Ah, La Meije!
La Meije was one of the last great peaks of the Alps to be climbed and the first to be climbed only by French people. Prior to that, English men would hire guides to take them up peaks like the Matterhorn, the Aiguille Verte, etc. So it was with great pride that 19 year old Emmanuel Boileau de Castelnau summitted with Pierre Gaspard and son on August 16, 1877. Before then, many had tried and believed it would centuaries before the peak would be climbed. Each section of the climb has a name, often related to how far the previous climber had climbed. The Pyramide Duhamel was a kairn built by Mr. Duhamel himself, to show how far he had gone. During the first ascent, the crux sections were climbing in….. SOCKS! It was many years before the peak saw a second ascent. The Meije – which in local slang means “the south” because the sun goes over it at noon” – is still to day one of the most beautiful ascents in the Alps!
The weather wasn’t looking good in Chamonix or in Switzerland, so I suggested to my friend/client Floriane to drive south where the sun is (almost) always shining. I had done the climb in 2002, but hadn’t been back to this area since, and I was as excited to guide it as I had been when I first did it. We left from the ski mecca La Grave and climbed the Enfetchores to the Breche de la Meije and down to the Promontoire Hut. The climb follows a 900m long spur/arete to the top of the Grand Pic (3983m… the highest of the Meije traverse peaks), followed by 3x50m rappels into the Breche Zigmondy. It then contours the Dent Zigmondy by traversing into the north face and climbing up cables to a notch, and continues up and down the 2, 3, 4th tooth all the way to the Doigt de Dieu – aka God’s finger. How I love the names in the Oisans – Southern Alps region! Three rappels takes you down on the glacier. From there, the tiny, tiny, tiny but ever so welcoming Aigle Hut is only 30mins away. Day three, we climbed the last summit of the Meije – The Meije Orientale – and then hiked down (loooooong ways down) to Villard d’Arene, and hitched hiked down to La Grave. It snowed overnight and we climbed the Rateau the last day in full on wintery conditions. Here is a photo album to illustrate Flo and I’s four days in the Ecrins Range.
The colorful gondolas we rode to start our Meije journey in La GraveThe majestic Meije with the Enfetchore ridge below. We climbed the Enfetchores to the glacier above and on to the Breche de la Meije (Meije notch), which is the obvious pass to the right of La Meije Flo on the fixed ropes at the start of the EnfetchoresTraversing on the EnfetchoresCrossing the bergschrund right below the Breche de la MeijeView from the Breche de la Meije on the Arete du Promontoire: the bottom part of our climb with the Promontoire hut perched at the bottom of it. Floriane on the Breche de la MeijeChillaxing at the Promontoire HutThe many routes on the south face of La Meije. Our line is the red line, which goes up the Promontoire ridge to the Summit of the Grand Pic and then traverses the Dent de Zigmondy, 2, 3, 4th tooth and the Doigt de Dieu. It then drops down to the north (which isn't on the picture)Early morning light at the start of the ridgeFloriane on the Vires CastelnauFloriane putting crampons on to climb up the frozen solid Glacier Carre (square glacier)
Calf burning session up the Glacier CarreClimbing up the verglas (ice up) slabs to the Grand Pic with view on the Glacier Carre behindSummit of the Grand Pic! Yay! we're half way there!And here is what is left. that whole traverse to the Doigt de Dieu, the pointy needle at the end of the traverse. One of the rappels down the Grand Pic into the Breche ZigmondyContouring the Dent Zigmondy by following the cables in the north face. It was pretty icy and ever so cold with a strong northerly wind. Climbing up to the breche between the Dent Zigmondy and the 2e DentSomewhere on the ridgeBeautiful rappelsFlo sitting on the Doigt de Dieu, our last transition: putting crampons on and rapping down to the glacierFinally back on the glacier. The hut is only 30mins awayThe Refuge de l'Aigle (Eagle's hut)View on the whole traverse: Grand Pic to the right, Breche Zigmondy is the big notch, and all the way to the Doigt de Dieu on the leftYummy Panna Cotta made by David, the hut keeper. Amazingly delicious! You eat so well in French huts!David the hut keeperWe were there!We had to sleep in tents provided by the hut because the 18 bed hut was fullOn the Meije OrientalePointing to the Doigt de Dieu where we were the day beforeYummy menu at the Aigle Hut!How the hut looked back in 1910. People slept on hayLooking to the south on the summit we climbed the last day: the Rateau. View is on the Barre and Dome des Ecrins, the two 4000m peaks of southern FranceWintery conditions on the Rateau
I am taking Floriane into another amazing place this coming WE. Check back for more adventures to come!
