Overview
Dedication:
Rahel, in memory of your climbing I take care of your mountain page.
Aiguille d'Argentière - a peak in the Mont Blanc Massif
Aiguille d'Argentière is situated in the Mont Blanc Massif, in the North of some major peaks as the Mont Blanc and Les Droites and south-east of
Aiguille du Chardonnet.
It is a very beautiful and interesting mountain concerning its shape and with regard to the ascents.
According to Eberlein, there exist more than 50 ascents (although he does not name all).
Most famous are the normal route and the North Face ascents. But also the SW Ridge and the many ridge towers provide many interesting climbing routes. There only more in the Aiguilles of Chamonix.
Historical notes
First ascent: E. Whymper and A. Reilly with M. Croz, M. Payot and H. Charlet on the 15th of July 1864.
Aiguille du Chardonnet - Aiguille d'Argentière
Route Overview
1. South-west flank: steepest passage 50°, PD+, 400 hm (summit face), altogether 1200 hm, 4-5 h from Ref. d'Argentiere. (Eberlein, p. 411)
2. West flank and North-west ridge: mixed, steepest ice passage 45°, PD, 5 h (Eberlein, p. 411f.)
3. North face: 50° in the average, D, 600 hm (face), 3-6 h from the foot (Eberlein, 412)
4. North-east face: average of steepness: 49°, steepest passage 55°, IV, mostly III, D, 700 hm (face), 4-6 h from the foot (Eberlein, p. 414)
5. East face: average 45°, steepest passage 50°, AD, 600 hm (face), 5-6 h (Eberlein, 414)
6. East-South-East Ridge: III, mostly easier, ice till 50°, AD, 1000 lm, 350 hm, 5,5 h (Eberlein, p. 415)
7. Y Couloir (S Couloir): pure firn, 45° at 450 m, AD, 550 hm, 4,5 h (Eberlein, p. 416)
8. Jardin ridge: IV+, mostly IV and III, D, 900 hm, 1500 lm, 9 h (Eberlein, 416)
Glacier du Milieu * - * - * - * North Face Original route * - * - * - * Y Couloir with its two branches * - * Tom Fralich soloing the Y Couloir
Getting there
1. To the Aiguille d'Argentièree- a. You come from the Ref. d'Argentière.
2. To the Ref. d'Argentière
- In order to reach the hut, you have 3 possibilities:
- a. From Croix de Lognan (1970 m) in 3 - 3,5 h, to Croix de Lognan with cable car from Argentière: From Croix de Lognan, you go on foot up over the morainecrest till about 2250m. Than you continue horizontally to the glacier, which you follow on the orographically left side. After about 1 km, the glacier becomes steeper and more torn. You climb onto the morain of the Rognons, first over a slippery shelf, than via a marked way which you follow until you reach the upper end of the ice break. You climb the glacier in SE direction and reach over the moraine the hut.
- b. On foot from Argentière in 5 h: From the ground station of the cable car, you follow the wide aisle of the ski-run. You leave it at the height of about 1750m and reach the way of the middle station of the cable car (2 h). Now, you need 3 h to the hut.
- c. From Aiguille des Grands Montets (summit station of the cable car from Argentière; last train up: 4:45 p.m.) in 2 h: From the summit station, you go via a stairway to the Col des Grandes Montets. You traverse a bergschrund (maybe with the help of a rope) and go up the steep hang to the Glacier Rognons. You go in ENE direction on the western side along P. 3000 to P. 2754m. You go down southeastern to the glacier d'Argentière, which you reach above the icebreak. From here in 2 h to the hut.
- You reach Argentière by train (from Martigny/CH or Geneva or Annecy - TGV to St. Gervais), bus (from Annecy, Geneva, Grenoble, Courmayeur, Aoste and Turin) or car from Geneva or Martigny (Switzerland) via Vallorcine and the Col des Montets.
3. You reach the Chamonix Valley by train:- a. From Martigny (Switzerland) via Vallorcine.
- b. From Geneva (airport) via Anncey (TGV till here) and St. Gervais.
4. You reach the Chamonix Valley by bus:- From/via Annecy, Geneva, Grenoble, Courmayeur, Aoste and Turin
5. You reach the Chamonix Valley by car:- 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.
6. You reach the Val Ferret (Italy) by bus or car:- 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
It depends on your capabilities ... (summer and winter).
Camping
There is a campingplace in Chamonix.
Mountainhut
1. Ref. d'Argentière (2771m):
The Ref. d'Argentière is a modern big hut with a view directly to the northfaces on the opposite side: from Aiguille Verte to Mont Dolent. It is situated near the corner where the Glacier d'Argentière and the Glacier des Améthystes come together.
according to Eberlein:
- 120 beds
- serviced from 15. March to 15. September
- winter room with 35 beds
- phone: +33-450 531692
- Email: refugeargentière@wanadoo.fr
- internet: Ref. d'Argentière
- to the Ref. d'Argentière:
- a. from Croix de Lognan (1970 m) in 3 - 3,5 h, to Croix de Lognan with cable car from Argentière
- b. on foot from Argentière in 5 h
- c. from Aiguille des Grands Montets (summit station of the cable car from Argentière) in 2 h
Mountain Conditions and General Information
1. WEATHER INFOS:2. GENERAL INFOS: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
Map
Institut Géographique National1:25000 no. 3630 OT (Chamonix)
(to order at DAV Service
Books
Hartmut Eberlein: Mont-Blanc-Gruppe. DAV-Gebietsführer. 9th ed. Munich 2000.
ISBN 3-7633-2414-3
(to order at amazon.de)
Gaston Rébuffat: The Mont Blanc Massif. The 100 Finest Routes. London 1996
ISBN 1-898573-03-4
(to order at amazon.de or at amazon.com)
Erich Vanis, Im steilen Eis. 80 Eiswände in den Alpen. Munich et al. 1980.
ISBN 3-405-12158-2
Damilano/Perroux, Neige, Glace Et Mixte: Mont Blanc.Editions Ice 1996.
ISBN 2950986803
Laroche/Lelong: Die Gipfel des Montblanc. Munich 1999.
ISBN 3-405-15693-9
(to order at amazon.de)
Helmut Dumler/Willi P. Burkhardt, Viertausender der Alpen. 11th ed. Munich 1998.
ISBN 3-7633-7427-2
(to order at amazon.de)
Helmut Dumler/Willi P. Burkhardt, The High Mountains of the Alps.
(to order at amazon.com)
External Links
- Ironing on Aiguille d'Argentière
This is a funny link about people from Britain who climbed this mountain to win an "extreme ironing" competition.
- mountain guide
6 days climbing with a guide on Mont Blanc range
- University of Portsmouth Mountaineering Club
Currently a work in progress page but it will be up and running by October with loads of good climbing stuff and info on the clubs exploits! Come and see us in Oct 2002 and tell us what you think.
Images
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Graie Alps
