The Aiguilles Rouges are the perfect spot for easy access summer rock climbing with superb views on the Mont Blanc range. There are two lifts which can get you to most of these routes, the Brevent lift and the Flegere lift.
Summer 2008, I did three routes near the Flegere lift. Walk in for all of these routes was only 20 minutes from the top station of the lift, which makes them perfect for short days.

Michel Piola just released a new guidebook ‘Face au Mont Blanc, Les Aguilles Rouges 1′. It is made in the same way as the Envers d’Aiguille guidebook, with clear drawings, good photos and understandable descriptions.

Aiguille de l’Index, Arête SE AD / 140 m / 4d obl / partially equipped

This route is in the Rebuffat top 100 book and is a favorite first alpine route for a lot of people and a route that is often guided. When we did it in Juli, we had to wait for at least half an hour before we could get started. To be honest it was quite nice to doze off for a bit.
We choose to skip the lift and walk up for 1500 meters. We figured that the climb is relatively short and we wanted to make most out of the day. We walked up with the three of us, one of us a non climber who we would guide up his fist mountain climb. The climb is easy enough to follow for someone with limited climbing experience, the first pitch is graded 4a and the other pitches grade three. It shouldn’t be underestimated either. It is a true alpine rock climb. It is a ridge line that is followed, with traverses and big drops on both sides. The many parties on the route can make ropework difficult and there is a change of stones falling, especially on the rappel. Therefore I can’t understand the Italian guide who was climbing without a helmet.
There is in situ protection in the form of pitons and some bolts on the belays but you should bring fiends, nuts, some slings and two 50 meter ropes..

Grande Floria

The lower part of this face can be reached in 20 minutes from the lift station. There are at least ten routes on this face, all offering varied climbing of about 200 meters long. There is a rappel decent on the left side of the face, allowing to get down in three 50 meter rappels.

Asia D sup / 250 m / 6a (5b obl) / equipped

The first pitch is the crux. The climbing higher up is less continuous and easier. If 6a is your lead limit this route very nice and enjoyable.

Hotel Rwanda TD sup / 200 m / 6c (6a+ obl) / equipped

This is the most difficult line on this face and the best climb I have done in the Aiguilles Rouges. We skipped the first 5b pitch and started right at the 6b pitch on the pillar. The next 5c pitch is nice but not special. After this one you have to rappel a bit to a ledge, where a commiting and awkward 6b+ pitch begins. The rock looks loose here and most holds are sloping down. Good balance and bridging/stemming skills are a plus here. The 6c that comes next is just a short roof, not too difficult or special. The before last pitch is a really nice 6b traverse, that is quite continuous again. The finishing 6a pitch has just a few moves which are barely hard enough to be given this grade.

After one day of climbing together earlier this week we were impressed with the good atmosphere climbing together, so Laurent suggested to spend some more time on a route. High on his tick list was the Frendo Spur. At first I was in doubt about the plan, later I had mixed feelings and finally I got the vibes. The ridge is really beautiful and the view from the midi lift to the Frendo Spur will never be the same for us.

On Wednesday we a approached the rock after a night biviing at the plan de l’Aiguille (mid-station). Quite impressed with the route we got up at four o’clock and approached the spur from the left side in one and a half hour. It is advisable to take the right hand path over the morene to save half an hour and be more protected from serious rock fall. Another point of concern is to be among the first parties in the route. We saw another climber causing a small rock avalanche, which broke a helmet of one of the climbers below us. We were glad that we didn’t drop one stone all day, maybe that’s why we were slower than the others.

Because of our nervousness on Wednesday we ran too far to the right of the pillar. We found beautiful slabs and cracks next to the rubble shoot of the Aiguille du Midi. Quite a spectular ambiance: an orchestra of falling stones and ice. The climbing was quite hard and became even harder. When we came to an overhang we felt that we found to way to the crest, but it was not possible for us to climb or protect this pitch. We made some scary rappels and arrived at the bivy place late at night. We had a dinner consisting of two slices of bread and one cup of tea and slept like babies in our down bags. We felt like e-baying our gear, anyway we didn’t make plans for tours the next couple of days. In the lift down on the successful Friday we saw that this overhang was truly close to the ridge.

Thursday we drank coffee at the plan d’Aiguille and skipped a non-existing breakfast and walked down to Chamonix. We celebrated the fact that we were still alive, after the scary climbing in the overhang. After checking the weather we decided that we couldn’t stand a long standing project. And organised our gear for a next attempt of the Frendo Spur, deciding that would we take another topo (’Alpine Club’) instead of the blurry copied one from ‘Snow, Ice and Mixed’.

On Friday we took the first lift (6.30) to plan d’Aiguille for a second attempt. At seven we started the approach with three other parties. We found much easier terrain than in the previous attempt, moving together on third grade terrain. We were reassured be the fact that we could move much faster. We were really enjoying the route and praised Frendo. No time for too much genuss-kletterei because we had to be fast for the last lift down (six o’clock). We quickly arrived at the first crux (possible to do a challenging rodeo bull or an more elegant 5c A0). When we arrived at the gendarmes in the upper rock section we were surprised by the never ending pitches of fairly hard rock. Laurent made some perfect belays (and I fotographed them for a handbook). Longing for the snow-ridge we tried to be as fast as possible. Nevertheless we collected some garbage and a Grivel Aablakov-device to add to a long list of found gear. I made an A1 with a found quick draw, which looked too old to add to my rack.

When we finally reached the exit to the snow-ridge. We were happy to put on our crampons. On the snow ridge our enjoyment evaporated. The snow was soft and slippery and the ridge was long, warm and tiring. I was trying to keep up, but I was too thirsty and filled my mouth with snow. My platypus already caused problems earlier this week. It was full but I couldn’t get a drop out of it. I hope I’ll find a good Camelbag on a ridge in Bergell, where we will climb next week.

The climbing became enjoyable again when we reached the ice left of the rognon and finally out of the sun. We climbed in perfect 80 degrees snow/ice moving together, placing only one screw. We didn’t pitch it, because we ran out of time. After a short last ridge we reached the sun again on the Midi-Plan traverse and saw that the lift was not far. We made it in nine hours and thirty minutes, without a new bivy. I love bivies, but Laurent wanted to return to the VW-camper for a warm night. We didn’t have any bivy gear with us this time.

Text and photographs: Sarah Mollink & Laurent Zuijdwijk

Facts: Frendo Spur (III 1100m D+/TD- 5+ 80 degrees)

Frendo Spur can be climbed in one day, without biviing for a fast party without route finding problems. If in doubt, there are excellent bivy spots on Plan de l’Aiguille for an early start. Be sure to be fit and fed, because the route is really long. We climbed the complete route in big boots. We took one half of a double rope, although it is more advisable to take two strands or a single rope. For the rock sections we took four Friends, a small set of nuts and seven quick draws. For the ice we took two axes and three ice-screws. In-situ gear is available throughout the route on the harder sections as well as some aid slings. Don’t try to get to the snow too early, stay left on the two gendarmes at the top and always go up.

Guidebook used:
Mont Blanc Massif: Selected Climbs: Col De Berangere - Col Du Geant v. 1

Hiking on my own from Chamonix to Chamonix in four days!!
Well… a bit cheating by hitch-hiking through the Mont Blanc tunnel on the first day. So it’s from Courmayeur to Chamonix, still about 85km in four days.
I hiked it in style; no rests or eating in the numerous refuges and sleeping underneath the stars. Packed with a down bag, bivi-bag, some clothing and the famous bivi food (read the other article). At the last day some trail running (about 20km), mainly on the descent of course…. fantastic!
When hiking the route its impossible to get dehydrated, starved, lonely or get lost. There are big paths, lots of signs, people, refuges, villages, supermarkets etc etc. But… you can get exhausted by the length and the height difference.
The peaks are the most interesting with fenomenal panoramic views, the pieces in between with a beautiful flora are sometimes a bit straightforward and disappointing. Still I had a enjoyable time, having more fitness and considerable more respect for the ultratrailmb.com.

No foto’s, lots of memories.

Hiking and writing Quirijn

We took the Midi lift up with on juli 21th with the intention to climb the Contamine-Grisolle route on Triangle du Tacul (II AD, 350m), a route that was already on my tick list two years ago. We swiftly climbed the initial snow slopes, the smal crux mixed part and then some steep cramponing. When we met up with other rope teams, near the top of the route, we decided to go right instead of left to do some freestyling and find the most beautiful way up. After a short traverse we found a short gully (75°) with good ice at the start, but really thin stuff at the top, which provided quite delicate climbing. We continued to go to the right looking for the best lines. We climbed some very nice mixed parts and ended on top of the Triangle du Tacul . The route we took looks a bit like Champions du Monde, but takes a slightly different line. Therefore we like to call it “What Sarah said” (II D AI4 350m).

We were fit enough to continue to the top of Mont Blanc du Tacul (4248m) in high winds, so the time spent on top was brief. When we came back at Col du Midi at 1400h we decided to take the Arete des Cosmiques back to the lift station. The first time for me in dry conditions, really enjoyable easy climbing.

Guidebook used:
Mont Blanc Massif: Selected Climbs: Col De Berangere - Col Du Geant v. 1

For our stay on the glacier we tried to figure out the perfect food system. Our requirements on the food were that it had to be cheap, light weight, high caloric, healthy, easy to cook and tasty. This meal satisfies all requirements and can easily compete with commercial available freeze dried meals. We used the following ingredients which are easy to get in Chamonix.

Couscous with dried fruits

Ingredients (for two persons)

- 200gr cheap couscous (Super U)
- half a chorizo
- half stock cube
- dried chili
- random herbs (mint would be very good)
- two hand fulls of raisins
- a hand full of peanuts or other nuts
- 200 ml water

Mix all ingredients except the sausage and water in a sealable sack in advance. On the bivi spot you will have to cook the water. In my Jetboil stove it only took three minutes, or a bit longer if you have to melt snow. Put the mix in the boiling water, turn the stove off and leave it for a couple of minutes (preferably five, less if you are hungry). While waiting you can devide the sausage and either eat it apart or mix it in the meal. Enjoy. Approximate cost: 2 euros.

On July 16th we attempted to do the ridge traverse from Aig. du Midi to Aig. du Plan. The recent snow fall would make it a bit harder, so we definately didn’t want to start first and do all deep snow tracking. When we started at around 730h there were lready some tracks for us to follow. The route isn’t hard, but quite long and exposed on some places. It is graded III AD, which seems right. Just after col du Plan you have to do an abseil after which you can go back up to the Aig. du plan. When we arrived there, there was a line of people waiting and discussing how to continue and if the snow conditions were good enough on the slope of Aig. du Plan. We decided not to waste too much time on waiting and decided to go back. The sun was already pretty strong and the snow was getting really soft. We later saw tracks going up Aig. du Plan so people did continue. When we walked back in the soft snow we didn’t regret our dicision though. Later that day we saw numerous avalanches coming down Aig. du Midi and Mont Blanc du Tacul.

Colin and Tom with whom we climbed the Cosmiques Arete made a short clip of the mixed climbing.

On friday we  did Goulotte Chere, an ice gully on the Mont Blanc du Tacul triangle. It is graded II D 85° 300m, but the belays are bolted and there is some in situ gear. The difficulties are short and limited to two pitches which makes it a perfect introductionary route to alpine ice.

We went up with the first lift, because the weather forecast was not too good again, predicting thunderstorms in the afternoon. It is possible to abseil the route after the sixth pitch, but we wanted to finish the route to the top of the triangle and go down the regular Mont Blanc du Tacul route. When we gut up, we raced over the glacier to the route and speeded up it. At 10.30h we were already at the top of the sixth pitch and we had to decide if we would continue up or go down. The weather was already going worse with some snow showers. We were discussing this issue, when a loud thunder clap finished the discussion and we went down. Unfortunately the weather cleared again not too much later.

Guidebook used:
Mont Blanc Massif: Selected Climbs: Col De Berangere - Col Du Geant v. 1

We went up the Grand Montets lift today for another half day mountaineering and acclimatising. We wanted to go up and see which route we would do, since I wasn’t really impressed with the normal route. When we saw the crowds at the cable car station we quickly decided we would do the north east ridge (I AD rock and a short ice section). The rock and mixed climbing was again superb. Big blocks of perfect granite, with some steep sections. We were alone on the route except for some Americans who started climbing below us but then decided to do the normal route instead. It was very different on the descent at the normal route with big crowds all over the place. We had the summit almost all for ourself though, because all the guides decided that the lower summit was high enough and didn’t bother to go to the true summit…

Find more routes like this in The Mont Blanc Massif: The Hundred Finest Routes

On Tuesday we did the route Barbourine (6c+) in Barberine near the Swiss border. It is an 8 pitch route with the first 4 pitches slabs and the upper pitches vertical to overhanging. Quite hard work, especially since the pitches are all quite long. Our 50m ropes were a bit too short for one pitch, so it is advisable to take 60 meter ropes. The topo Chamonix Crag Climbs has all the Chamonix valley climbs in it, including Les Gaillands. Perfect for rest days or getting used to the rock.