Diable (Aiguilles du)

Diable (Aiguilles du)

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 45.85490°N / 6.89099°E
Additional Information Elevation: 13497 ft / 4114 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

The Aiguilles du Diable (Devil's Needles) are the jewel of the SE ridge of the Mont Blanc du Tacul between the E summit and the Grand Capucin and more precisely between the Breach of the Isolated and the Collar of the Devil. From NO to SE we find : 1) L'Isolée (The Isolated) or Point Blanchet (4114 m) 2) The upper group - Point Carmen (4109 m) - La Médiane (The Median) (4097 m) 3) The lower group : - Point Chaubert (4074 m) - Corne du Diable (Horn of the Devil) (4064 m) Between the Isolated and the upper group, we find the Breach of the Devil, between the upper and the lower group, the Median Breach.

Getting There

Start points to the Aiguilles du Diable : * Torino Hut : you reach the needles over the Cirque Maudit * Cosmiques Hut : you reach the ridge of the Devil by crossing over the summit of the Mont Blanc du Tacul. To Torino Hut *You reach the hut directly with the cable car from Entrèves/Courmayeur (Italy). *You can reach the hut directly also from the Aiguille du Midi from Chamonix (France) over the Pointe Hellbronner. To the Cirque Maudit from the Rif. Torino: *From the Col du Géant near theTorino Hut, traverse the Col des Flambeaux and descent the glacier with in western direction. Pass along the Aiguille de Toule and the northface of Tour Ronde to the Cirque Maudit between Arête de la Brenva and Arête du Diable. To Cosmiques Hut *Take the cable car of the Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix. From the Aiguille you need 1/2 h to reach the hut. On the exposed firn ridge, you go down steep with SE-direction to an even ridgeplatform; then turn right to the S and SW-direction below the S-face of the Aiguille du Midi (crevasses). To Mont Blanc du Tacul * Take the normal route and continue on the SE ridge. The traverse of the Aiguilles du Diable in a difficult climb in high altitude (D+), mixed, passages of V, most IV+ and IV. Long classic route on excellent granitic rock (8 - 12 h)

Huts

- Refuge des Cosmiques (3613 m) BP 31 F 74400 ARGENTIERES Tél 00 33 (0)4 50 54 40 16 Private number 00 33(0)4.50.54.40.16 Half pension : 42 euros/day Night + breakfast : 26 euros Open : 15 fébruary 2003 • 12 october 2003 - Torino Huts *Rif Torino new,cable car, 3375 m, 170 beds, tel 0165/844034 (hut) 0121/954145 (warden) new hut, open and guarded in summer *Rif Torino old,cable car, 3322 m, 80 beds, tel 0165/846484 (hut), 0165/842247 (old no) old hut, open all the year.

Red Tape

Park fee in Chamonix : 5 euros/day Cable car of the Aiguille du midi : 33,80 euros retour ticket

When To Climb

The Aiguilles du Diable traverse is a summer climb : the needles are over 4000 m high.

Weather

Weather conditions : Meteo Chamonix

Books

- Hors des Chemins Battus, E.R. Blanchet, Collection Montagne, Ed Victor Attinger, 1946 (in french only) - Vocation Alpine, Armand Charlet, Collection Montagne, Ed Victor Attinger, 1949 (in french)

Climbing History

- First unsuccessfull attempts : E. Henriot : 1920 - 1922 (3 attempts) - First ascent of Point Carmen : H. Bregeault, P. Chevalier, J. de Lépiney : 1923 - First ascent of Isolated : A. Charlet + A. Ravanel : 8 july 1925. These two guides, recognizing the climb on behalf of E.R. Blanchet , reached the summit, with the great disappointment of her employer. E.R. Blanchet himself reached the summit with his two guides 6 days later. - First ascent of Point Chaubert and Devil'Horn : Charlet + Ravanel + Chaubert : 1st september 1925. - First ascent of Median Point : Charlet + J. Devouassoux + E.R.Blanchet + J. Chaubert : 27 july 1926 - First traverse : Charlet + G. Cachat + Mrs O'Brien + R.L.M. Underhill : 4 august 1928 - Winter traverse : Mrs E. Stagni + R. Lambert + M. Gallay : 1938

External Links



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.