Overview

• The Grand Capucin is an extraordinary red granite tower in the Mont Blanc MASSIF. It has an E face rising steeply out of the Géant Glacier.
  
  The Grand Capucin is situated at the end of the east side of the Mont Blanc du Tacul.
  You can't miss it when you go from the Aiguille du Midi to the Rifugio Torino. It is a wonderful rock obelisk on the Glacier du Géant.

• Particularly noticeable are the rows of overhangs which at one time suggested it was unclimbable, but Bonatti found a winding route which goes over some of the overhangs, but in general works its way up between the great roofs; the climbing is quite literally, geometrically vertical, something quite exceptional on granite.
  Although its faces are not higher than 490 m and although the mountain can be seen only from the summits around, it has been interesting for rock climbers since 40 years.

• After the first climbing through the E face, done by Walter Bonatti and L. Ghigo from 20th to 23rd of July 1951 (with the equipment of the 50ies ... respect!!), the Bonatti route has been the goal of extreme climbers for a long time. 1981 and later, there have been arranged very difficult sport climbing routes, which are the attraction to the climbers today. Besides the "Triple Directe", it is especially the route "Voyage selon Gulliver", which is interesting. The first ascent of the summit was undertaken by E. Augusto, Adolphe and Henri Rey and L. Lanier on 24. July 1924.

• Thanks for the lovely work - GRAND CAPUCIN ROUTES (by Antonio Giani):

A= Blue Route "Elixir d'Astaroth". Difficulty ED+/6A/A2
B= Red Route "Walter Bonatti". Difficulty TD+/V+/A1/A2
C= Green Route "Eau et gaz à tous les étages". Difficulty ED+/6C/A3/A4/

• For the Routes compare the section Routes-Overview below.

• Pay attention to crevasses and falling stones!

Getting There

• a. You can come from the Ref. Cosmiques.


• b. You can come from the Rif. Torino.

• In order to reach the hut, you need about 1/2 h from the Aig. du Midi. If you leave the cable car station via the bridge, you go to the South summit. On the firn ridge, you go down in SE direction of an even ridgeplatform; then turn right to the S and in SW direction below the S face of the Aig. du Midi. Pay attention to crevasses!


• You reach the Aig. du Midi with cable car from Chamonix.

• You reach the hut directly with the cable car from Entrèves/Courmayeur (Italy).


• You can reach the hut directly also with the Helbronner cable car from the Aiguille du Midi (to Aiguille du Midi with the cable car from Chamonix).







Tour Ronde, Mont Blanc, Kuffner Ridge, Mont Maudit, Grand Capucin, Petit Capucin, Pic Adolphe Rey







• Or you go on foot from the Aiguille du Midi over the glacier du Géant (3 h): From the foot of the S face of the Aig. du Midi you go on the almost even glacier to the Pointe Lachenal, turn left (E) to the glacier valley below the rugged E face of the Mont Blanc du Tacul. You go along this E face of the Tacul and the Pointe Adolphe Rey in order to loose only little height. Now you turn to the ESE to the Col des Flambeaux. From here in a few minutes to the Ref. Torino. It is a very beautiful glacier walk with 200 hm ascent. Difficulty: F.


• You reach Courmayeur through the Mont Blanc tunnel from Chamonix.


• You reach Chamonix with train, bus or car from Geneva or Martigny (Switzerland).

• a. You reach the Cirque Maudit from the Aig. du Midi or the Ref. Cosmiques: From the foot of the S face of the Aig. du Midi you go on the almost even glacier to the Pointe Lachenal, turn left (E) to the glacier valley below the rugged E face of the Mont Blanc du Tacul. You go along this E face of the Tacul and the Pointe Adolphe Rey in order to loose only little height. Then you go either with a big detour to the north face of the Tour Ronde or quite directly up to the Col de Trident and the Cirque Maudit. Attention: Here are more crevasses!
• b. You reach the Cirque Maudit from the Rif. Torino: From the Col du Géant near the Rif. Torino: You traverse the Col des Flambeaux and descend the glacier in direction of the Mont Maudit. Then you go along the Aig. de Toule and the north face of the Tour Ronde to the Cirque Maudit which is built by the Arête de la Brenva, the Mont Maudit and the Mont Blanc du Tacul.
  

• a. From Martigny (Switzerland) via Vallorcine.


• b. From Geneva (airport) via Anncey (TGV till here) and St. Gervais.

• From/via Annecy, Geneva, Grenoble, Courmayeur, Aoste and Turin

• a. From Geneva (from the NW) on the A40 till St. Gervais and from here on the N205.


• b. From Martigny (from the NE, Switzerland) via Vallorcine and the Col des Montets on the road no. N506.

• a. From Chamonix through the Mont Blanc Tunnel from the NW.


• b. From Torino (from the SE) on the A5 via Villeneuve.

When To Climb

Camping

Map

Institut Géographique National

1:25000 no. 3630 OT (Chamonix),
to order at DAV Service or at cordee.co.uk

Mountain Conditions and General Infos

1. WEATHER INFOS:

• Météo France in Chamonix: 0033/836680274
• Snowinfos: 0033/836 681 020 (only in France, not from abroad)
• internet: Météo France

2. GENERAL INFOS:

• Office de Haute Montagnes (OHM)/Chamonix:
  0033450 532 208 (9:00-12:00 & 15:00-18:00 during the summer)
• Bureau des Guides in Chamonix: 0033/450530088.
• Office de Tourisme in Chamonix: 0033/450530024
• Office de Tourisme Argentière: 0033/450540214
• internet:
• www.chamonix.com
• www.courmayeur-montblanc.com


• www.aiguilledumidi.com

3. TRAIN CHAMONIX VALLEY:

0033/450 53 1298
0033/8 36 35 35 35
0033/450530702 (train station Chamonix)
internet: www.cff.ch

4. BUS CHAMONIX VALLEY:

0033/450 53 0555
0033/450 53 0115

5. CABLE CARS:

• Aiguille du Midi: 0033/450/533080
• Courmayeur: Tel. 00390/165.846658, Fax 00390/165.842347

Cable Car 2007 ... - ... Old Cable Car 1967

Red Tape

Accomodation

according to Eberlein:

• 140 beds


• guarded from February till october


• phone: ++33(0)450544016


• internet: Rif. Cosmiques

according to Eberlein:

• with 70 beds


• serviced from October to June


• Tel. 00390/165/846484


• internet: Rif.Torino.old

according to Eberlein:

• with 170 beds


• serviced from June to September


• Tel. 00390/165/844034


• internet: Rif.Torino.new

Books

Routes-Overview

• VIII-, mostly VII with VII+ (passages), ED+, 6-12 h (Eberlein)


• ED, 490 hm, 10-20 h (Rébuffat)

• VII+, mostly VI and VII. Passages VII-. ED. 280 hm, 6 h (Eberlein)

• VII, A 0 (1 passage), mostly V+ and VI. ED-. 280 hm, 6 h (Eberlein)

• VII, A 2, mostly VI and VI+. ED. 280 hm, 6 h (Eberlein)

• VIII-, A 0 (swinging traverse), mostly VI+ and VII. ABO-. 300 hm, 6-8 h (Eberlein)

• VI+, A 4, mostly A 2 and A 3, ED+, 400 hm (you should plan a bivouac!) (Eberlein)

• VII+, A 3, mostly VI and VI+, ED+, 400 hm (Eberlein)

• VII+, mostly VI+ adn VII-, passages A 0 or A 1 at the end, ED+, 400 hm, 10 h (Eberlein)

• VIII, mostly VII, ABO, 400 hm, 10 h (Eberlein)

• abseiling down, mostly through the route "O Sole Mio"

Grand Capucin

External Links

• Mountain Guide Adventure - Chamonix Mont-Blanc Mountain Guide - France
  A Mountain Guide team will help you to realize your mountain and adventure dreams . A Mountain Guide team in Chamonix propose : mountaineering, alpine rock climbing, ice climbing, heliskiing, ski touring, off piste skiing and expeditions all over the world.
  

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