Pouce - cafe

CLEAN ROCK

August in the Alps: hot, long queues, traffic jams, mobs of tourons, ect. Therefore a great time to get into the hills and go climbing.

STIAN ON THE SHARP END

Looking for a somewhat casual day not involving big boots, glaciers or alpine starts. Stian and I set off for the W. face of the Aig. du Pouce, a brisk 45 jaunt from the top of the Index lift brought us to the base of the wall. 350 meters of compact slabs and striking dihedrals capped by a massive series of overhangs. We chose Pouce-cafe, an engaging route established in the mid 80's, not your modern Piola clip up.

NICE VIEWS

UPPER SLABS

THROUGH THE ROOFS

A dozen pitches brought us to the top followed by a cool ridge traverse back to the col, down to the lift and finally to a beer at the cafe.

CACHE CACHE

Pt. Adolphe Rey

Back to the gorgeous granite of the Satellites du Tacul. This time Pt. Adolphe Rey, Cache Cache 6c 250m

L4 

L2

L3

SALLUARD: EAST BLOC STYLE

GLACIER du GEANT

L4

L5 (rappeling)

L6

L6

AIG. DU MOINE

MOINE

WANDERING

JORASSES

LES ECHELLES

ARETE SUD

DOWN

UP

GAPING

BIVY SPOT

BALCON MER DE GLACE

Le Ticket, le Carre, le Rond et la Lune

Les dalles nord-ouest du Peigne loom above the Plan de l'aiguille lift station. A beautiful 300m high plaque of granite, reminiscent of the legendary Tuolumne slabs. 'Le Ticket', a  Piola route put up in the early 80's during the heyday of slab climbing, takes a devious line up this grand feature.

L2

Ben and Cedric practicing their slab technique

L5

Finally a crack

dalle