Northflank

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 45.84490°N / 6.87880°E
Additional Information Route Type: Ice Climb
Additional Information Time Required: Most of a day
Additional Information Difficulty: 45°, PD+
Sign the Climber's Log

Approach


You reach the Col Maudit, where the flank starts, easily with a traverse from the summit of the Mont Blanc du Tacul via little steep firn hangs to the Southwest. The easiest way is the route via the NW-flank, starting form the Aig. du Midi or the Ref. Cosmiques or the Biv. Abri Simond. For this approach compare the discription of the normal route to the Mont Blanc du Tacul (NW-flank (normal route)).

Route Description








Book: Eberlein: 45°, PD+, pure firn/ice ascent, average of steepness: 35°. 1,5 - 3 h for the flank. From the Aig. du Midi 4 - 6 h
First Ascent: 31. July 1901 P. Cassan, P. Kornacker and H. Kuhn
Overview: The route goes up just in the fall line of the summit. You climb the summit from the West.
Ascent: From the Col Maudit, you go to the foot of the face. You go up through the firn flank to the ridge on the left side of the summit tower. If there is a sérac in the face, you go around on the left side. Right (N) around the tower and from the W to the summit.
Descent: Long glacier walks with partly very big ascents:

1. Via the mainsummit of the Mont Blanc: From the summit of the Mont Maudit, you descent to the Col de la Brenva while you go along the frontier crest. Pay attention to the cornices at the Col de la Brenva! From the Col de la Brenva, you turn to the right (SW), go up the steep Mur de la Côte (mostly icy) to the less steep hangs of the summit. You go around the both rock isles (Petits Rochers Rouges and Petits Mulets) on the left side and reach the summit in 2 - 3 hours. Descents from the Mont Blanc via the normal routes (Northflank via Grands Mulets or Dome du Goûter) or on other ways.

2. Via the Col du Mont Maudit (4345m) and the normal route of the Mont Blanc du Tacul to the Aig. du Midi.
Report: none yet

Essential Gear


2 ice axes, crampons, rope.


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.