Aug 19, 2025

Pilier Brand - Solalex

 Here you can find 2 quite remote and beautiful routes on a wild pillar of the South of the les Diablerets

The approach is possible from both Sion and Derborence 1464m and via Martigny, Gryon and Solalex

le Pilier to the right
Red line Tchieu c't'équipe

 From Solalex traverse the Anzeinde plateau and continue towards the Pas de Creville. A little before the col head up the scree slopes to the left towards the lowest point of the pillar on the 2464 side. The routes begins on the middle of the spur, to the left of the big dihedral. The 1st spits on both routes are quite high. To the right of the spur begins the classique "Pilier Brand"starts to the right.

The routes are true opposites regarding protection.



The new route Tchieu c't'équipe is well bolted and the classique Pilier would need a good number of cams and nuts, this one has a few bolts where needed and to show the way sort of.

I can tell it was very interesting and engaging to lead with only the bolts in place as protection...

Pilier Brand Pitch 4

Iconic run outs!!

Route description

Pilier Brand - voie classique

Engaging climbing that can be found difficult to protect well. Expect some run outs but always good belays!
L1 5b First bolt is quite high, can be difficult to see. Upwards, left / right to a good ledge.
L2 6a+ 45m Up some delicate slabs to a piton, then up the corner system with an other serie of bolts high up.
L3 6a+ Straight up some loose looking corner, stay to the right on the slabs, up to a steep section ( well protected) to a belay out to the left
L4 Good start up some beautiful slabs then a corner/layback system up to the base of a big ledge system with a lot of loose rock

Move the belay over the ledges to the single bolt

L5 Up the crack system, some loos rock 
L6 More slabs
L7 Slabs to the summit
Rappel down the same line
Equipment
2x50m Rope
8-10 QD's
Good selection of cams to BD 4
a set of mid size nuts
Anna enjoying life on "Pilier Brand"

Forcing the chimney P7 of Tchieu c't'équipe


Tchieu c't'équipe

Modern climbing, well protected

L1 6a 45 m Take the left side of a large dihedral which deviates to the left. Then cross to the right by an easy ledge between roofs to reach the belay on the spur.
L2 6A+ 40 m A little right up grooves then on the left (slabs) to the belay. In the middle of the pitch, a spit line leaves to the right to reach the path of the Brand pillar.
L3 6A 30 m Short beautiful pitch up cannelures. Belay on a ledge.
L4 6A 30 m Short pitch rightwards, belay at a small ledge below the big roofs.
L5 6b+ or 6A/A0 45 m First fairly easy on some slabs the left and then crossing right to a small arête. 
A few meters up then rightwards over the roof to arrive at the belay (A0 possible).
L6 6A 45 m Interesting and solid climbing, again well protected. 14 bolts
L7 6B 45 m grooves at the start then big crack before an extraordinary outing in opposition in a large air chimney. Optional belay to the right on the sortie of the chimney (allows you to see the second climber), Descend from here or from the descent belay on the other side, on lookers left of the chimney.
Equipment
2x50m rope
14 QD's

P6 of Tchieu c't'équipe







Take care about the cows...


Aug 6, 2024

 Weissmeiss Arete Nord



Approach

* From the Bergrestaurant Hohsaas (3140 m), follow the marked path that climbs towards the E along the Geissrücken. Around 3200 m the path ends; advancing as best you can in the scree (tracks, cairns), go around the upper part of the Geissrücken on the right (S slope). Set foot on the glacier around 3300 m and, via a slightly marked pass, reach the Hohlaubgletscher. Cross the rocky slope from p.3572m (cairn, not very visible at night) and, via an ascending traverse towards the NE, reach the Lagginjoch (3499 m, last meters on unstable rock). Approx. 1 hour.

* From the Weissmieshütte (2726 m), follow the path that leads to Hohsaas up to around 3000 m. From there, climb in an E direction in the scree (tracks) until reaching the Holaubgletscher, which you climb as best you can (crevasses) to the Lagginjoch (3499 m, last meters on unstable rock). 2h


N Ridge 3-5h

From Lagginjoch, attack the ridge first from the E side then follow the ridge while staying on the edge as much as possible. The slightly steep start leads to the slab in 4, protected at its foot by a piton and a bolt, in the slab there are a total of 2 bolts, a bar and a red friend stuck in a crack 1 m to the right of the edge. You then easily reach a antecime from which the ridge becomes more tapered. 

Start of the Arete

The route is still long and the climb remains steep, many passages from III to III+, often on small exposed slabs. Follow the ridge as easy as possible or go around certain teeth, several descents equipped with rings (useless rappels). The crampon marks help to remove doubts about the route. With the IV slab at the beginning, only one other passage is equipped, a sort of 1 meter wide slab (2 bolts) which leads to the top of a small tooth, 2 pitons at the back of this summit (observations of 12.09.22). Finally we reach the snowy ridge which we follow without difficulty to the summit.


Approche

* Du Bergrestaurant Hohsaas (3140 m), suivre le sentier balisé qui monte vers l'E le long du Geissrücken. Vers 3200 m le sentier s'arrête ; en avançant au mieux dans les éboulis (traces, cairns), contourner la partie supérieure du Geissrücken par la droite (versant S). Prendre pied sur le glacier vers 3300 m et, en passant par un col peu marqué, atteindre le Hohlaubgletscher. Franchir la côte

 rocheuse issue du p.3572m (cairn, peu visible la nuit) et, par une traversée ascendante vers le NE, atteindre le Lagginjoch (3499 m, derniers mètres en rocher instable). Env. 1h.

* De la Weissmieshütte (2726 m), suivre le sentier qui mène à Hohsaas jusqu'à environ 3000 m. De là, monter en direction E dans les éboulis (traces) jusqu'à atteindre le Holaubgletscher, que l'on remonte au mieux (crevasses) jusqu'au Lagginjoch (3499 m, derniers mètres en rocher instable). 2h

Jack Roseland on the Weissmeiss arête 

Arête N 3-5h

Du Lagginjoch attaquer l'arête d'abord par le côté E puis suivre l'arête en restant au maximum sur le fil. Le début peu soutenu mène à la dalle en 4, protégée à son pied par un piton et un spit, dans la dalle il y a au total 2 spits, une barre et un friend rouge coincé dans une fissure 1 m à droite du fil. On rejoint alors sans difficulté une antécime à partir de laquelle l'arête devient plus effilée. La course est encore longue et la grimpe reste soutenue, de nombreux passages de III à III+, souvent sur de petites dalles expo. Suivre l'arête au plus facile ou contourner certaines dents, plusieurs désescalades équipées d'anneaux (rappels inutiles). Les traces de crampons permettent de lever les doutes concernant l'itinéraire. Avec la dalle en IV du début un seul autre passage est équipé, une sorte de dalle d'1 mètre de large (2 spits) qui mène au sommet d'une petite dent, 2 pitons à l'arrière de ce sommet (constatations du 12.09.22). 
Au final on atteint l'arête neigeuse qu'on suit sans difficulté jusqu'au sommet. 






Jack Roseland on the summit after 3hours of climbing. 

Krister Jonsson
/
Alpinemadness.se




Oct 4, 2023

Klassiska repbroms tekniker

 Utbudet av repbromsar kan väl sägas ökat dramatiskt. Ibland till en höjd som närmast kan påstås osunt överdriven av företag som nästan anstränger sig allt för mycket. Vilket även inneburit återkallande av dessa produkter. 

BD Pilot och Mammut Smart 2.0


Själv har jag ett par favoriter, för säkring av den som följer likväl av den som leder. 

Och jag föredrar att bli säkrad pa led av en hjälplåsande sådan. Typ BD Pilot. 

Okomplicerad och lätt. 

HMS säkring med en extra karbin genom låsrepet
Med den så hjälplåser den repet


  Men, ibland blir det ju fel och ”man” åker iväg utan vare sig den ena eller andra, i ren glömska. Så då får ”man” ta till äldre beprövade lösningar. 
Som HMS och karbinbroms. 
Men en HMS tvinnar ju rep och en karbinbroms är inte helt skottsäkert att säkra den som leder. 
Så jag fördrar en karbinbroms för säkring av 2:an och en modifierad HMS för säkring av 1:an
Genom att klippa in en karbin i loopen på HMSen så blir det lättare att mata ut rep. Kan vara ett extra elände om repen är blöta. Dessutom tvinnar det mindre. 

Genom att dra ut repet genom den extra karbinen så löper repet enklare
Dessutom, twinnar mindre 



Säkring med 2 karbiner
Låt repet löpa genom båda karbinerna och tillbaka genom 
den ena så repet hamnar emellan karbinerna


Och för descenten, firningen!?

Fira på ett rep och håll det andra på sidan så dom inte infiltrerar sig. 

Även om man firar på ett tunnare twinn rep så blir friktionen nog. 


// Jag rekommenderar att träna på dessa innan i en säker miljö innan!!