Rockfax Description
II, 160m, 3 hours. Most teams climb the route in mountaineering boots and the climbing lends itself more to foot jamming stiff soled boots than to smearing in rock shoes. The first pitch will feel tricky though if it is near your 'big-boot' limit.
1) 5a, 20m. Follow the furthest left crack above the V-notch for 8m, passing some pegs on the way, to a bolt at the foot of a corner. Ignore the temptation to clip the bolt (you'll get rope drag if you do) and make a 4m rightwards traverse onto a steep slab, passing two pegs on the way. At the second peg, go directly up to reach a bolt belay at the top of the corner that housed the bolt. The corner itself can be climbed at 5c.
2) 4b, 40m. Step down 2m and traverse right across a break for 10m to reach a corner. Climb the corner to a jammed block and then move right up a short crack and slab above to rejoin the ridge crest 5m before a steep tower.
3) 4a, 20m. Go to the foot of the tower then make a 5m downclimb on the Trient side of the ridge to reach a ledge system. Follow this rightwards to the foot of a deep chimney.
4) 5a, 30m. Climb the golden flakes to the right of the chimney until they end and then step left into the depths! Muster any style you can and thrutch your way over two chockstones to reach a slightly awkward belay on a spike with some very poor old tat around it.
5) 4b, 25m. Follow the cracked ridge to the right of the chimney until it levels out. Traverse right around a spike and belay at the foot of a steep cracked wall, directly below the summit.
6) 4c, 25m. Climb the cracked wall on the left to reach a large ledge. Ignore the deep, block-filled chimney above and step left to climb the right-slanting corner via some thrutchy, thuggish moves. Finish up a final easy chimney and belay on one of the many good spikes that make up the summit block. © Rockfax

UKC Logbook Description
5a obl, 5b free. Description in English on camptocamp: http://www.camptocamp.org/routes/54077/en/aiguille-purtscheller-s-ridge-classical

R. Aubert, R. Dittert, F. Marullaz 16/May/1943.

Ticklists

Escalades Choisies Mont-Blanc Aiguilles Rouges (60 Routes 4 to 6a+) , Alps 2023 , BMC - Easier Classics in the Mont Blanc Range , Cham Sep 24

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