Grepon-Mer de Glace, Aiguille du Grepon, Chamonix

Aiguille du Grepon in the winter, photographed from under a paraglider

Aiguille du Grepon in the winter, photographed from under a paraglider

We finally got to go to Aiguille du Grepon East face to climb one of the ultra classic granite routes in the Mont Blanc range: Grepon-Mer de Glace with Sami Modenius and Cyrilde Pic. It’s a long, easy and beautiful route on a big and complex face. The route follows ledges and weaknesses and if one stays on a good route, it’s not hard climbing, more like fun 850 meters of good, fun granite. For me it’s been one of the classic summits in the Mont Blanc range but not until now I got to give it a try. Weather forecast looked good and everybody had the time so up to the Envers hut we went. We hiked slowly to save energy and not sweat too much. Our gardienne Eve took good care of us as always, fed us well and showed us our room for a few hours of sleep. Evening was beautiful with sun and the moon playing together and the night was cold and full of stars. Snow at the glacier was freezing so everything looked good for the early morning start.

Sunset and moonrise

Sunset and moonrise

We woke up early and hiked in the dark, being at the rimaye just as it was getting bright enough to see without headlamps. Rimaye passed easy and the first slippery and cold ramps took us well on the way, still in the dark shadows. Climbing was easy but fun, the rock good and route finding went well. We stopped for a second breakfast on a good ledge few hundred meters up to enjoy the sunrise.

Early morning

Early morning

Granite still in the shadows

Granite still in the shadows

Second breakfast on a good ledge

Second breakfast on a good ledge

The route continued nice and easy and the rock got even better. It was so much fun to move on a good granite with nice, constant pace and just enjoy climbing on a classic route with good friends. Nice, warm weather, nobody else on the mountain, good rock, good wibe.

Smiling

Smiling

Moving from one ledge to another

Moving from one ledge to another

Good pitches

Good pitches

Aiguille du Roc, Grandes Jorasses and Dent du Geant

Aiguille du Roc, Grandes Jorasses and Dent du Geant

Old trad gear

Old trad gear

Still a way to go

Still a way to go

Towards the end of the route the climbing good really good, the pitches steeper and after the legendary Knubel crack the Madonna greeted us on the summit. And what a cool summit! Small, flat with a rock to sit on and a madonna to watch over us. So nice! Thanks Sami and Cyrilde!

Sami and Cyrilde at the summit

Sami and Cyrilde at the summit

Finnish smile

Finnish smile

The summit with madonna, Mont Blanc in the background

The summit with madonna, Mont Blanc in the background

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