Best of: Chamonix Granite 6c<
Guide to the best Granite rock routes in the mont Blanc Massif graded 6c or above
Chamonix is most famous as a destination for Alpinism, however it equally sports lots of high quality mountain granite in a glacial setting to an extent unlike anywhere else in the Alps. This alone is more than enough of a reason for a trip to the area and can often provide climbing of a much lower stress than a lot of the Alpine routes in the area, albeit with a higher physical and technical demand.
This is the second of a two part series of articles looking at some of the classic crags and routes in the Mont Blanc Massif that fall into this Alpine rock genre of routes with the aim of giving people some inspiration and ideas of what is out there if looking for this kind of day out. By this I mean pure granite rock climbing routes that have bolted belays but the pitches are trad protected on the whole (often with some bolts when run out) – where the descent is most commonly abseiling down the route. Alpine cragging.
This article specifically looks at the routes 6c and above so E3 and up really in terms of UK grades. The granite climbs in the massif tend to be heavy on the slab pitches (often with bolt protection) and/or follow crack systems – so trust in the crystals is a must. The routes in this range cover some spectacular ground on some of the most impressive pieces of mountain rock in the world.
Like my alpinism articles I will divide this into day hittable and overnight options to help with ideas of logistics and go by crag.
Day Hits
A lot of the routes in this section are very popular and by nature should be doable lift to lift in a day. Therefore they will tend to be centered around the Midi, Plan d’Aiguille and Skyway lifts.
Aiguille du Midi:
Midi South Face
The classic easy to approach alpine crag. For most people operating in this grade range it can be easiest to abseil in from the top and therefore not have to carry glacial gear (plus make it a generally lower stress day). There are a lot of routes on the face and they all criss cross so many combos are possible.
- Contamine (6c+/7a): an absolute classic with stunning crack pitches – can get busy.
- Super Dupont (7a+/7b): a pretty punchy route with a couple of hard pitches. Only a move or two are 7b, the rest is 7a or below.
- Trois Diedres (7a): a good combo that takes a direct line up the face with three spectacular corner pitches – Mazeud, Ma Dalton and Desmaison.
- Ma Dalton (7b): Chamonix’s Seperate Reality.
- Fou de l’Aiguille (7b): harder line on the left of the face
Plan d'Aiguille:
Peigne
This mountain has three ‘crag’ areas the easy to approach, but large, Gendarme Rouge, the upper buttress that is approached from the normal route and the slabs of the Peigne.
- Mallion Manquant (6b+/7b): classic Piola route on the Gendarme Rouge that most people will climb with a point of aid at 6b+.
- Postscriptome (7a): a harder parallel line to MM – several more exist of similar quality and difficulty such as Peigne Perdu.
- Rebuffat-Mars (6c): crack climb in the upper buttress that can be linked with routes on the Slabs.
- Le Ticket, Le Carre, Le Rond et La Lune (6b+): run out slab climbing classic – a must do.
- Verdon Memories (6c): the parallel line to the above is overall easier but with a harder move.
- Hubal-Jumair (6c): a short route on the lower butress of the Pelerins near the Gendarme Rouge.
West Face of the Blaitiere
The West Face of the Blaitiere is home to the small cragging spot of the Red Pillar and it’s neighbour, the longer Grey Pillar.
- L’eau Rance d’Arabie (6b+/c): classic route with some great pitches
- Deux goals (6c+): nice crack and corner climbing
- Bobokassa (7a): a hard first pitch gives way to easier climbing above.
- Shah Perche (6c+): new harder, continuous line on the right of the Red Pillar.
- Fidel Fiasco (6c+): classic route of the Grey Pillar and the best here.
- Brown-Whillans (6c): old school off-widthing – effected by rockfall recently.
- Echec et Marx (7b): the hardest line on the red pillar has some tricky slabs.
- Many other good lines exist: Destroy (6c), Mobutu (6c+), Tripoli Pour Honnette (7a+) etc
Skyway:
Whilst possible to reach this sector from the Panoramique lift, doing any of these routes to and from the Panoramique will be pushing it so it is more common to day hit from the Skyway that has a longer schedule.
Pointe Adolphe Rey
The first of the rocky satellite peaks reached when walking from the Skyway lift has loads of rock routes on it in this grade range.
- Cache-Cache (6c+): great, varied route with difficulties in both cracks and slabs
- Police des Glaciers (7a+): brilliant crack climb with some tough finger cracks
- Coup de Foudre (7a), Total Plook (7a), Fil ou Face (7a): more of the above!
Chandelle
This summit is in the shadow of the huge Grand Capucin but has fantastic climbing on it.
- Ligne Blanche (7b): cool harder line with a airy arete pitch high up.
- Tabou (7b) and Bonatti-Galeini (7b): nowhere near as popular as their easier combination but still worthwhile.
Other:
Aiguille Croux
This crag is only really day hittable for fit and fast teams and even for them will be a decent sized day. For most, it is better to do it as an overnight in the Monzino and climb two different routes.
- Euroteam (6c): great, sustained climbing
- Que Cherche-tu Jean Marie? (6c): classic, varied route with difficulties in cracks, corners and slabs.
- Bertone-Zapelli (6c): old school route with cool corner climbing.
Overnights
Routes in this section will often involve a significant approach time or be of a longer length, where staying in a hut for a night before or after can be beneficial and allow you to get the most out of an area. Often you can walk in and climb a route in the same day (with careful route choice) with a late finish and then climb a route the next and walk out.
Torino:
Grand Capucin
A must for anyone operating in these grades and home to tons of classics and some of the hardest high altitude granite routes in the world. Well worth a night in the Torino or on the Glacier for.
- Directe des Capucines (6c+/7a): brilliant direct route up the East Face following an obvious groove system.
- Bonatti-Ghigo (7a): way ahead of it’s time and a big classic – now done as a mostly free climbing.
- Voyage Selon Gulliver (7b): Piola’s masterpiece of the crag
- Echo des Alpages (7a+)/Elixir des Astoroth (7a+): two more great climbs on the left hand side of the face, often used for the abseil descent.
- Voie Petit (8b): one of the hardest high altitude rock climbs in the world.
- Tresor des Romain (8a+): another modern test piece.
Clocher du Tacul
A less travelled satellite of the Tacul that sits furthest away from the Skyway mostly has routes above the grade range here but has one classic that is worth doing if staying over in the area.
- Il Pifferio di Spit (6c): mostly 6b with one pitch slightly more tricky
- Kousimine (7a): another classic Vogler crack climb
- L’Ivresse des Latitudes (7a): brilliant crack climbing
- Empire State Building (7c): iconic climb up the blanc arete
Pointe d'Androsace
At the back of Combe Maudit is a buttress that comes down from the Kuffner Arete that is home to a few rock routes that worth making the trek up there for.
- Maudit Blues (7a): the most regularly done route on the buttress – good for those looking for solitude.
Leschaux:
Pierre Joseph
The many different rock bastions of the Aiguille Pierre Joseph are easily reached behind the Leschaux hut from the balcon paths and provide mid sized routes that are rarely busy. There are many here in the grade range, below are some of the better ones.
- Central Route (6c): the classic route of the sector with great climbing.
Talefre:
Moine
The east face of the Moine is one of the few rock climbing destinations in this basin and is home to a few routes. The following is worth seeking out.
- Miss-tique (7a): a classic Romain Vogler crack climb, continuous and high quality climbing.
Charpoua:
Flammes des Pierre
The Flammes des Pierre is a fantastic spot for harder granite routes and is steeper than a lot of the other granite in the Massif.
- Flammes des Desir (6c): nice route that weaves its way up the left side of the face
- La Reprise (7a): classic of the crag with some splitter cracks
- Elan Vertical (7b): a harder alternative and very good.
West Face of the Moine
The west buttress of the Moine are home to some stellar crack climbs that are some of the best in the Massif.
- Sale Athee (7a): Superb crack route that is sustained around 6c for the majority.
- Druid Route (6c): slightly smaller and easier alternative to Sale Athee but of similar quality.
Envers:
The Envers is one of the major destinations for granite cragging in the massif and there are tons of routes here, all developed in the modern style that this article is about. I will outline the classics here but there are plenty more options.
Pointe Lepiney
A big buttress that is further away from the hut than most of the other crags here but affords unparallelled slab climbing.
- J’Conquais Je t’adore: (7a): a big Piola line that tackles the huge slab with run out bolting.
Tour Rouge
The Tour Rouge is one of the smaller crags in the Envers with this grade of route on it. Several options exist.
Dracula (6c): nice, crack climb that runs parallel to the classic Marchand de Sable.
Aiguille du Roc
One of the larger peaks in the area and hosting some routes that are about as long as you can get for this style and difficulty. All with an easy approach from the Envers hut.
- Tout Va Mal (6c): classic longer route that runs up the south face with sustained climbing.
- Pedro Polar (6c): brilliant crack climbing with some sustained finger cracks.
- Pyramid (7a): The harder parallel line to Pedro Polar.
Aiguille Republique
An iconic spikey peak and a big undertaking has one, long modern route that is a great, big day out. Can now be broken up with a stay in the Tour Rouges bivi.
- Republique Bananiere (6c): long 26 pitch route with some fantastic crack pitches.
Pointe Trelaporte
The Trelaporte has a few routes on it but only one classic that has several fantastic crack pitches but it’s main difficulties are in slab.
- California Dream (7a): brilliant, long climb with a several great crack pitches.
South Face of the Fou
One of the classic big hard mountain crags with some exceptionally hard routes on granite. The approach is pretty alpine too and most people will now abseil in from above later in the season to avoid rockfall in the couloir.
- American Route (7b/6c+): the classic of the crag – most people will climb with some aid.
- Ailes du Desir (7c): the modern hard route, a few more exist on the face.
Argentiere:
La Vierge
Argentiere basin’s version of the Grand Cap has some brilliant out-there climbing but on a much smaller scale than the Torino version. It’s well worth a visit in the area and has 3-4 high quality routes.
- Reve du Singe (7a): the area classic hard route with very varied climbing
- Ciao Vince (7b): a harder alternative
- Un Saison en Enfer (7a): another high quality route with similar steepness
Le Minaret
Not far from the hut and home to several good climbs – the draw here is it’s iconic orange cracks that run up the front face of the buttress.
- Versant Satanique (6c): one of the classic crack climbs of the Massif.
- Rasta Metal (6c): Not quite as good as the above but worth doing
Dalmazzi:
Monts Rouges des Triolet
This ridge line running behind the Dalmazzi hut above Val Ferret has numerous buttresses hosting rock routes of a mid length, many in this grade range. Below are some of the classics.
- Tout Fou (7a)
- Mal Partiti (6c):
- Delicatessen (7b)
Febrouze:
Petites Jorasses
The large south face of the Petites Jorasses is home to some big granite outings and is serviced by the cool Gervasutti Bivouac. A cool idea from Chamonix would be to climb Anouk on the West Face, abseil the south face and stay in the hut then climb one of the routes below and abseil Anouk and return home.
- Bonatti-Mazeud (6c): the classic of the face that has been re-equipped.
- Gargantua (6c): the Piola addition to the face
- Pantagruel (7b): modern classic
Boccalatte:
Tour des Jorasses
A wild place to climb and definitely pretty alpine, this crag is home to some hard test piece climbs.
- Etoiles Filantes (7b): the modern classic of the crag by Piola
- Machetto (6c): the easier old school route that follows the large corner
- Abysse (7b+): another Piola addition
Orny:
Petit Clocher du Portalet
The Petit Clocher du Portalet looks like the prow of a large ship and presides over the junction between the Orny area and Saleina. It is best reached from the Champex lift system with a long walk but can be done valley to valley in a day. A must climb destination for those in this grade range.
- Etat du Choc (7a): the classic modern offwidth climb of the massif
- Ave Caesar (7c): the neighbouring finger cracks
- South Pillar (6c): the old school classic and easiest here
- Chic, Cheque, Choc (6c): the neighbouring route is more sustained
- Espirit du Clocher (7a+): another good crack climb.
- Darbellay (8a): mythical crack climb
Dorees
The South Face of the various spires of the Aiguilles Dorees host many beautiful rock routes on brilliant granite most on the Aiguille de la Varappe and Aiguille Sans Nom. It is a bit further to get to but is serviced by the beautiful Bivouac de Dorees. There are several routes in the grade range here.
- Le Sud, Le Soleil, Le Plage, Les Palmiers (6c+): beautiful climbing
- Face au Large (7b): the harder route of the area
More information and topos for some of these routes can be found in the new Rockfax Chamonix guidebook (https://rockfax.com/climbing-guides/books/chamonix) or across the JME editions Chamonix Granite volumes 1-4 or elsewhere. A lot of information is on CamptoCamp too.