06 Feb Liaisons Dangereuses WI6+

 
Liaisons Dangereuses is the name of a formidable icefall suspended over Mont de Noua, a cliff overlooking the village of Pré Saint Didier (Val d’Aosta- Italy).
 
The complicated icefall – the crux being a huge stalactite hanging in the void – was climbed for the first time by a french team composed by  François Damilano, François Pallandre and Françoise Aubert on March 9, 1996.
 
During their ascent they used some aid climbing  and on his guidebook  – Cascades autour du Mont Blanc – Damilano graded those 170 meters with a V / 5 + A3 X, where the last parameter is a reminder of the precariousness and dangerousness of the structure.
 
In the early days of 2011, Thierry Renault has completed the first repetition. Renault, a Chamonix mountain guide,  featured in the 90′ major exploits, both on rock and ice (1 ^ free ascent – except one stepo –  of Divine Providence at the Mont Blanc and FA of the icefall  La Lyre at Fer à Cheval WI7).
 
The next day, the Alpine Guides Matteo Giglio and Arnaud Clavel – both very active ice climbers – have done  the second repetition of the route. Arnaud and Matthew were able to free climb the all icefall finding it difficult to be assessed WI6 +.
 
Matteo that had opened on the same wall with Anna Torretta Hot Spring, published an interesting report on his blog.. "… The climb has gone without any problem. We found conditions much more favorable than on the first ascent  that  allowed  us a free ascent on the section also originally rated A3. And a great sigh of relief after passing the dangerous central stalactite, which marks the end of the psychological difficulties but not to those techniques … " 
 
Source and photos Matteo Giglio