Ciarforon (3.642m) North Face and Normal Routes

Ciarforon (3.642m) North Face and Normal Routes

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 45.49347°N / 7.24737°E
Additional Information Route Type: Sport Climbing
Additional Information Difficulty: D-
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Ciarforon is an unmistakeable dome-shaped summit belonging to the Gran Paradiso Group. It is easily recognizable from everywhere in the distance. It lies south of the Gran Paradiso Summit, between La Tresenta (3.609m) and Becca di Monciair (3.544m), along the watershed between Valsavarenche and Valle dell'Orco. Its ice cap is unbelievably large and once accomodated a small lake (in summer, obviously!), like the Summit of the nearby Roccia Viva. In addition to the ice cap (3.642m, but in the distant 1881 its height had been estimated to be 3.657m) there is a second rocky summit, where a sign is placed, at an elevation of (3.640m).

First Ascents

  • N Wall (Left route): Engineer Guarducci of the I. G. M., probably, (Jul 1890). Certainly E. Allegra, U. Sandrinelli and P. Dayné, (Jun 24th, 1902).
  • N Wall (Right route and crossing to Becca di Monciair's): Ilario Antonio Garzotto and Osvaldo Cardellina, (Jul 16th, 1967).
  • N Wall (Central direct route): Osvaldo Cardellina, Giuseppe Lamazzi, Camillo Roberto Ferronato and "Gigi" Gadin, (Jul 11th, 1979).*I° replay: Osvaldo Cardellina, Battista Pieiller and Ugo Brunier, (Jul 18th, 1980).
  • N Wall ("Serac" route): Giacomo Chiara, Enrico Chiara and Enrico Cattinelli, (Jul 02/03th, 1939).
  • N Wall (Bastion of left and E Edge of the ice-cap): A. Barberis, A. Bich, L. Gaspard, D. Meynet, G. Ottin and Z. Pession, (Aug 07th, 1941).
  • N Wall (Rampart of left, W Edge great dyedral-vent's and E Wall ice-cap's): Virginio Epis, Luigi Perrin and Edoardo Ragazzi (of the S.M.A. Aosta), (Sep 23th, 1966).
  • N Wall (Bozzetti route): Angelo Bozzetti, solo, (Aug 08th, 1962).
  • NE Arête (Normal route): W. A. B. Coolidge and mountain guides Christian Junior Almer, (Aug 14th, 1888).
  • SW Wall (Little gully): Ilario Antonio Garzotto and Osvaldo Cardellina, (Jul 16th, 1967), in descent.
  • N of Monciair and N of Ciarforon first ascent two walls in day: Ilario Antonio Garzotto, Osvaldo Cardellina, Ruggero Busa and Vito Favre, (Jun 29th, 1969).
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
North wall - The slope above...
Noth wall - Approaching the...
North wall - Still in the...
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Route 3642m
Ciarforon North Face & Normal Routes Old  Safety  1979

Two North's in day Becca di Monciair and Ciarforon Jun 29th, 1969. From Mountain's Diary by Ilario Antonio Garzotto, 1964/1969.

MONCIAIR N WALL: "Full moon. The glacier is like floodlit. 4.30' hours in a group rope... Slowing in littles terminals rocks for "verglass" an blanket of snow. 6.30' hours in the summit: it's cold..." "C'è la luna piena e, sul ghiacciaio, pare di essere di giorno. Alle 4.30' ci leghiamo... Rallentiamo un pò la marcia sulle roccette finali verglassate e coperte di neve. Alle 6.30' siamo in vetta: fa freddo..." CIARFORON N WALL: "In descent from East Ridge, charge of the snow-drift. Crossing in glacier to at base Ciarforon. Second Face in day (8.30' hours). 9.00' hours climbing at the same two group a rope from opening to "little gully" and in the summit, 10.20' hours..." "Scendiamo la cresta Est carica di neve e, traversato il ghiacciaio in direzione del Ciarforon, ci portiamo all'attacco della seconda Nord della giornata (8.30'). Alle 9.00' attacchiamo... di conserva "anche nel canalino" e poi fin sulla vetta. Alle 10.20' in cima..."

Getting There

BY CAR:
  • From France: through the Mont Blanc Tunnel or the Col du Petit Saint Bernard: you can drive on SS.26, following directions for Aosta and, before arriving in Villeneuve, turn right towards Introd. Alternatively, you can take Motorway A5 (at Courmayeur or Morgex) and exit at Aosta Ovest.
  • From all the other directions: get to the Aosta Ovest exit of Motorway A5. Then drive on SS.26 Aosta, in the direction of Courmayeur; just after Villeneuve turn left towards Introd.
BY PLANE:
  • Aeroporto "Corrado Gex" Saint Christophe (Aosta).

Route Description N-WALL:

From the Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele overcome the "Torrent de Chant" and Montcorvé reach the Glacier at an altitude of 2.900m~. Continue with the same direction East (danger crevasses) up to the terminal crevasses, generally closed at the start of the season. Overcoming the slide (40°/45°) and reach the terminal and two splits in the wall to the height of the serac "Chiara Route" (now almost extinct). Pass the groove between it and the rocks of the ridge NW (50°/55°) for a short distance and turning gradually to reach the ice cap and the signal of peak (3h'30/4h'00 AD+/D-).
 
Dal Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele con direzione SE attraversare il Torrent de Chantè e raggiungere il Ghiacciaio del Montcorvé a quota 2.900 m~. Proseguire con la stessa direzione e attraversarlo tenendosi ad Est (crepacci) sino alle crepacce terminali, in genere chiuse ad inizio stagione. Superare lo scivolo (40°/45°) e arrivare alla terminale che spezza in due la parete all'altezza del seracco della Via Chiara (oramai quasi estinto). Superare il canalino tra questo e le rocce della cresta NW (50°/55°) per breve tratto e, voltando gradualmente a SE, raggiungere la calotta e l'ometto di vetta (3h'30/4h'00 AD+/D-).
 
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Route 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Osvaldo Cardellina nel...
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m

Variants

VARIANT OF THE RIGHT: From the Torrent of Chantè keep far right and climb closer to the NW ridge, before rejoining the route on the "plateau", before the upper crevasse end (3h'30/4h'00 AD-/AD).
 
VARIANTE DI DESTRA: Dal Torrent de Chantè tenersi più a destra e salire più vicino alla cresta NW superando alcuni dossi; ricongiungersi all'itinerario precedente sul "plateau", prima della terminale superiore (3h'30/4h'00 AD-/AD).
 
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m

Route Description N-E RIDGE (Of the Montcorvé Pass)

With the previous route and the same direction to reach of the Montcorvé Pass (3.299m). Overcome a rocky jump of about 80 meters (altitude 3.493 meters) is not difficult (I°+), but if exposed and delicate "verglass" Pass a gully that goes down to the glacier Ciamuseretto and easy wire or keeping a W on the rocky slope (33°/37°) to reach the summit. Pay Attention in ugly conditions, the NE ridge may be more difficult than the N Wall. Better of to go down to the wall SW.
 
Con l'itinerario precedente e con la stessa direzione raggiungere il Colle di Montcorvé (3.299 m). Superare un salto roccioso di circa 80 metri (quota 3.493 metri) non difficile (I°+), ma esposto e delicato se in "verglass" Superare un canale che scende verso il Ghiacciaio di Ciamuseretto e sul facile filo roccioso, o tenendosi a W sul pendio meno ripido (33°/37°), raggiungere la vetta. Attenzione in cattive condizioni la cresta NE può essere più difficile della parete N. Conviene allora scendere per la parete SW.
 
salita al Ciarforon mt. 3642...
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Route 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Route 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Route 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Route 3.642m

Route Description S-W FACE

 
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
 
 
 
 
From the "Diario Alpinistico 1964-1969" (unpublished) of Ilario Antonio Garzotto (dead on Aiguille Croux - 29/09/1969). "In planing NW Ridge Ciarforon... change of the program for the North Face and climbing... to little Gully North Walls. Crossing in "verglass" (1 piton)... In summit 9.15' hours; 9.30 hours in descent to much steep little gully West Walls's..."
 
Dal "Diario Alpinistico 1964-1969" (inedito) di Ilario Antonio Garzotto (†29-09-1969 parete S-E Aiguille J. J. Croux, via Ottoz). "Nei nostri programmi c'era la N.O. del Ciarforon... ci portiamo alla Nord e per questa via continuiamo... per raggiungere il "canalino" della Nord, dobbiamo effettuare una difficile attraversata su ghiaccio vivo (1 chiodo da roccia)... in vetta alle 9.15', riposatici brevemente, scendiamo un ripidissimo canalino sulla parete Ovest..."
 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Reach the extremity W of the ice cap and to go down for a narrow canalino of almost 100 meters, that it brings to a less steep slant (40°/45°). Overcome easy rocky strip (I°-) reaching a second slope (30°/35°) and the terminal on the Monciair Glacier at 3.200 meters altitude. Reenter to the Refuge Vittorio Emanuele rejoining the route of ascent of the Glacier de Montcorvé.
 
Raggiungere l'estremità W della calotta e scendere per uno stretto canalino di quasi 100 metri, che porta ad un pendio meno ripido (40°/45°). Superare una facile fascia rocciosa (I°-) raggiungendo un secondo pendio (30°/35°) e la terminale sul Glacier de Monciair a quota 3.200 metri. Rientrare al Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele doppiando a W il Ciarforon e la sua Cresta NW a quota 2.940 metri e ricongiungersi alla via di salita sul Glacier de Montcorvé.

Essential Gear

Mountaineering equipment, including rope, helmet, iceaxe, crampons and ice screws.
 
Da alta montagna, corda, casco, picozza, ramponi e chiodi da ghiaccio.
 
Ciarforon - SW wall
Ciarforon
The west flank of Ciarforon
The west flank of Ciarforon
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Ciarforon

Difficulty

N WALL: AD-/AD. N-E RIDGE: F+/PD+. S-W WALL: F+/P.

Old youthful reminiscences from and to Ciarforon North Wall

Ciarforon
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Route 3642m
Ciarforon North Face and Normal Routes 3642m
Il Gran Paradiso (4061 m.)...

External Links

Huts

Rifugio VITTORIO EMANUELE

Acknowledgements

I am greatly indebted to my friend "Osva" for the detailed description of the route.


Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.