.