Bolted Alpinism: multi-pitch rock alpinism today
by Jerry Gore

Jerry Gore on Le Ponteil: photo Ian Parnell

"Watch mee!" Silence. Has he fallen asleep? Dozy French sod.
"Regardez moi, regardez-moi!" I can’t fall, too f...ing painful, don’t lose it Jerry. Keep it together.
"Ca va Jerry?" CA VA... I’ve never been more frickin un ca va in my life - world bloody rock AND ice champ – bastard – why isn’t HE leading this pitch?
"Err, oui, ça va, je crois, mais attention s’il vous plait". I’m 4 metres above my last bolt, and it’s slabby – s'not nice! I feel a line of moisture down the left side of my face – blood, no it's sweat dummy but too late for the instant mangled-meat image of a fallen climber to rush into my head. Do I try up left or the big flakes above me – can’t see the next piece of pro – can’t get any wires in – up or try and reverse – no, can’t down-climb those bloody moves, they’re fully grime covered. Shit, and now I can’t feel my fingers, it's bloody freezing. He must be soooo unimpressed with my large arse and fat Brit legs. Why did I have to fuck up in front of Francois of all people?
"Iz no good Jerry? Allez allez!" I would bloody allez if I could but I'm doing my moving statue bit without the movement bit – pathetic. Come on you’ve climbed harder trad routes and with worse pro.
"It’s OK, mais un peu difficile. Watch me I’m climbing encore" ...CLIP... Phewwww...

Si t’as peur Jappe ("If you are frightened Jappe") was one of the first rock climbs in the Ecrins Massif to get the prestigious ABO or Abominable grade (see Info Box). First put up in 1985 by the talented and very stubborn local activist Dominique Jugy, Si t’as peur Jappe was way ahead of its time, a classic hardcore understatement involving 7b rock skills on a big alpine pillar. Cambon’s definitive guide says it all: "The possible falls are numerous, and sometimes it is necessary to know to avoid falling in certain places. For this route there are more attempts than successes. When he was climbing the route, Jugy did not hesitate to go until he fell, in order to try and force the line." The route was my first introduction to hard alpine rock and I loved it. Suddenly I realized that, far from the doom and gloom predicted by fellow Brits who said that living here year round I would really miss scary trad climbing, here was a route that had all the ingredients of classic climbing: a great line, route finding problems and technical interest... AND, although it is classified as bolt-protected, you need to place wires between the spaced in-situ pro. Best of all (other than the fact that this route is over 200m long) is the fact that the approach (1 hour) requires no mountaineering skills other than the ability to follow a path. Yet the route leads to the summit of a beautiful alpine spire. Hard, technical rock climbing for those who want to get into alpine climbing but lack the experience – you betcha!

ALPINE GRADING - Facile to Impossible! Routes in the Western Alps are generally given an overall grade in addition to a pitch-by-pitch technical rating. The overall grade says something about the general difficulty of the climb and takes into account such aspects as the technical difficulty, the quality of the belays, the nature of the rock, the exposure of the climb, and the objective dangers. The grading system uses letters and often uses "+" and "-" (sometimes in French guides this is spelled out as sup./inf.) to indicate smaller differences. Top of the ladder and often ignored or unknown by Brit climbers is the ABO or Abominable grade, first established over 15 years ago in the Verdon Gorge. The technical difficulties of ABOs are into the French Eight level these days but actually start from as low as F6b+. The reason the Brits are largely ignorant of the ABO level is because some English guidebook editors prefer to use the ED1, ED2, ED3, ED4 grades to maintain an open system. Normally though, ED numbered routes only refer to mixed routes and ABO climbs are always purely on rock. The obligé classification is also one to note. Often a climb gets two grades such as "ED, 7a max; 6b obligé". This means that the overall alpine grade is Extremely Difficult, the very hardest move on it is F7a (which can often be frigged as near in-situ pro.), but you have to make moves of F6b between the bolts. Finally, don’t forget the other factor which makes an important part of the grade - the guidebook time.	ROUTE GRADE	TECHNICAL PITCH GRADE
		French	UIAA	British
	F = Facile	1	I	-
		2	II	-
	PD = Peu Difficile	3	III	3
	AD = Assez difficile	4	IV	4a
	D = Difficile	5-	V-	4a
		5	V- & V	4b - 4c
	TD = Très Difficile	5+	VI-	5a
		6a - 6a+	VI & VI+	5b
	TD+	6b - 6b+	VII- & VII	5c
	ED = Extrême	6c - 6c+	VII & VII+	6a
	ED+	7a - 7a+	VIII	6a - 6b
	ABO = Abominable	7b - 7b+	VIII+	6b - 6c
		7c - 7c+	IX & IX+	6b - 7a
		8a - 8a+	IX+ & X	6c - 7a
	ABO+	8b - 8b+	X	7a - 7b
		8c	X+	7a - 7b

Having lived in the Southern Alps for 5 years now, I am beginning to gain enough confidence to challenge the accepted British view that sport climbing is without interest. In his article "7b+" (part of the "Magic Grades" series on Planetfear.com) Steve McClure had this to say about sport versus trad: "...sport climbing and trad climbing are entirely different."

Some people, usually those who despise bolts, would argue that sport climbing equates to the boring rowing of the boat world, or the constant mindless slog of the road race. Climbing, in their view, is all about risk, take that away and all you have left is a physical exercise.

Whether or not one agrees with this position, Steve does have a strong point when (further on in his series, under the title of "8a") he goes on to say: "There is one bad thing about sport climbing though, at least when writing about it, rarely does it make for a good story. Not like the trad routes and their endless epics. No, generally the story is the same. Got on the route, hung on the bolts, did the moves, repointed it 'x' days later, the end! Hardly exciting, especially when x > 3! Sport climbing isn't about epics and scary stories to your mates, it never pretended to be. It's about your own experience. No one cares about that amazing feeling as you grabbed the finishing jug, or how you had to stop eating cakes to lose weight, or your state of mind after 20 days falling off the same move."

Wrong Steve, very wrong! I know where he is going with this and of course if you are just talking strictly about sport versus trad he’s right, but my experience is that today’s multi-pitch bolted rock routes are anything but boring. Modern alpine rock really does combine the excitement of trad, with the fun of sport climbing. It can involve many of the issues long considered the preserve of the trad climber such as route finding, and scary run-outs AND you still have to stay off the sticky buns if you want to get up them. Ten pitches of continuous E1 climbing are definitely harder than one or two single-pitch routes of the same grade, I can tell you.

So where do you find such routes and what are they like? Arguably the greatest concentration of purely multi-pitch rock routes lie in the Southern Alps. The L’Oisans, or The Ecrins Massif as it is more commonly known, hosts the southern most 4000m peak in the Alps, the Barre Des Ecrins, with a great collection of slightly lower peaks around it all offering classic alpine mountaineering. But in an area that is thirty times larger than the Chamonix Valley, there is a lot more on offer, and the highlight of this region is definitely the hundreds of high standard multi-pitch alpine and modern ‘sub Alpine’ rock routes.

Gear for multi-pitch alpine rock: Ropes – always use 2 half-ropes (8-8.5mm are recommended with dry finishes) or the new “twin ropes” (7-8mm cords). I use a Petzl Reverso, saving time and energy for the leader when belaying Clothing – go light. I wear a long-sleeved thermal base layer in white (reflects the sun), cotton leggings, and we take a KIMM windproof (lightest in the world), plus hat and fleece gloves for the second. Rucksack – a KIMM 25litre sack weighing sub-400gm Footwear – comfortable but technical rock shoes plus super-light sandals or beach shoes for the approach and descents. Miscellaneous: If using twins, I use a mini Reverso. Use wire-gated krabs for your quickdraws. Use a light helmet and take the lightest head torch on the market. I use a Petzl Tikka.

1.Montbrison – Tete D’Aval, and The Tenailles
The Tete D’Aval is big. Without doubt it is the showcase of the area when it comes to long hard limestone, and comprises routes offering “Big Wall” exposure, abseils over huge roofs and a tranquil Yosemite atmosphere. Its 33 routes vary in height from 300m to 600m in vertical height, and all have in-situ pro. Most are well bolted but a few require the full range of nuts and Friends. Although generally sustained, they rarely exceed the 6b obligatoire level (see Alpine Grading info box) and the climbing is comfortable from April to October. Really the biggest hassle here is the approach – a good 1.5 hours approach from the car park, overlooking the sleepy village of Les Vigneaux. Still, all you need to carry are two 7mm “twins”, 10 quick draws, and a water bottle. The classic on the face is Ranxerox. Graded ED, 7a max; 6a/b oblige, it is 500m long and 19 pitches in total, most of which are sustained at the grade but all on compact limestone with some beautiful Verdonesque passages. A super lead for an E3 climber and comfortable for an E4 leader. The route is well equipped, gaining the one star status in the guidebook. However be aware: one star is the best equipped a route can get with many 8mm bolts in place, often only 2 to 3 metres apart. A route with 4 stars is akin to a proper trad route, i.e. nothing in-situ save the lichen. The climb was originally put up in 1983 over 6 days by the Ecrins super team of Cambon and Ferrera - they clearly had too much energy as they placed a letter box on the penultimate pitch so that successful ascentionists' could leave their thoughts on the route.

Ranxerox was re-equipped in 2000, and when I did it in 2003, I was more in fear of my partner than I was of the route. Etienne Fine is a local celeb around these parts but mostly for his outrageous attitude to the mountains. He lost most of his toes on both feet during a gruelling descent of K2 and yet still manages to climb hard both on ice and rock. A few years ago he found himself in Patagonia without a partner and proceeded to do a new 13 day ascent of a big wall, living in a home-made portaledge and sharing the experience with a trekker he had met in base camp. Before teaming up with Etienne, the man had never held a rope in his life! As it was, Fine had climbed Ranxerox in various forms on a number of occasions and so graciously allowed me to lead all the hard pitches. Awesome exposed face climbing was my main memory of the route before the celebratory beers took hold. Allow between 10 and 12 hours for the ascent and 2 hours for the abseil.

Other noteworthy routes include Le Trou Noir (ED+, 350m., 6c max, 6a/b oblige) and Les Elfes (TD+, 500m., 7a/A1 max, 6a oblige). On the other side of the Tete D’Aval you’ll find The Tenailles de Montbrison, and the place to be is its stunning south face. The bolt revolution hit the Tenailles in 1984, and every year since then up until 1995 a new route was added. Situated above a wonderful forested alpine valley, the Tenailles comprise a series of lofty turrets that dominate the Brianconnais landscape. Si t’as peur Jappe (ABO-, 200m., 7bmax, 6c/7a oblige), already described above, is a good notch above the rest on this quite slabby face, and well worth the effort. Right off the deck the pitches are sustained and devoid of decent handholds. The route wanders a fair bit and route-finding skills are essential as it is vital to pick the right set of holds. The crux is the 6th pitch – a gently overhanging wall leads from a sloping ledge straight up steep 7b ground, and then very run out near the top on F6c+ holds. My partner, Francois Lombard, fell twice on this pitch. I gulped in fear watching him struggle as this man used to onsighting 8b. Gaining the summit I don’t know if I was more relieved to finish than I was to take off my ultra tight rock shoes, bought especially for the purpose: at size 6.5, a fair bit smaller than my usual size 9’s. One short abseil leads to a path and an easy descent. The sting in the tail was the realization, once back at our gear, that a couple of mischievous blackbirds (choucas) had attacked our rucksacks and I had the contents of mine, including my insulin and blood glucometer kit, scattered all the way down the scree slope. The same thing happened whilst climbing the Tete D’Aval with Ian Parnell the previous year. We eventually found all his photographic kit the following day, a good 400m down the slope from our original gear stash. Be warned!

2.Vallon De Sele – The Aiguille de Sialouze (3576m)
The Aiguille Du Sialouze comprises a steep granite face with a short easy-angled snow field that in mid summer requires only mountain boots and an ice axe for security. Its superb mountain granite is no secret; first ascents on this alpine classic began as early as the 1930s and, ever since, climbers have regularly made the 3 hour slog up from Ailefroide to explore its myriad faces. Sialouze presents the ambitious rock addict with eleven first class examples of high mountain 'modern' rock routes from 240m to over 500m in length, and from Difficile to ED+. These routes require a little more commitment and the use of some mountain gear to get to them, but once on them you’re cruising on mainly fixed gear with rap. descents back to your sack. The best way to climb them is to overnight at the Sele refuge (make sure you phone in advance to book your bed – compulsory these days) and get up early for the 1 hour approach from the hut.

Sialouze South Face and SW Face. Photos: Jerry Gore


The classic of the crag is without doubt La Diagonal du Fou (ED-) at Fr.6c/7a (about E3/4 6a) and Fr.6a oblige. Of its 14 pitches, only a couple are really steep but you get everything else besides, including long run-outs, a wild traverse, and a very technical start (due to glacial recession). Make sure you take a full set of Friends and nuts, and a good few slings for your journey through the overhangs (which incidentally gave the first ascentionist the idea for the route name; roughly translated as "the crazy diagonal"... you’ll see why on the 6th pitch which runs right across the first roof - there are actually 3 in total on the face). Allow 5 to 7 hours for the route and bring along a fresh pair of undies!

3.Glacier Noire – Pic Sans Nom North Face (3,914m)
Serious glacier territory now – actually not as Ian Parnell and I found out during a fruitful late July raid last summer. Our mission was Aurore Nucleaire (ED-), the most popular high mountain rock climb around. Weighing in at a standard 500m of F6b max, 6a oblige, we decided on a super fast and light approach. The good news is that we left my home in Vallouise at 4am and were back in time for dinner at 7pm. The bad news was that, with sacs weighing less than 10kg eac, we went so light that we neglected to take crampons and so had to cut steps for our bendy trainers on the snow/ice approach. Once on the route proper, we were immediately involved in the serious atmosphere of this big North Face, made more intense by the fact that we neither saw nor heard any evidence of people throughout the day – and this on a route that overlooks the Glacier Noir – one of the most popular ice routes in the Ecrins. As for the route, well all I can say is that at E2, Aurore Nucleaire gives probably 15 of the best pitches I have ever encountered in such a remote setting. Great rock, a lovely line up the middle of the face to a tiny peaklet, minimally bolted and requiring a fair amount of natural pro. and a fine ambiance all combine to produce big smiles and a worthy appetite. Please note this route is best climbed early on in the season as it is affected by stone fall.

Just to the left of the North Face proper is the NE Pillar; one not to be missed because it contains two great routes 500m in length and both around the HVS level - Une Septentrion Pour Rire (TD) and Big Tower Is Watching You (TD-). Easy access across a dry glacier and only 2 hours from the car park, takes you to a statuesque pillar that, once surmounted, will make you feel like you have just climbed Cerro Torre... but without the bad weather!

Photo right: Classic rock above the Glacier Noir (photo: Jerry Gore)

4. Ailefroide Valley
The high alpine valley of Ailefroide is one of the most beautiful in all of France and from a climber's perspective has pretty much everything on tap. Even the bouldering is world class but that’s a different article. For this piece, of most interest will be the multitude of multi-pitch rock routes within 30 minutes walk of the bar. Ranging from D- through to ED and from 4 to 25 pitches, there is something on offer for everyone. The Cambon guide (see below) lists over 50 routes all of which are worthwhile; however a few to look out for include the following:

(Photo right: Easy climbing at Ailefroide. Photo: Jerry Gore)

Cascade du Riou Seche:
This west facing crag has three routes on it but by far the most popular is Cascades Blues (D+, 250m, F6a max, 5c oblige). Ideal for ambitious VS climbers, you can miss out the 6a pitch at the top, and crossing the waterfall on the 6th pitch is easy (rope insitu) unless shortly after a heavy storm. Descent is via three abseils.

Secteur de Palavar:
These routes offer some of the longest in the valley at 400m in length including Palavar les Flots (D-, 400m, F5c max), the easiest and most frequented on this slab... a 12 pitch VS classic.

Fissure D’Ailefroide Secteur:
The regional classic is Fissure D’Ailefroide (D, 250m, F5b max), a typical UK trad classic: this crag is north-facing so cool in summer. Look out for edelweiss en route from the third week of July for approximately a month. La Snoopy (less polished but a little harder at F6b max, 5+ oblige – see Info Box 1 below) is also recommended.

5.Massif Des Cerces – Tour Termier, Vallon De La Moulette and Aiguillette Du Lauzet

Photo left: Nick Dixon on the Massif de Cerces (photo: Jerry Gore)

The Cerces is a line of limestone super crags that fill the high valley between Briançon and the Col du Lauteret. They contain many limestone peaks with fully-equipped multi-pitch routes to true summits with big mountain views, but without the need for mountain gear! Sub-alpine is the word and, if it is a new one to you, make sure you look it up. We are talking generally of 350 to 450m of good rock, any grade from VS upwards, non-glacier approaches and all amongst remote gothic towers and faces. Crisp early morning approaches, moonlit descents, stunning lines and an array of mountain wildlife that includes chamois, marmots, golden eagles and ibex. You’ll even find wild edelweiss if you know what to look for!

Being so close to the Ecrins, the Cerces also share this region's legendary weather (300 days of sunshine per annum). Access usually involves a dirt road and then a hike of between 1 and 2 hours though alpine meadowland. Then you are typically presented with a ten-pitch route that will test your stamina, route-finding ability and nerves. Most of the descents are via abseil down the line of ascent, so if you are feeling off-form or, in my case are worried about being late for baby sitting duty, you can rap when you want.

One of my favorites is the delectable Le Feu Sacre (ED) on the SW face of The Tour Termier (3070m). A fantastic outing at around E3 (7a max, 6a oblige), the 11th pitch brings you out right at the top of this imposing tower and you gasp on the top not just because of the view - the 3000m of altitude might also have something to do with it. Re-equipped in 2000, it now gets the one star stamp of safety, so all you need are your quick draws and a camera.

And finally nip along to the Aiguillette Du Lauzet, 30 minutes from the road, and pick off Les Beaux Quartiers (TD+). This gives a grand day out at F6b max and over 300m in length. Lovely pitches on pristine rock, never too sustained or hard, it will bring you to a proper summit complete with iron cross and majestic views of the Barre Des Ecrins – at 4102m the highest peak in the Ecrins. If you don’t like abseiling, remember to carry your approach shoes so you can descend the Via Ferrata in comfort.

6. Tramouillon St Crepin – South Face of Le Ponteil (1700m)
My local multi-pitch crag and definitely one of my favourites. A true sport crag, Le Ponteil, has most things you could wish for – a short walk-in, superb rock, soaring directissimas, and no crowds. Comprising a huge right angle, this cliff really has everything. On one side of the cliff you have mostly single pitch routes and on the other they are all multi. So you can warm-up on a few easy ones and then move over to the Grand Voies and crank out a 7-pitcher. And don’t bother to take anything other than your twins and quick draws.

Photo right: The Grand Diedre at Le Ponteil (photo: Jerry Gore)

My favourite is definitely Freeday (TD). If you are into posing you have to do it! The first pitch traverses across an overhanging face on giant buckets at F6a but with the right camera-angle it looks like an 8a. Perfect for an HVS leader who aspires to something a tad harder. Le Ponteil has 17 multi-pitch climbs on it from Difficile (mild HVS) right up to ABO- (E7). The views over the Durance Valley and west into the Queyras are a great antidote to office-weary retinas, and you will enjoy the sheer diversity of the climbs which include fissures, slabs, overhangs, chimneys and solution pockets. Have fun, but do use a helmet just in case.

NEED TO KNOW STUFF Guidebooks: For the majority of routes mentioned above, the bible is JM Cambon’s "Oisans Nouveau Oisans Sauvage - Livre Est". ISBN 2 9502597 6 6. Beware when using Cambon’s guides that 5 stars means very badly protected and not highly recommended! For information and topos on the 50 odd sport crags in the Brianconnais region use the FFME guide book "Grimper dans le haut-val Durance" by Martine Yann and Jean Jacques Rolland. The definitive mountaineering guide is the "Massif des Ecrins - Guide du Haut-Dauphine", Vols. 1, 2 and 3. ISBN 2 909907 24 4 The only guidebook in English is John Brailsford’s “Ecrins Massif” – an Alpine Club Guide printed in 2002. ISBN 0-900523-63-8 This is a select guidebook with routes on ice, mixed and rock in the Ecrins. It provides an introduction to the range, describes many classics to the main summits and a few of the more modern routes. Accommodation: For details on where to stay locally, check out Jerry Gore’s accommodation website (see below). It provides details on self-catering apartments and chalets for climbers in the Vallouise valley, plus information on skiing, climbing, hiking and mountain biking in the Ecrins. Jerry offers free use of local maps and guidebooks and is always on-hand for advice and local knowledge. You can also contact Jerry by email for route conditions and information (e-mail address below). Travel/access: Calais to the Ecrins is a solid 10-12 hour journey by car via expensive French motorways. So the advice is to fly to Turin via EasyJet or Ryanair and car hire from there. Transfer by car from Turin to Briançon is 1.5 hours and your own transport in the Ecrins is a distinct advantage if you really want to see the area. Food: Things are generally cheaper than in the Northern Alps and so eating out is not a bad option. Beware that this area of France is very laid-back. Shops are shut between 12 and 2pm (often to 3pm) and are often shut all day Sunday and Monday. Most villages have local markets but consult the Tourist Office locally for details. Seasons: For rock climbing, many ascents are possible in the Ecrins from late-April to mid-October. Check relevant websites for details but this area is renowned for its 300 days of sunshine every year – rest days are normally not an option. For high mountain rock climbs, the season is mid-June to the end of August.

Jerry Gore
UK climber, Jerry Gore, lives year round in the Ecrins Massif with his family. They run AlpBase.com, providing accommodation for climbers, walkers, skiers and snowboarders. They also offer bespoke courses on rock and ice climbing as well as via ferrata. Jerry is happy to provide local climbing information so contact him on the following:

• tel: 0871 218 0080 (from the UK at national rate)
• tel: 0033 492 23 45 69
• e-mail: jerry@alpbase.com
  
  
  
  

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