Rockfax Description
II, 350m, 3 - 4 hours. The easiest route on the Triangle and popular as a result - you'll need an early start to be first on this one.
1) Climb the snow ramp rightwards (50 - 55 degrees, belays on the right) to reach a short, icy chimney.
2) Follow this, then make an exposed traverse rightwards into an excellent ice gully.
3) Climb the ice gully onto a mixed, rocky crest which in turn takes you to a snowfield.
4) Drift leftwards up the snowfield to reach a left-leaning icy ramp. This leads to the end of the Contamine-Négri which is followed to the summit. © Rockfax
G Gren, G Grisolle, A Poulain, M Ziegler and A. Contamine 04/Jul/1968.
Batoux's 100 finest routes in the Mont Blanc massif , Alpine Dreamz , Alpine Progression , BMC - Easier Classics in the Mont Blanc Range , Summer easier alpine , Top 10 , Fredventures Alps 24
User | Date | Notes | ||
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mchardski | 2 Jun, 2023 |
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βeta: Great conditions. step 2 of the rockfax description is not what i did, i went up and left up a gully that was easy and good but could be choss if drier conditions. Advise others to study the C2C topo photos. not my finest hour with a failure to plan being the root cause, in turn by this being 5th day out on the trot and decisions being taken hastily evening before. Climb went fine but storm came in and descent turned a bit nasty. missed bin down and got to Cosmiques refuge at 10pm. Steph dropped a glove ( she had 2 sets but 1st set were soaking) and if i hadnt have had a spare set of mittens it could well have been catastrophic, so I did 1 thing right at least. Lessons; plan the descent, know the abilities of your team, Steph to carry 3 sets of gloves on alpine routes. | βeta? | |
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βeta: Great conditions. step 2 of the rockfax description is not what i did, i went up and left up a gully that was easy and good but could be choss if drier conditions. Advise others to study the C2C topo photos. not my finest hour with a failure to plan being the root cause, in turn by this being 5th day out on the trot and decisions being taken hastily evening before. Climb went fine but storm came in and descent turned a bit nasty. missed bin down and got to Cosmiques refuge at 10pm. Steph dropped a glove ( she had 2 sets but 1st set were soaking) and if i hadnt have had a spare set of mittens it could well have been catastrophic, so I did 1 thing right at least. Lessons; plan the descent, know the abilities of your team, Steph to carry 3 sets of gloves on alpine routes. |
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chigozie | 3 Sep, 2021 |
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βeta: There is well-spaced tat available to rap down the grisolle from the top of pitch 2 if you have a 60m rope and need to abandon the climb. Mostly without maillons, just cord. | ||
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βeta: There is well-spaced tat available to rap down the grisolle from the top of pitch 2 if you have a 60m rope and need to abandon the climb. Mostly without maillons, just cord. |
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TomAlford | 3 Jun, 2019 |
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βeta: Not in great nick at the moment, variable ice followed by slushy, wet, collapsing snow - some big blocks came off the seracs and the rocks on the left, a few close calls so chose to ab off - left some tat in place so possible to rap on a single 60m underneath the righthand band (out of the firing line). We tried from first lift, would probably be ok with a good freeze before the sun hits it. | βeta? | |
Show beta
βeta: Not in great nick at the moment, variable ice followed by slushy, wet, collapsing snow - some big blocks came off the seracs and the rocks on the left, a few close calls so chose to ab off - left some tat in place so possible to rap on a single 60m underneath the righthand band (out of the firing line). We tried from first lift, would probably be ok with a good freeze before the sun hits it. |
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Grade: AD 3 ***
(Aiguille d'Argentiere)