This is maybe one of the most classic routes in the massif des Ecrins, le Grand Traversée de la Meije - via arête du Promontoire.
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| la Meije |
Opened already in 1877 the Arete is an enjoying ”ballade” never difficult in grade but quite hard to find the right way up. The general problem is that it winds it ways up those big formations sometimes leftwards and sometimes rightwards…its just to find the easiest possible way. Ones lost, it will take time and suddenly very hard.
But as always, thats the joy in climbing this kinds of routes, using the navigation skills.
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| the Classic lift of la Grave, still working more than fine |
We arrive in a most sunny la Grave after a surprisingly good coffee noisette at la ferme, col du Lautaret.
After some repacking we head for the lift and in a efficient mode I finally decide to take the route description out and start reading about how to get to the Refuge de Promontoire. Which is said to be an alpine climb just by its own.
Safe and happy at the upper lift I realize that the words and places doesn’t fit in on my map…so ok we or I have been a bit to optimistic in my mind to always go for the top.
We had just been talking about that the lower sections was more than nice to avoid walking up, over the messy huge moraines. Well, I just have to admit that that is what we just have to do. So, take the lift back to the middle station. And walk from there…up the just mentioned moraine…
Once en route it is most obvious with a good track up solid rock with some interesting scrambling up les Enfetchores (PD/ll).
And its just to keep on going which isn’t to easy in the warm sunny weather…
After a couple of hours, like 2 hours, we are up at the col vers la Brèche de la Meije. And from here its, according to the huge amount of snow, only an other 30min down to the refuge. Where we are served one of their most famous and tasty dinners…and the bellevue!
After a good portion of information about the route from the gardien we are ready for a big day out, setting the alarm at 03.00.
Realizing that we are the only team going for the travers we decide that we can take it a little easy and enjoy a long breakfast aiming to leave at 04:30. With only a little time before sunrise and minimizing the use of head torch.
Slowly learning I had been reading the route description quite well, finding out that it was a little ”climb left, go around and up…and then there is a fixed friend” After some 5 minutes I find the fixed friend and realize:
-we are en route and this will be a briljant climb…!
After 3hours of climbing we reach the summit of la Meije. Super lucky with the weather and the conditions on the mountain. And the only team starting from Promontoire, so we had the ridges for our selfs just until the upper last pitches where we catch up with 2 French teams which had used a divvy on the route. Great place for a bivvy!
With a short obligatory stop on the summit we continue the traverse and with the smell of coffee we are rolling in at the l´Aigle refuge at 12:30.
With a short obligatory stop on the summit we continue the traverse and with the smell of coffee we are rolling in at the l´Aigle refuge at 12:30.
Traversee de la Meije:
The Arete du Promontoire starting from the refuge.
4-6 hours to the summit of la Meije:
Traverse of the Grand pics:
4-6 hours of the Grand Pics to l´Aigle refuge
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| Approach par les Enfetchores looking from Gare de Peyrou d´Amont |
Equipment
Small rack of nuts and some mid size cams
4-7 QD´s
Ice axe
Crampons
50m rope (late in the season it might be useful with 2x40m rope for the rappels)
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| Refuge l´Aigle |
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| Best place at the moment |
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| de la Meije |
The Movie!
//Ensamhetens exil i förkastandes egna tidsålder
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