North West Couloir (video)

Overview

It's a pretty direct ice route, so it shouldn't be to hard to find.

If you start at the hut (Cabana de Vignettes), descend towards the glacier and cross this. You are now looking at the west side of the mountain, so your aim is on the left side. The glacier descends there. Go down for a while and start traversing a large (steep) snowfield to reach the start of the difficulties.

From there it's up, up, up. The first pitches are steep ice (up to 80°), seperated by less steep firn (55°). When you're out of ice, keep going up, but a little to the right. There is a small coll. Go over this, then a short (5-10 m) traverse right and go left up again. Here you find a 40 meter section of mixed climbing (possible sketchy exit).

From there on it's 55° firn all the way to the summit.

Overall lenght is about 800 m.

Gear

Your "classic" ice gear: double 60 m rope and ice screws (toss in one or two stubbies), but add to this some rock gear (nuts and friends, but also pitons proved very usefull).

Video

Images

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