Peaks and routes of Mont Blanc Massif. Chamonix, France

Peaks of Mont Blanc Massif
Chamonix, France

The Mont Blanc Massif is a mountain range in the Alps. The Massif is located in France (Chamonix, Haute-Savoie), Italy (Courmayeur, Aosta Valley), and Switzerland (Valais). Mont Blanc is the highest peak in the Massif with an elevation of 4810 m (15,774 feet).

Philippe presents a selection of routes that he has climbed in the Massif.
Those routes are showed in the following pages:

1) 8 routes to Mont Blanc:

Central Pillar of Frêney
Peuterey Ridge
Red Sentinel
Brenva Spur
The 3 Mont Blancs
The Bosses Ridge (normal route)
Aguilles Grises
Les Grands Mulets

2) Central Pillar of Frêney

3) Grand Capucin, Bonatti Route

► 4) Other Peaks in the Massif:

Aiguille Verte, Couturier Couloir
Aiguille Verte, Whymper Couloir
Aiguille de Blaitière, Spencer Couloir
Aiguille du Plan, Midi-Plan traverse
Grandes Jorasses
Dent du Géant
Aiguille de Rochefort, Ridge
Aiguille d'Argentiere, y Couloir
Les Courtes, Northeast Face

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The Alps and the Mont Blanc Massif (Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Routes description and information will be added soon...

Aiguille Verte 4121m (13,520ft), Couturier Couloir (Solo)

The Aiguille Verte is one of the most beautiful peaks of the Massif. Several of her Couloirs are very famous; Couturier, Cordier, Whymper, Y... Note that there is no normal “easy” route which makes the descent triky..

Grade: D / IV / 55°. 1000m.

The first day join the Argentière hut from the Grands Montets cable car.

The second day, join the bottom of the couloir (1h30 to 2h from the hut). There are lots of crevasses and the rimaye can be difficult to pass. Then climb the couloir at best depending on the snow and ice conditions. The first part is 45-50° step, then the couloir gets stepper up to 55° going toward the right, the nit becomes less steeper.

Aiguille Verte and Couturier couloir (© P. Gatta)

View from the top of Aiguille Verte (© P. Gatta)

Aiguille Verte 4121m (13,520ft), Whymper Couloir (Solo)

Cotation : AD+ / IV / 50°. 600m.

First day : from the Montenvers, follow the Mer de Glace up to the junction with the glacier of Leschaux. From there, go up along the glacier of Talèfre (ladder) to the Couvercle hut.

Second day : join the bottom of the Whymper couloir on the Talèfre glacier. Stay close to the Ecclésiastiques ridge. Pass the rimaye on the right and climb a small couloir. Leave it for the main couloir. Climb it to the col. Follow the ridge to the top of the Verte.

Drus, Auiguille Verte (Whymper) and Droites seen from Jorasses (© P. Gatta)

Summit ridge of Aiguille Verte (© P. Gatta)
Summit ridge of Aiguille (© P. Gatta)

Aiguille de Blaitière 3522m (11,555ft), Spencer Couloir (Solo)

Grade: AD+ / IV / 50°. 300m.

From the Plan de l'Aiguille, traverse to the left toward the Aiguille de Blaitière. Climb the moraine then the glacier of Nantillons (crevasses et exposed to ice fallas) up to the bottom of the Spencer couloir. Pass the rimaye and climb the couloir to the pass. Climb the rocks to reach the top.

Aiguille de Blaitière (© P. Gatta)