L'eau rance d'Arabie - 6b/UIAA VII, 250m

L'eau rance d'Arabie - 6b/UIAA VII, 250m

As said before, the approach to Blaitiere is most easy and well worth the effort of its 1 1/2h walk. This late in the season it's not even necessary with crampons or even a piolet.

Nice to have, le piolet, but not necessary at the moment. But things change...

 

One the walls best and to its grade persistant route on the red pillar is told to be "L'eau". So, we just had to climb it!

Once again, the slab climbing in Chamonix is hard like in Hard! A crack 6b isn't even close to what a slab 6b will give you, in my opinion at least...

The first pitch has a crack though, but the moves are still closer to slab and pure friction. But very good protected, actually the route it self is a bit over protected with bolts, still in my opinion...

Pitch one, 6b! Anna Backlund over gravity

Every single pitch has enjoyable climbing and its not until the last one on the original route that it's possible to relax.

 

The line is very obvious except on the third pitch wich follows some flakes but instead of continue up the flakes and cracks the route falls back to the left and finish over again some slabs, just aim for the bolted anchor. All which are perfect the whole way.

 

Climbing L'eau gives everything from slab to finger cracks and one the second last pitch even a great off width, have no#4 Camalot ready, or bigger...

Sadly it's places a totally unnecessary bolt at the top though

Second last pitch on L'eau, a little offwidth amusement drôle

 

The summit is very obvious and then it's just to rappel back mo or less the same way

Early morning at le lac

 

You need

2x50m rope, or rappel line

Small set of mid size cablés

Set of cams Green-Red Alien, 0.75-4 Camalot

5-7QD's

Route 119

 

More info on camp to camp

 

//Hellre skapa rykten än att bara sprida dem...

 

Mountainpassion

Fidel Fiasco / les diamonds du President

Blaitiere - no fiasco on Fidel

Great views on Blaitiere

With only single days in between work Plan d'Aiguille and Blaitiere is a good choise. Straightforward approach, no glacier crossing and not even necessary with crampons

A thing to bear in mind though is that most of the routes are quite long time since they were put up, so beware the gradings! A 6c Piola route, it IS a ruff 6c...

Anna Backlund on second pitch of Fidel Fiasco

We headed for the long and persistent "Fidel Fiasco" 350m, ED sup/VIb or modern 6C, only broken up with a short 4+, otherwise sustained climbing, mostly in cracks but with a most interesting crux part over a steep slab. A route not to be missed!

A Backlund in the corners and cracks mood, Fidel Fiasco, 6C

A Backlund following the cracks on Fidel Fiasco

Sensitive climbing on the slabs of Fidel

 

An other excellent but less climbed route is the "old Wave", which I guess is named after Ringo Stars 9th studio album

First climbed July 1976/1977; Rick Accomazzo, Mike Graham, Rob Muir, TD 5.10, read more here

In the Piola topo the route is called “Les Diamants du President", TD/V+ 180 m, 1e asc:Thierry Rus/Pascal Strappazzon le 19 Setembre 1985

Some kind of mixed up is probably done, but it's still a nice route

As it says in the Topo:

-Tres belle voie ouverte uniquement a l’aide de coinceurs. Soleil rare

And the big chimneys explains the reason for the lack of sun for sure!

 

Blaitiere and Pilier Rouge, the Old Wave is in the shade to the right in the picture

Jaming on trough les Diamonds, Ari V climbing

Cracks and Chimneys, a route for a President

Santa Ari arriving through the chimney!

R B for the routes

Fidel Fiasco, good fixed belays

 

Set of nuts, small wires is a good complement

Set of Cams double of Alien Green-Red

Set of Cams 0.75-3.0 Camalots

7-10 QD's

2*50m rope, with 2*60m the rappels are quicker

Descent same route

"Les diamants", ok fixed belays, route no 140

Set of nuts

Set of cams Green-Red alien, 0.75-4.0 Camalot, double of mid size?!

2*50m rope

Descent down Majorette thatcher

 

//En gång tala och därmed bliva, är bättre än 100ggr tala

 

Mountainpassion