Regarding the topo, le Vallée l'Arve, this is a 98% très bien route! Except a couple of meters at the start of P1 and P2, which has a bit of loose flakes, cornflakes feeling sort of.
The
Bétleguse, 260m 7a+ over 6 pitches. A devil in one of many names!
Pointe d'Ayères
Last year I walked up to climb this voyage but ended up on something less interesting in fact of quality, a loose thing going up the central pillar of
pointe d'Ayères.
One of many superb pitches on Betelgeuse
The approach of this route, as well as all the other ones on this solid pice of rock, is a bit long and the closer you get the looser the so called path gets. From the parking below Ayères de perrieres aftershave plan Joux takes about 1 1/2h, if you choose the best way...!
Follow the trail towards ref.
d'Anterne, just before the last virage head up left following the grass ridge. And stay as high as possible avoiding the loose open stone fields at the best.
Le approach
Depending on season and amount of snow, there might be vise to walk in with a set of crampons for the snowfields, otherwise do as we, pick up a perfect pice of rock and improvise a "grotthuman" axe :)
Lori with an improvised grottaxe, worked then, works now!
This walls are quite high and exposed so there is maybe not always but often some breeze winds to cool of, and after 16:00 the sun transport it self of the face. And suddenly I start to ask my self "what was I thinking?" The t-shirt isn't that warm anymore, even if I put on more over...what was I thinking? Cussin stupid!
But, as long as I'm climbing it's ok, even perfect, so on the belay I just need to keep up the rope work, active sort of...
And the climbing, it's just amazing, perfect solid rock that goes on and on. Every move is pure quality that makes me forget the incontinent approach.
Strenuous climbing on perfect rock, rock on!
The first pitch is right on 6c+, a bit of a warm up but the second has the grade 6c with out a plus...but has some ankward move that makes it feel harder than nr one, we think at least. But who cares, just enjoy and focus!
Keep focus, well it's easy in this terrain
The pitches keeps coming on us, 6c, 6c, 7a,...a 6b?opps easy and then 7a...plus...
It's like someone has really built this thing a little to well, and the bolts! Are just were they should be!
It's not until the last pitch that mr Belsebub gives away and offers an well long distant bolted 6a+, to le sommet!
Not on drugs I swear, except chalkin the nose...
A last scramble up to le plateau for some evening sun, enjoying the vuiews over the massiv stone dessert, the biggest in Europe actually. And then, five rappels back down. Even though the last one looks a bit somewhat, "will this work...." But yes, my 48m tag line just makes it to the ground!
What ever you do, water up!
Le RouteBetelgeuse 7a+ 260m, 6pitches
You need2x48m rope, minimum:), 12 QD, and a nice shade or shades...
Picture from Vallèe l'Arve
Bonne route!
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