wdimpfl - Dec 22, 2017 3:06 pm Date Climbed: Jun 15, 1974
North Face
Exact date uncertain. Climbed this route with Louis Reichardt during the three weeks we spent climbing in the Chamonix Alps. From our campsite near the hut below the Auguille Chardonet we hiked up the glacier over a pass into Switzerland where we could approach the North Face. The conditions were not too bad with medium seracs covernig the face.
Nader1 - Mar 4, 2016 12:09 pm Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2007
Route climbed: Y-couloir
Summitted in bad weather, scary descent
JuhoK - Jun 18, 2014 1:38 am Date Climbed: Jun 14, 2014
Y-couloir
Nice and easy climb! Beautiful couloir. Only one technical pitch needed. Descent via normal route.
Descended from Petit Vert to the Argentiere Glacier, bivvied out on the rock field. Nervous night with rockfall sounding above us. Stars were so clear as well.
Start from the hut! Don't do what we do which cost us 2/3 hours scrambling and climbing on shitty grey rock and ice. Ice climbed 3 pitches of dodgy 60 degree ice before we hit the snow. Cost us badly as the last 100m+ of the route was just melting all over the shop by the time we made it at midday.
Descended with crevasses etc opening up under the sun. Was glad to get down to the glacier again and head off. Lesson learned about bringing enough food and following route approach advice!
Started from the Refuge d'Argentière at 4 o'clock in the morning, it was snowing lightly. When arriving at the bergschrund the weather had completely changed and sun was shining. No trace in the couloir after the heavy snowfall from the previous weeks, it was a hard job to top out the right branch of the couloir.
Beautiful views from the summit. Great snow conditions to desccend the upper part of the Glacier du Milieu, no ice. We used snowshoes to return to the Refuge d'Argentière.
Climbed North Face with intent to make a ski descent but water ice made skiing the Couloir Barbey a much more intelligent option. A great ski nonetheless and a wonderful climb.
During a very warm spell. As a result in places the west face was tougher than I expected. We did a small traverse of the summit ridge from point west to just above Fleche Rousse. I was slow going back down the face which meant rushing down the Milieu corridor with the sound of stone falls ever present. I originally wanted to try the Y couloir, alas, I would have been well out of my comfort zone in these conditions. I'll come back for the Y in the future, the view from the top is well worth another go.
andrea.it - Mar 23, 2010 7:28 pm Date Climbed: Mar 23, 2010
ski route
Clasic ski route on Glacier de Milieu in 4,15h from the top cablecar station of Grand Montets.
Climbed the north face. Great ambiance in the route, but quite severe conditions. We belayed the biggest part and descended along the normal route.
CrazyBanana - Mar 26, 2008 1:27 pm Date Climbed: Jul 1, 2007
Glacier du Milieu
Eventful climb for me, as I dropped my DSLR camera just 100m below the summit. It got out of the camera bag, which fell into the bergschrund, while the camera kept rolling down. I managed to recover everything with the help of some fellow climbers, the camera is still working, but I had to replace the lens. Apart from the bad mood after this event, it was a beautiful climb.
Joerg Marretsch - Jul 9, 2006 10:46 am Date Climbed: Jul 3, 2006
Glacier du Milieu
Good ice conditions on Glacier du Milieu and a good rest on the summit.
Route Climbed: SE-ridge (Flêche Rousse-ridge) Date Climbed: july 17 2005
Ascentroute: SE-ridge from Argentière hut, descent: normalroute through Milieu glacier.
As this was part of my basic alpine course, with 4 trainees, it took us quite a while to summit (12hrs). Came back down in 3hrs. Conditions were too warm to be good, rock on the ridge was loose and rotten. Still an exciting and challenging climb for a first. Views from the top were excellent as the skies were clear all day.
Route Climbed: Y Couloir Date Climbed: 15 June 2004
Lovely route on perfect neve. Direct start was trivial. Wasn't aclimatized properly, so completely knackered by the time we summitted. Still managed to beat guidebook time by an hour.
Route Climbed: Y Couloir Date Climbed: March 17, 2003
Climbed the right branch of the Y with Juan Valderrama as a simul-solo. We reached the summit in 4.5 hrs from the hut and descended the Milieu Glacier in 2.5 hrs. As he says, the descent is a pain after the snow has softened. We planned to start earlier, but overslept at the hut.
Route Climbed: Y Colouir, descent via Meliu Glacier Date Climbed: March 17 2003
Nice route, took the right arm of the Y. Done with Thomas Fralich in simul solo. The climb was done in winter but the weather was hot. The route had many steps on the snow from skiers (ramdome ski) so it was a piece of cake to climb the gully. The summit cornise is enormous and the Melieu Glacier gets very 'soft' after noon, so descent is delicate.
wdimpfl - Dec 22, 2017 3:06 pm Date Climbed: Jun 15, 1974
North FaceExact date uncertain. Climbed this route with Louis Reichardt during the three weeks we spent climbing in the Chamonix Alps. From our campsite near the hut below the Auguille Chardonet we hiked up the glacier over a pass into Switzerland where we could approach the North Face. The conditions were not too bad with medium seracs covernig the face.
Nader1 - Mar 4, 2016 12:09 pm Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2007
Route climbed: Y-couloirSummitted in bad weather, scary descent
JuhoK - Jun 18, 2014 1:38 am Date Climbed: Jun 14, 2014
Y-couloirNice and easy climb! Beautiful couloir. Only one technical pitch needed. Descent via normal route.
Rapparee - Feb 28, 2014 10:27 am
LongDescended from Petit Vert to the Argentiere Glacier, bivvied out on the rock field. Nervous night with rockfall sounding above us. Stars were so clear as well.
Start from the hut! Don't do what we do which cost us 2/3 hours scrambling and climbing on shitty grey rock and ice. Ice climbed 3 pitches of dodgy 60 degree ice before we hit the snow. Cost us badly as the last 100m+ of the route was just melting all over the shop by the time we made it at midday.
Descended with crevasses etc opening up under the sun. Was glad to get down to the glacier again and head off. Lesson learned about bringing enough food and following route approach advice!
il.rocciatore - Jun 17, 2013 7:10 am
Route Climbed: Couloir Y Date Climbed: june 2013Started from the Refuge d'Argentière at 4 o'clock in the morning, it was snowing lightly. When arriving at the bergschrund the weather had completely changed and sun was shining. No trace in the couloir after the heavy snowfall from the previous weeks, it was a hard job to top out the right branch of the couloir.
Beautiful views from the summit. Great snow conditions to desccend the upper part of the Glacier du Milieu, no ice. We used snowshoes to return to the Refuge d'Argentière.
granjero - Mar 28, 2011 12:54 pm
Lovely Peak!Climbed North Face with intent to make a ski descent but water ice made skiing the Couloir Barbey a much more intelligent option. A great ski nonetheless and a wonderful climb.
markhallam - Dec 29, 2010 1:11 am
Aiguille D'ArgentierreStandard route via Millieu Glacier, training for the Brenva.
FrançoisJ - Oct 8, 2010 3:42 pm Date Climbed: Aug 15, 1996
normalwith 2 Bernard's....
date/year approx
barrys - Jul 10, 2010 4:32 pm Date Climbed: Jul 6, 2010
Normal Route, tricky conditionsDuring a very warm spell. As a result in places the west face was tougher than I expected. We did a small traverse of the summit ridge from point west to just above Fleche Rousse. I was slow going back down the face which meant rushing down the Milieu corridor with the sound of stone falls ever present. I originally wanted to try the Y couloir, alas, I would have been well out of my comfort zone in these conditions. I'll come back for the Y in the future, the view from the top is well worth another go.
andrea.it - Mar 23, 2010 7:28 pm Date Climbed: Mar 23, 2010
ski routeClasic ski route on Glacier de Milieu in 4,15h from the top cablecar station of Grand Montets.
Bas Visscher - Aug 23, 2008 10:59 am
North Face classic routeClimbed the north face. Great ambiance in the route, but quite severe conditions. We belayed the biggest part and descended along the normal route.
CrazyBanana - Mar 26, 2008 1:27 pm Date Climbed: Jul 1, 2007
Glacier du MilieuEventful climb for me, as I dropped my DSLR camera just 100m below the summit. It got out of the camera bag, which fell into the bergschrund, while the camera kept rolling down. I managed to recover everything with the help of some fellow climbers, the camera is still working, but I had to replace the lens. Apart from the bad mood after this event, it was a beautiful climb.
Joerg Marretsch - Jul 9, 2006 10:46 am Date Climbed: Jul 3, 2006
Glacier du MilieuGood ice conditions on Glacier du Milieu and a good rest on the summit.
Koen - Jan 19, 2006 7:46 am
Route Climbed: SE-ridge (Flêche Rousse-ridge) Date Climbed: july 17 2005Ascentroute: SE-ridge from Argentière hut, descent: normalroute through Milieu glacier.
As this was part of my basic alpine course, with 4 trainees, it took us quite a while to summit (12hrs). Came back down in 3hrs. Conditions were too warm to be good, rock on the ridge was loose and rotten. Still an exciting and challenging climb for a first. Views from the top were excellent as the skies were clear all day.
Charles - Nov 28, 2005 8:52 am
Route Climbed: Soutwest flank Date Climbed: jULY 1985enjoyed it.
Stuart Buchanan - Jul 9, 2004 11:06 am
Route Climbed: Y Couloir Date Climbed: 15 June 2004Lovely route on perfect neve. Direct start was trivial. Wasn't aclimatized properly, so completely knackered by the time we summitted. Still managed to beat guidebook time by an hour.
Dan Bailey - Feb 10, 2004 11:46 am
Route Climbed: normal Date Climbed: summer 1998lovely peak
Tom Fralich - Mar 25, 2003 10:55 am
Route Climbed: Y Couloir Date Climbed: March 17, 2003Climbed the right branch of the Y with Juan Valderrama as a simul-solo. We reached the summit in 4.5 hrs from the hut and descended the Milieu Glacier in 2.5 hrs. As he says, the descent is a pain after the snow has softened. We planned to start earlier, but overslept at the hut.
El Tigre Valderrama - Mar 24, 2003 9:32 am
Route Climbed: Y Colouir, descent via Meliu Glacier Date Climbed: March 17 2003Nice route, took the right arm of the Y. Done with Thomas Fralich in simul solo. The climb was done in winter but the weather was hot. The route had many steps on the snow from skiers (ramdome ski) so it was a piece of cake to climb the gully. The summit cornise is enormous and the Melieu Glacier gets very 'soft' after noon, so descent is delicate.
Great route after all.
Probemeister - Jan 21, 2003 7:10 am
Route Climbed: Y couloir Date Climbed: 12 July 2001good conditions, top to ourselves, tres bon!