wdimpfl - Dec 22, 2017 3:12 pm Date Climbed: Jun 15, 1974
Couloir Couturier
Climbed this route with Louis Reichardt during three weeks we spent climbing in the Chamonix Alps. We had a very early start to avoid rockfall on the descent down the Whymper Couloir. Climbing this steep (~60 degree), uniform couloir I concentrated on the spot on the ice next to my face lit by my headlamp.
JuhoK - Jul 17, 2016 7:51 am Date Climbed: Jul 16, 2016
Brown-Patey
Brown-Patey withMarsigny-Mohr exit. Sans Nom ridge to the top. Down via Whymper.
Nader1 - Mar 4, 2016 11:45 am Date Climbed: Jun 18, 2006
Impressive Summit
Just my friend and I on the mountain this day route climbed: Couloir Whymper
Jeroen Vels - Jan 29, 2015 10:01 am Date Climbed: Apr 14, 2014
South Face - Naïa
Climbed Naïa, traversed Sans Nom ridge to summit, descended Whymper Couloir
Route Climbed: Couloir Whymper Date Climbed: april 2011 / june 2013
2011: Reports of good conditions in the Couloir Whymper made us take off from Belgium on a Friday afternoon. Approach to the Refuge du Couvercle (which was still closed) on Saturday. During our climb of the Couloir Whymper on Sunday we ended up to far to the right in the South Face of the Grande Rocheuse. Without our summit we rappelled 12 rope lengths back to the bergschrund. After missing the latest train to Chamonix at the Montenvers, we finally arrived at our car at 7 o'clock in the evening. Then back to Belgium where we arrived at 6 o'clock in the morning, ready for another week at work :s
2013: Our second attempt was more balanced than the first. After a small week and 2 climbs in Chamonix, we hiked quickly to the the Refuge du Couvercle (open this time). Start at 1 o'clock, summit at 7 o'clock. No trace in the couloir, perfect conditions in the upper part but no views on the summit :( Downclimbed upper third and finished with 10 rappels. A 60m double rope is absolutely recommended. Some belays are from minor quality...
Grande course! Good snow conditions and firm physical condition make the difference!
mvs - Sep 4, 2012 9:23 pm Date Climbed: Aug 18, 2012
Nice climb
Up by the South Buttress of Grand Rocheuse which we eventually left because of difficult rock for the upper Whymper Couloir. Took too long, and bivouaced on the way down the Moine Ridge, which we finished in the morning.
Jurgen - Mar 14, 2011 7:15 am Date Climbed: Mar 11, 2011
From Grande Rocheuse
Climbed the Vivagel route to the summit of Grande Rocheuse and continued to Aiguille Verte. Rappelled the Couloir Couturier (Abalakovs). Beautiful climb on a striking mountain!
climbxclimb - Aug 8, 2010 7:12 pm Date Climbed: Jun 28, 2009
Couloir Couturier
Beautiful mountain!
pablo - Jun 7, 2010 4:46 am Date Climbed: Jun 5, 2010
Aiguille Verte: Couloir Whymper
Impressive climb. 15h non stop. We departed at midnight from "Couvercle" hut. 2hours later we were at the start of the Whymper corridor and at 6:13 am in the summit. Down with 12+ rappels and then hard way back to hut in soft snow. After a bite we proceeded to "Mer de Glace" and then finally to the train (Montenvers)which we picked sharp at 3pm. Then celebration & beers in Chamonix with my friend Nico who guided me up.
When Gaston Rebuffat said «Avant la Verte on est alpiniste, à la Verte on devient montagnard... » (not easy to translate but something like "before the Verte we are alpinists, in the Verte we become mountaineers..." ; I think I understand now why he said so... the long corridor, the sharp final ridge, speedy & multiple rappels and the mountain itself which is probably the sense of the quote: The Verte brings the climber to a higher stage, beyond Alps ... (no rock though) ...
All in all a superb and thrilling climb !
P.s. in the middle of the corridor I lost one of my ice axes (suffering cold fingers all the time) ... (seems I did not kill anybody, uff) ... that made it even more scary ...
Un saludo carinoso a mis amigos de http://www.dreampeaks.org/
Jeroen Vels - May 2, 2010 7:09 am Date Climbed: Apr 23, 2010
Nant Blanc Face
We climbed the bottom part of the Charlet/Platonov, the middle section of the British Route and we exited just left of Pt. Croux on the summit ridge. Descended the Whymper couloir. Excellent!
Completely amazing route. Fabulous summit. A dream come true for the climber living in Les Praz!!!!
Samuli Mansikka - Jun 28, 2008 3:17 am Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2007
Couloir Whymper
Absolutely one of my favorite climbs ever!
Had to wait a few days for the snow conditions to improve but the conditions ended up being pretty good. Eventually climbed (solo) from Couvercle Hut to the summit of Grand Rocheuse in 4,5 hrs. From there I had the most beautiful view over the summit of Aiguille Verte which I half an hour later reached by the knife-edge ridge with the rising sun hitting it at the same time. What an experience!!
Route Climbed: Couloir Couturier Date Climbed: July 18th 1999
Climbed with Legañoso and Bolo. Starting up at 00:00 hrs, from Grand Montets Cable Car upper station and spending 14 hours to reach the Montenvers railway station. We did 15 rapells to descend by the Grand Rocheuse Spur. Perfect conditions and great weather
Route Climbed: Whymper Couloir Date Climbed: 17 June 2004
We left the hut at 0030 and were at the base of the couloir in two hours. Four and a half hours later we were at the summit in the morning sun. The descent involved 14 rappels down the couloir itself and we found our self at the bottom of the couloir at 1200hrs. The walk back to the hut was difficult in deep snow which had been previously frozen.
The couloir was in great condition, with Neve snow and patches of ice. We moved together for most of the way.
Route Climbed: Northface (Couloir Couturier) Date Climbed: March 2001
How silly that we went along the foot of the Northface at avalanche grade 4!! .... So instead of climbing the Couloir Couturier and going down through the Whymper Couloir (planned partly with ski), we looked at Aiguille d'Argentière - and finally decided to go to the end of the glacier d'Argentiere and to try our luck overthere ....
The third day, I finally gave it up to jump about around in the fog and snowstorm although Ulli and Günter still continued trying to become killed by avalanches, icefall and the coldness ;o). So I went down alone by ski to Argentière - and got nearly killed as well by almost having fallen in a big crevasse which I did not saw because of the fog :o( .... Having reached Argentière finally, I recognized that the battery of my handy was totally empty (because of the extreme coldness) .... so I would probably not have gotten any help if I had fallen into that crevasse :o(, although I still had a very loud pea-whistle with me... :o).
wdimpfl - Dec 22, 2017 3:12 pm Date Climbed: Jun 15, 1974
Couloir CouturierClimbed this route with Louis Reichardt during three weeks we spent climbing in the Chamonix Alps. We had a very early start to avoid rockfall on the descent down the Whymper Couloir. Climbing this steep (~60 degree), uniform couloir I concentrated on the spot on the ice next to my face lit by my headlamp.
JuhoK - Jul 17, 2016 7:51 am Date Climbed: Jul 16, 2016
Brown-PateyBrown-Patey withMarsigny-Mohr exit. Sans Nom ridge to the top. Down via Whymper.
Nader1 - Mar 4, 2016 11:45 am Date Climbed: Jun 18, 2006
Impressive SummitJust my friend and I on the mountain this day route climbed: Couloir Whymper
Jeroen Vels - Jan 29, 2015 10:01 am Date Climbed: Apr 14, 2014
South Face - NaïaClimbed Naïa, traversed Sans Nom ridge to summit, descended Whymper Couloir
Tripreport here: http://www.jeroenvels.nl/aiguille-verte-naia/
il.rocciatore - Jun 17, 2013 8:17 am
Route Climbed: Couloir Whymper Date Climbed: april 2011 / june 20132011: Reports of good conditions in the Couloir Whymper made us take off from Belgium on a Friday afternoon. Approach to the Refuge du Couvercle (which was still closed) on Saturday. During our climb of the Couloir Whymper on Sunday we ended up to far to the right in the South Face of the Grande Rocheuse. Without our summit we rappelled 12 rope lengths back to the bergschrund. After missing the latest train to Chamonix at the Montenvers, we finally arrived at our car at 7 o'clock in the evening. Then back to Belgium where we arrived at 6 o'clock in the morning, ready for another week at work :s
2013: Our second attempt was more balanced than the first. After a small week and 2 climbs in Chamonix, we hiked quickly to the the Refuge du Couvercle (open this time). Start at 1 o'clock, summit at 7 o'clock. No trace in the couloir, perfect conditions in the upper part but no views on the summit :( Downclimbed upper third and finished with 10 rappels. A 60m double rope is absolutely recommended. Some belays are from minor quality...
Grande course! Good snow conditions and firm physical condition make the difference!
mvs - Sep 4, 2012 9:23 pm Date Climbed: Aug 18, 2012
Nice climbUp by the South Buttress of Grand Rocheuse which we eventually left because of difficult rock for the upper Whymper Couloir. Took too long, and bivouaced on the way down the Moine Ridge, which we finished in the morning.
Bas Visscher - Mar 22, 2011 7:02 pm
VivagelVery good conditions during the climb.
Jurgen - Mar 14, 2011 7:15 am Date Climbed: Mar 11, 2011
From Grande RocheuseClimbed the Vivagel route to the summit of Grande Rocheuse and continued to Aiguille Verte. Rappelled the Couloir Couturier (Abalakovs). Beautiful climb on a striking mountain!
climbxclimb - Aug 8, 2010 7:12 pm Date Climbed: Jun 28, 2009
Couloir CouturierBeautiful mountain!
pablo - Jun 7, 2010 4:46 am Date Climbed: Jun 5, 2010
Aiguille Verte: Couloir WhymperImpressive climb. 15h non stop. We departed at midnight from "Couvercle" hut. 2hours later we were at the start of the Whymper corridor and at 6:13 am in the summit. Down with 12+ rappels and then hard way back to hut in soft snow. After a bite we proceeded to "Mer de Glace" and then finally to the train (Montenvers)which we picked sharp at 3pm. Then celebration & beers in Chamonix with my friend Nico who guided me up.
When Gaston Rebuffat said «Avant la Verte on est alpiniste, à la Verte on devient montagnard... » (not easy to translate but something like "before the Verte we are alpinists, in the Verte we become mountaineers..." ; I think I understand now why he said so... the long corridor, the sharp final ridge, speedy & multiple rappels and the mountain itself which is probably the sense of the quote: The Verte brings the climber to a higher stage, beyond Alps ... (no rock though) ...
All in all a superb and thrilling climb !
P.s. in the middle of the corridor I lost one of my ice axes (suffering cold fingers all the time) ... (seems I did not kill anybody, uff) ... that made it even more scary ...
Un saludo carinoso a mis amigos de http://www.dreampeaks.org/
Jeroen Vels - May 2, 2010 7:09 am Date Climbed: Apr 23, 2010
Nant Blanc FaceWe climbed the bottom part of the Charlet/Platonov, the middle section of the British Route and we exited just left of Pt. Croux on the summit ridge. Descended the Whymper couloir. Excellent!
granjero - Sep 9, 2009 9:35 pm
Charlet-Platonov aka Nant BlancCompletely amazing route. Fabulous summit. A dream come true for the climber living in Les Praz!!!!
Samuli Mansikka - Jun 28, 2008 3:17 am Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2007
Couloir WhymperAbsolutely one of my favorite climbs ever!
Had to wait a few days for the snow conditions to improve but the conditions ended up being pretty good. Eventually climbed (solo) from Couvercle Hut to the summit of Grand Rocheuse in 4,5 hrs. From there I had the most beautiful view over the summit of Aiguille Verte which I half an hour later reached by the knife-edge ridge with the rising sun hitting it at the same time. What an experience!!
Photos at www.samulimansikka.com
kabernicola - Feb 3, 2006 2:12 pm
Route Climbed: Couloir Couturier Date Climbed: July 18th 1999Climbed with Legañoso and Bolo. Starting up at 00:00 hrs, from Grand Montets Cable Car upper station and spending 14 hours to reach the Montenvers railway station. We did 15 rapells to descend by the Grand Rocheuse Spur. Perfect conditions and great weather
Chamonix Man - Jun 20, 2004 4:02 am
Route Climbed: Whymper Couloir Date Climbed: 17 June 2004We left the hut at 0030 and were at the base of the couloir in two hours. Four and a half hours later we were at the summit in the morning sun. The descent involved 14 rappels down the couloir itself and we found our self at the bottom of the couloir at 1200hrs. The walk back to the hut was difficult in deep snow which had been previously frozen.
The couloir was in great condition, with Neve snow and patches of ice. We moved together for most of the way.
cherokee - Jun 2, 2004 2:12 pm
Route Climbed: Grands Montets Ridge Date Climbed: July 30, 1977Climbed on this route after doing the Petiti Aiguille Verte. Camped in the Col du Nant Blanc on the night of July 29th.
TodoVertical - Dec 4, 2002 12:39 pm
Route Climbed: PETIT VERTE From Aig des Grands Montets cable car station Date Climbed: Aug. 1997Another beautiful climb on a beutiful day. Very popular and very crowded.
Rahel Maria Liu - Mar 5, 2002 2:24 pm
Route Climbed: Northface (Couloir Couturier) Date Climbed: March 2001How silly that we went along the foot of the Northface at avalanche grade 4!! .... So instead of climbing the Couloir Couturier and going down through the Whymper Couloir (planned partly with ski), we looked at Aiguille d'Argentière - and finally decided to go to the end of the glacier d'Argentiere and to try our luck overthere ....
The third day, I finally gave it up to jump about around in the fog and snowstorm although Ulli and Günter still continued trying to become killed by avalanches, icefall and the coldness ;o). So I went down alone by ski to Argentière - and got nearly killed as well by almost having fallen in a big crevasse which I did not saw because of the fog :o( .... Having reached Argentière finally, I recognized that the battery of my handy was totally empty (because of the extreme coldness) .... so I would probably not have gotten any help if I had fallen into that crevasse :o(, although I still had a very loud pea-whistle with me... :o).