Mont Aiguille - The Oldest Climb in the World

 

South Face Mont Aiguille

This is such a wonderful and significant mountain that it should be on every aspiring and confirmed mountaineers tick list.  Perhaps luckily its not, otherwise it would be mobbed.  Instead even in high season  there were only a couple of parties.

I was joined by the father and son team of Alan and Conal from Dublin.  I had climbed many times with Alan over the last 10 years, but Conal was new to mountaineering.

We met up in Chamonix for some warm up climbing and on our 1st day we climbed the Via Cordia above La Flegere.  This is the perfect preparatory climb to do,  because it mimics the type of climbing found on Mont Aiguille, plus it has a couple of rappels too.

Conal followed by his Dad.

The next day we had an all inclusive family trip because Michel joined us to climb Les Evettes via Ferratta, again above La Flegere.

On our third day we were able to complete the via Ferratta at Le Buet, before driving down to Mont Aiguille in about three hours, arriving at the hotel for a beer on the sunny terrace.

The next morning after a good breakfast selection , we were away by 8hrs.  We took the 4X4 track, [a good 4x4 is highly recommended] which cuts about 30 minutes off the walk.  We started the approach to the climb by walking up through a dense broad leaf forest.  The shade was a welcome bonus.  We made it to the start of the climb in under two hours.  There were a couple of parties ahead of us, fortunately they were with Guides and they kept a good pace and we didnt' get slowed down by them.

We made steady progress weaving our way up the impressive rock architecture. 

Alan&Conal on the belay of 3rd pitch

Conal on one of the many dramatic traverses

'Seaton variation' used to overtake some slower party's

We passed a couple of non-guided groups, then climbed the exit chimney, which is long and in places quite strenuous, then we pulled out onto the breath-taking plateau.  We dumped the climbing gear and then had a leisurely stroll to the summit.

Conal & Alan Irvine on the summit

Now the ascent is relatively simple in terms of rock climbing standards.  However the descent is not.

There were a few other teams picnicing on the summit and I was keen to get ahead of them to avoid queues and the inevitable faffing while setting up the rappels.  So after some summit photos and a quick drink we headed back to the start of the descent [ which takes a completely different line to the ascent]

The plaque commemorating the 1st ascent in 1492.

The descent starts down a steep, loose gulley which has many false trails.  The trick is just to keep going down, which is not always obvious.  Then after about half an hour of down-climbing you arrive at the start of three rappels.  The first is straight forward.  The second is anything but.  It sends you into a deep dark chasm.  Figuring which way to go [at least the first time] is far from easy.  A 60 meter rope is, by a few centimetres just long enough.

Conal starting the committing rappel

There is a third rappel which is short .  Then its all over .  We rejoinned the path of ascent and were thankful to be swallowed up and shaded by the forest, where the path led us back to the car.  We scooped up Michel and then I drove us all back to Chamonix.