Ecrins (France)

Summer season has just started – I’m back in Holland for a few days after climbing in the Ecrins (France) with Andreas. Our original plan was to climb the Marmolada South Face (Italy). Saturday early morning before departure we did the last weather check for the next week and surprisingly the forecast changed to the worse. We just took our topo infos from the Ecrins and drove to France: perfect blue skies on arrival in La Berarde. We were happy about our mind’s flexibility (despite our age :-)). The next days we did a base climb close to the camp ground, two routes around the Sorreiller hut and two routes around the Chatelleret hut. Here are short descriptions of the climbs:

Trip 1: Abbe Hard with sortie defroque on the Maye

Just 45 minutes walking from the camping to the base of the Maye. From the distance it likes more like a huge back of an oliphant, the closer you get the more nice slabs, cracks and diedres appear. The climbing is interesting, challenging and on top you got a nice view from the Meije in the north, to the Ecrins in the east and Les Bans in the south. Belays contain two bolts and a chain. Cool climbing  and excellent as a start for a climbing week in the Ecrins.

Facts: nice multipitch, well bolted, 13 pitches up to 6a+, time: 3,5h, good topo in the German alpine climbing bible topoguide.


the Maye seen from the camp ground


Andreas leading in the perfect granite bubbles of the fourth pitch

Trip 2: Visite Obligatoire on the Aiguille Dibona

In the last two years I already climbed two different routes on the Dibona (the classic alpine routes Savoyardes and the Madier). The remaining "must climb" was the Visite Obligatoire, a well bolted modern route with 12 pitches (9 of them are graded 6a). For Andreas was it his  first visit to the whole area and so I thought that he should give the Dibona a shot. After climbing this route Andreas told me that the visite obligatoire is one of his top ten routes ever – yeah! Indeed, long sustained pitches in solid granite rock and bolted where necessary made us running up the mountain. We climbed the route in 3,5 hours. It took the other two rope teams more than 6 hours to get up to the summit.

Facts: TD+, sustaining 12 pitch on solid rock, bolted in a way that you must climb between the bolts, it’s alpine sportclimbing and no sport climbing sec. Take 3-4 friends and 12 quickdraws, a few slings and good friction for the first two slabs with you!


Aiguille Dibona, in the front you will recognize the roof of the hut...


Andreas leading in the fourth pitch, a cool traverse



Andreas leading in the steep sixth pitch on really sharp flakes. for me, seconding with our "Sissy" on the back, it was a nice hole body workout...

cool, on the summit of Aiguille du Dibona

Andreas rappeling down the North ridge of the Dibona

Trip 3: Pilier Girod on the Tete du Rouget (3418m).

After climbing the well bolted route on the Dibona we wanted to climb a more adventurous route. The Pilier Girod is first climbed in 1954 and is still in condition like it was during the first ascent (no gear in place, nothing, no slings, no pitons, nada, niente). The upper 200m have some pitons because this part is shared with the serenite pillar. To reach the base of the pillar you have to walk up the steep snow fields into the notch and then abseil down 3 pitches – this already is very alpine! The first abseil has two bolts, abseil 2 and 3 has just one bolt, anyway. The first two pitches are easy, from pitch 3 it’s getting interesting, not in a sense of difficulty but in a sense of fragilty. Small and even huge blocks are even after our ascent waiting to get some help to follow gravity… the best rock is on the right side of the pillar, don’t climb left, but also on the edge of the pillar the rock quality is very poor. On the tour Christine the two routes come together and you get some really nice climbing. It took us 7 hours to get from the base of the pillar to the summit of the Tete Rouget. Abseiling and down climbing the normal route brings you back to the notch, running down the soft snow brings you back to the hut in an hour or so.

Facts: TD-, 5b max, very alpine, loose rock (be careful), pillar 500m, 6-8 hours climbing, full rack of friends and nuts, slings are very helpful,  there exists no topo! In the Cambon guide book of Oisans there is a rough description of the serenity pillar. Advice: have a cold beer after this adventure on the nice Soreiller hut and realize that this route is climbed 6-8 times each year.


the Tete du Rouget is the right summit (seen from the Aiguille Dibona the day before), the ridge to the right is the way we descended the trip, finishing in the lowest point, the notch from where we started rappeling down early in the morning.


The pillar in the background is the Girod pillar, seen from the notch in the afternoon


rappeling down to the base of the pillar, spooky...


the first belay i made on in-situ gear after climbing 8 pitches, two pitons...


nice slab and dihedral in the next pitch

Trip 4: Gandoleon on the Aiguille du Gandoliere (3327m)

Gandoneon is a modern route on the north face of the Gandoliere. It is well bolted and a creation of Jean-Michel Cambon back in 2001. The route follows some slabs, followd by short diedres and some steeper walls. In the upper part you have to pass a snow field in a couloir. Using the bolts in a clever way the lead climber can climb down into the couloir and then climb diagonally up to the right to the next bolt. The route finishes with a nice slab! The rock is solid and really nice to climb. There two A0 sections, one in the second and one in the fourth pitch. We climbed it free and then it’s 6b/c or so. The biggest challenge actually was to get on the rock. There are different ways depending on the snow level. We climbed up to the highest point in the snow and then traversed with crampons on to the rock. I pulled out my crampons, made a belay on two friends and then traversed on to the first bolts. I’m sure there are more options, get up and try!

Facts: TD, 5b obligatoire, redpoint 6b/c, well bolted.  400m, 10 pitches. We took 4 friends and 12 quickdraws with us. You need crampons to get to the base of the climb (1,5 hours from the Chatelleret hut). Good topo in the German topoguide book!


the Gandoliere, on the left you can see the pillar Candau, more to the right starts the Gandoleon


"interesting" start of the Gandoleon, try to get on the rock without falling into the bergschrund


video from the first "belay"


Andreas in the last pitch with the great slab and a nice underhand crack

Trip 5: pilier Candau on the Aiguille du Gandoliere (3327m)

After experiencing the brilliant solid rock in the Gandoleon we decided to come back the next day to the same face for climbing the classic Pilier Candau. Narcisse Candau climbed this pillar in 1967 and the route is listed in the top 100 finest routes of the Ecrins from Gaston Rebuffat (so it’s a must climb). We stored our gear at the base of the wall the day before. After having a usual French (minimalistic) breakfast we made a fast walk uphill, geared up, crossed the Bergschrund and started climbing. The rock was even solid as in the route the day before, route finding wasn’t difficult because of the number of pitons. We are sure that we have found some pitons from the first ascensionists! Really nice. It took us 3,5 hours to reach the ridge. We abseiled down the Gandoleon in very strong winds.

Facts: TD-, 450m, 6a, bring a full rack of friends and nuts with you, we took sizes 0,2; 0,75 and 1 twice with us. To reach the start of the climb you need crampons, be careful with crossing the bergschrund. If you know the Gandoleon you can easily traverse the ridge up to the first abseil of the Gandoleon. An other option is to climb up from the Candau pillar into the notch and you will find an abseil down to the south face.



in the second pitch of the pilier Candau


top of the pillar, yeah, we made it!!