Aiguille Orientale du Soreiller

Aiguille Orientale du Soreiller

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 44.96680°N / 6.25714°E
Additional Information County: Dauphiné
Activities Activities: Mountaineering, Trad Climbing, Sport Climbing
Seasons Season: Summer
Additional Information Elevation: 11096 ft / 3382 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Very close to the famous Aiguille Dibona, there is another spire) called Aiguille Orientale du Soreiller.
It provides great traditionnal climbing as well as modern equipment.
Right nearby there are the "Tours Jumelles" (Twin Towers) which increases the number of routes to ascend.




Getting There and Staying...

Coming from Bourg d'Oisans, drive towards La Bérarde.
After St Christophe en Oisans you will reach a place called "Les Etages" (1597m).
You can park there and start walking up to the Soreiller Hut (2719m).
Beautiful scenery but steep hike !

Once there you can either stay at the Hut or camp freely 200m (East) away.
Soreiller Hut : +33 4 76 79 08 32. Warm welcome.



Route Description

To access all of these routes, you just have to walk about half an hour North-East of the Hut. When you look at Aiguille Dibona, it's on the right, you can't miss it ! ;o)
Ecrins > Soreiller + Tours Jumelles

Ecrins - Soreiller (Mazurka route)

1. DIEDRE CANDAU


Rock D+ / IV+ / 250m (opened in 1966 by Narcisse Candau)
A beautiful traditional route with a pitons on the way.
To reach the dihedral itself, you first have to climb 3 pitches (III > IV > II). The first two can be quite wet.
The you go into the large sloping Candau Dihedral with 4 great pitches to ascend : III > IV > IV+ > IV+.
If you feel comfortable enough, this can be climbed with tight rope with fewer relays.
To descend you can either reach the summit and use the East ridge, but you will find dodgy rocks there. Or you can abseil in the route right next to it "Danse avec le pilier" (see below).


2. OTHER ROUTES ON SOREILLER ORIENTAL


- Danse Avec Le Pilier : Rock ED- / VI+ / 350m (9 pitches)
3 > 5+ > 4 > 6a+ > 6b > 6b > 6c > 4 > 3
Modern equipment on a spectacular route opened by Jean-Michel Cambon

- Voyage Pour l'Orient : Rock TD- / V+ / 400m (12 pitches)
3 > 5+ > 4+ > 5+ > 5+ > 3+ > 4 > 5 > 5+ > 5+ > 5 > 4
Not as nice as the other two described above, but interesting for class 5 climbers. Modern equipment as well






3. TOURS JUMELLES


These two redish towers are located at the very right of Aiguille Orientale du Soreiller.
4 very well equiped routes have been opened by Cambon & Junique.
Good sport climbing in altitude. Rather slopy on the first pitches, then more vertical.
All routes there are descended by abseiling.

- Polka du Pilier Voltigeur : Rock TD+ / VI+ / 250m (7 pitches)
5 > 6a+ > 6a > 5+ > 6b/A0 > 5+ > 6a

- Mazurka : Rock TD- / VI / 200m (7 pitches)
5+ > 6a > 5 > 3 > 6a+ > 5+ > 5

- La Java des Bombes Atomiques : Rock TD- / VI / 200m (7 pitches)
5 > 5 > 6a > 5 > 5+ > 5+ > 5

- Courage, Fuyons : Rock TD / VI / 250m (8 pitches)
4 > 6a > 5 > 5 > 5 > 6a > 6a+ > 4



Essential Gear

For all routes :

- 2x 50m ropes
- Harness + Helmet
- Quickdraws + Slings
- Abseil equipment
- Friends : needed in "Dièdre Candau" ; useful in "Danse Avec le Pilier" ; useless elsewhere
- Crampons might be useful, very early in the season to approach (between the hit and the route start)



Books & Maps

Ecrins > Helicopter near Soreiller Hut

The best handbook would be :
Oisans Nouveau Oisans Sauvage (Ouest)

The best map would be :
Meije/Pelvoux 3436ET (East part of Les Ecrins)


Children

Children

Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. For example, the Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' The Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children.