15 Jan La Massue WI7 repeated after 10 years

 
The Massue is a legendary ice-fall in the history of ice climbing. So was called a new route first ascended in 1992 by François Damilano and Philippe Pibarot in the Cirque du Fer à Cheval, an extraordinary site of waterfalls of maximum commitment, in Haute-Savoie (France).
 
The ascent has scored a major step in the evolution of ice climbing, inaugurating the grade 7 in the Western Alps.
 
In the days between late 2010 and early 2011, some top  ice-climbers took advantage of the exceptional conditions to the Cirque and Spanish Pau Escalé has climbed some icefalls that must be considered highlights of the site like Pissevache WI 6, Folly de droite WI 6 and Aurelia WI 5.
 
On 5 January, the Spanish and the French Nicolas Beauquis (strong climber of GMHM , he did also the first repeat of Sorcière blanche direct  in Fer à Cheval) have completed the coveted repeat of La massue.
 
The crux, (the third pitch)  was done  by Nicolas Beauquis with great technique and mastery of nerves. "The “pipe” was about 30 meters high and 4 meters away from the wall, almost transparent, with a thickness of about 10 cm. You could see the water running inside. "- said to Desnivel website Escalé. More than 10 years that The Massue was not repeated!
 
Unfortunately, the sudden change of temperature combined with the action of the hot wind was quickly demolished the icefalls of the  Cirque and by now, January 15, it’s highly inadvisable to climb in the Sixt. Also the beautiful Cascade de Dard located few kilometers before the parking lot of the Fer a Cheval has become inclimbable.
 
Topo: Alpine Ice

Source Desnivel  UpClimbing