Voie Contamine Petites Jorasses

Petites Jorasses -  voie Contamine-Bron

Petites Jorasses has a couple of great climbs. Two of them is their opposite, the modern Piola Route "Anouk" and the old classic "Voie Contamine" Both are long and very engaging. Anouk has the classic slab climbs which is so typical for mr Piola. When for Contamine you will find diedres and cracks which are typical for Contamine. Finding the most natural way up the mountain. Its 750mts of climbing and a great route!

Summit views from Petites Jorasses

After hiking up to Refuge de Leschaux the day before we, me and Anna Backlund, started with an classic alpine breakfast at 02:40 (dried bread, jam and a cup of coffee, together with a handful of crunchy French chocolate müsli)  After we had struggled on to the base of Petits Jorasses we started climbing, in perfect conditions, at 08:00. After a few hours climbing we were at the crux pitch, going over the roofs. 

Crux pitch of Contamine

Now there is a few pitons in place after that André Contamine made the first ascent in 1955. But at that time, with a lot of stress reaching the summit, André first took one small fall, then equipped with a piton between his teeth he took one more fall. But on the third try, finally, he ascended the roof and could place a solid piton.

At 15.08, after 22 pitches, we had managed to reach the summit. 22 pitches of interesting route finding and sometimes very exposed climbing. Now only the descent back down to the base and the walk back home awaited! From 3658mts to 560mts and many many kilometers back to le Fayet. Dinner, at 0145. Another beautiful day in the mountains and an other great route put up by André Contamine!

This route is one of 35 great Contamine routes in the Alps and #85 in Gaston Rebuffats "100 classic climbs". It is never harder then 6a, but has is a challenging BIG adventure. A day out here might mean everything from a quite long day of climbing to a 2 day epic. It was the first route put up by André Contamine that involved a bivack. Something that made him a bit upset!

Approach over the Leschaux glacier

Initial pitches over the diedres

The great crack pitches 

Anna on the exposed upper traverses

The long 50m higher traverse, easy to miss!

Closing up

Summit!!

Mountain

Petites Jorasses - Chamonix

Route

Voie Contamine

Equipment

2x50m ropes

1 set of cams Green Ailien to #2 Blackdiamond

1 small set of nuts

8QD´s

Extra Green and Red Omega cams, great for belays

Descent

Abseil Anouk. Take care on the first rappels from the summit, make short ones! 

And the first rappels going down the steeper face. There are some flakes that easily catch the ropes!

Café a la Leschaux

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