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Voyage en Pierre Sainte in Minaret is a new route, opened by E. Moro and D. Boroch in 2016. Located just right of Versant Satanique, it is very close in style with the two crux pitches on wide cracks, it is a bit harder and a top quality route.

Voyage en Pierre Sainte (© A. Gatta)
Voyage – Minaret (© A. Gatta)

This route is graded ED/7a/250m, 8 pitches. The are a few bolts when necessary and take 2 racks of friends #0.3 to #3 and one #4.

Voyage in red and Versant Satanique in blue (© A. Gatta)
Voyage en Pierre Sainte in red and Versant Satanique in blue (© A. Gatta)

Here is the GPS Route from the Grands Montets to Argentiere Hut and then the start of the route (N45.95154, E7.01401).

Route description:

Pitch #1: 5c, traverse up right on easy ground (gorge and corners often wet), right of Versant Satanique toward the red pillar of the second pitch. A steeper crack leads to the shelve and the anchor.

Voyage: pitch #1 (© P. Gatta)
Voyage: pitch #1 (© P. Gatta)

Pitch #2: 6b, short pitch straight along the red pillar (1 bolt).

Voyage: pitch #2 (© A. Gatta)
Voyage: pitch #2 (© A. Gatta)

Pitch #3: 6b, short pitch continue on red pillar; steep at the beginning until a slabby traverse to the right and then easy ground to the top of the pillar. Traverse 10m left to reach the anchor (4 bolts).

Voyage: top of pitch #3 (© P. Gatta)
Voyage: top of pitch #3 (© P. Gatta)

Pitch #4: 6c, 45m, follow the crack straight above the anchor and climb two successive roofs (2 bolts).

Voyage en Pierre Sainte: pitch #4 (© A. Gatta)
Voyage en Pierre Sainte: pitch #4 (© A. Gatta)

Voyage en Pierre Sainte: pitch #4 from above (© P. Gatta)
Voyage en Pierre Sainte: pitch #4 from above (© P. Gatta)

Pitch #5: 6a+, straight up in the wide cracks, Versant Satanique is just on the left. When you reach the large flake, traverse right to the anchor (1 bolt).

Voyage en Pierre Sainte: pitch #5 (© P. Jouany)
Voyage en Pierre Sainte: pitch #5 (© P. Jouany)

Pitch #6: 6c+/7a, 30m, climb the wide crack above the anchor, sustained and physical (2 bolts).

Voyage en Pierre Sainte: pitch #6 (© P. Jouany)
Voyage en Pierre Sainte: pitch #6 (© P. Jouany)

Voyage: pitch #6 from above (© P. Gatta)
Voyage: pitch #6 from above (© P. Gatta)

Pitch #7: 6c+/7a, 20m, continue on the wide crack above the anchor, intense and bouldery until you reach the V. Anchor on friends and slings at the bottom of the thin crack.

Voyage en Pierre Sainte: pitch #7 (© A. Gatta)
Voyage: pitch #7 (© A. Gatta)

Pitch #8: 6a, climb the thin crack and progressively go left to reach the last anchor of Versant Satanique.

Voyage en Pierre Sainte: pitch #7 (© A. Gatta)
Voyage: pitch #7 (© A. Gatta)

Abseil down in Versant Satanique.

Cloudy day in Argentiere (© A. Gatta)
Cloudy day in Argentiere (© A. Gatta)