\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\n\u00a0Places to rock climb in the Mont Blanc massif are unlimited, and one pleasant possibility is the lower slabs (Dalles Inferieures) of the\u00a0Envers des Aiguilles.
\nThey are located on the left side of the Mer de Glace and have been worn over time by the glacier so that the start of the routes is characterised by smotth rock with tiny \u201creglettes\u201d.
\n\u00a0
\nThe first routes climbed on these granite slabs date back to the start of the Eighties, and are the work of Michel Piola, the inventor of modern bolted climbed in the Mont Blanc massif.
\n\u00a0
\nUne sale affaire de sexe et de crime is a historic milestone, with an extreme 7c friction pitch (7a obligatory). It was bolted bottom-up in 1983, with hand-drilled bolts and graded 7a!!!. \u00a0Jean Baptiste Tribout and David Chambre excelled themselves on this climb in 1984, climbing it on-sight. \u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nMichel Piola has come back to the \u201cscene of the crime\u201d in the sucessive years to rebolt various lines. \u00a0Now in this sunny corner you can climb on slabs equipped with glue-in bolts \u2013 at times, very well-spaced \u2013 with belays equipped for abseiling. Friends and nuts are indispensable for protecting the cracks, which usually don\u2019t have any pegs.
\n\u00a0
\nThe climbing is technical, rarely strenuous, and the setting fascinating but, at the same time, relaxing. The ongoing receding of the glacier makes getting to the start of the routes difficult at times, or in some cases adds one (or more) pitches, and makes it hard to work out from the guide where the routes start.
\n\u00a0
\nFrom Chamonix a funicular railway takes tourists and climbers to Montenvers at 1913 metres. From there, you descend, first on a good path, then on a series of metal steps to easily reach the glacier.
\n\u00a0
\nYou can drink your morning coffe in Chamonix and, without rushing,\u00a0climb a nice route at the Dalles\u2026 and descend back down to the town in the afternooin and go bouldering or climb at Galliand.
\n\u00a0
\nEnvers des Aiguilles – Dalles Inferieures
\n\u00a0
\nMain sector
\n\u00a0
\nApproach:
\nThe slabs are reached from Montenvers station\u00a01913 m (funicular railway from Chamonix \u2013 first service 8.30 and last train down from Montenvers 17.30) in summer) in approx 1 hour 30. From the station follow first the path then the metal steps that take you down onto the glacier.
\n\u00a0
\nContinue southwards passing the turnoff for the Envers des Aiguilles refuge, going around the first big slabs (more vertical and with streams running down them), until you arrive at an area with more easy-angled rocks before the start of an area with big crevasses (approx altitude 2150 m).\u00a0\u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nA diagonal couloir down which a little river runs forms the right edge of the face, while there\u2019s a grassy ledge with a roof above it 70\/80 metres up. Take care when reaching the base of the face: loose blocks left balanced by the glacier.
\n\u00a0
\nDiscent: Usually you abseil back down the routes or in 30\u2019 approx you can reach the Envers des Aiguilles hut.
\n\u00a0
\nEquipment: for walking on the glacier, 12 quickdraws, 50\/55 m \u00a0rope, nuts and \u00a0Friends
\n\u00a0\u00a0
\nPeriod: late spring until autumn
\n\u00a0
\nGuide: Michel Piola \u2013 Envers des aiguilles \u2013 Geneva 2008
\n\u00a0
\nPilier des rhodo dindons
\nM.Piola \u2013 G.Hopfgartner \u2013 P.A.Steiner 1984
\nDifficulty: 6a (5b obl.)TD-.
\nLength: 300m
\nDescent: ab down the route or better \u2013 if there are other teams on the route \u2013 down the nearby Une sale affaire de sexe et de crime.
\n\u00a0
\nThe easiest route. Start near to the stream on the right. The first pitch is in common with Vingt mille lieuses sous la neigeand isn\u2019t shown in Piola\u2019s guide (glacier keeps getting lower).
\nA faint corner from left to right which you leave after some 15 metres to climb straight up to reach a glue-in bolt from which a fixed rope hangs. From the bolt, diagonally right to the stance with glue-in bolt and ring. (start of\u00a0Vingt mille lieues sous la neige). From here rightwards following a vague corner then a small crack leftwards with a glue-in bolt high up.
\n\u00a0
\nVingt mille lieues sous la neige
\nM.Piola \u2013 R.Ghilini 1983
\nDifficulty: 6b (5c bbl.)TD
\nLength: 300m
\nDescent: ab down the route
\n\u00a0
\nStart as for the last route. From the new S1, first stance (ex S0) proceed straight on a good smooth wall with close bolting (6b). At S2 continue straight up 5b\/c which leads to a stance at the start of a big grassy ledge. Walk leftwards, taking care not to dislodge stones, until you reach the comfortable stance at the foot of the stupendous crack pitch which has two glue-in bolts in the first section.
\n\u00a0
\nUne sale affaire de sexe et de crime
\nM.Piola \u2013 G.Hopfgartner \u2013 R.Ghilini\u00a0– A.Cheneval & G.Bettembourg 1983
\nDifficulty: 7c (7a obl.) ABO-.
\nLength: 270m
\nDescent: ab down the route
\n\u00a0
\nTake 11 quickdraws. Start to the left of a more vertical zone near to a small corner on the left (nuts) to then launch out up the smooth slab (glue-in bolts).This is also the first pitch of Troi et troi font quatre. The second pitch is truly extreme (7c) and leads to the grassy ledge. From here you can see some glue-in bolts \u2013 to the right of the route \u2013 where the route continues.
\n\u00a0
\nVoie Georges
\nM.Piola \u2013 R.Ghilini\u00a0& G.Bettembourg 1983
\nDifficulty: 6b (5c obl.)TD
\nLength: 300m
\nDescent: ab down the route
\n\u00a0
\nFrom the stance of the current second pitch (6b) of Vingt \u2026 traverse left on the ramp (6a+, glue-in bolts visible) until reaching the grassy ledge. Proceed from a glue-in bolt with a ring under the roof on the right, crossing une sale affaire and then climbing to the left of it.
\n\u00a0
\nLes vertice de l\u2019automme
\nM.Piola –\u00a0R.Ghilini\u00a01983 \u2013 the corner – Piola with F.Schemmel 2003 the last 4 pitches
\nDifficulty: 6b (6a obl.)TD+.
\nLength: 220m
\nDescent: ab down the route
\n\u00a0
\nStart: follow Vingt \u2026 as far as the grassy ledge. Follow the big corner that starts from the roof (3 bolts), belay at the stance after the exit from the crack of Vingt \u2026 From here to the left.\u00a0In 1983 the glacier almost came up to the grassy ledge!!!
\n\u00a0
\nTroi et troi font quatre
\nMuriel and Michel Piola \u2013 Gerard Hopfgartner \u2013 Barbara Koslowska 1985 and Christian Hug and Michel Piola \u2013 lower part 2003
\nDifficulty: 6c (6b obl.)ED-
\nLength: 300m
\nDescent: ab down the route
\n\u00a0
\nAn almost-entirely bolted route \u2013 bring some small-medium Friends and a few nuts. First pitch as for Une sale affaire\u2026 (Pitch climbed after the glacier receded.) The second pitch is often damp after rain.
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Places to rock climb in the Mont Blanc massif are unlimited, and one pleasant possibility is the lower slabs (Dalles Inferieures) of the\u00a0Envers des Aiguilles. They are…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8066],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-boulder"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n