Aiguille du Midi-Via Rebuffat, from the Aiguille du Midi

Introduction

Description

From the cable car arrival station, you walk through the tunnel carved into the rock and ice and come out onto the snowy east ridge and, after walking down it, you reach the glacier plateau. You pass in front of the large and more popular south face of the aiguille and, after passing it, walk for a few more minutes in front of the south spur face until you come to a small snowy cone. From this, an evident series of easy cracked ledges (III°) branches off to the right, culminating in a stubby outcrop where you belay (1st pitch). Continue in the same direction, to the right, and with the same difficulties (III°) to arrive at the second belay under a wide roof that cuts a large part of the wall. Climb up a diagonal crack (IV+/V°) to head decisively for the roof just to the right of its most protruding part where it presents a sort of step: these few metres are the most difficult point to climb (V+/6a - A0); past this, climb briefly up a crack where, just before a long dihedral, the third belay is made. From the belay you move a little to the right and continue practically straight on a wide slab over beautiful cracks (IV/IV+) for two pitches to the fourth belay. From here, you take an oblique crack to the left, which you then straighten out to reach the route's final crack. Before the descent, it is well worth taking in the splendid panorama that opens up before us and which, from right to left, takes in nearby Mont Blanc, the Maudit, the Tacul and even the more distant Dente del Gigante and Grandes Jorasses.

The descent can be done with four abseils that start right at the end of the route, without continuing on the jagged ridge (Cresta dei Cosmiques) that leads to the terrace of the aiguille and thus avoiding carrying a rucksack and leaving it at the start.

Notes
This ascent should be considered an excellent alternative to the certainly more crowded south face, where there are also routes of even greater difficulty, but which at the same time often force climbers to wait at the belays, even for long periods, in order to allow those ahead of us to secure themselves both during the ascent and for the abseils.

Bibliography

• Vallot Mont Blanc Guidebook vol. 2

Cartography

• Monte Bianco Courmayeur, Map of trails sheet 1 1:25000, L'Escursionista Editore, Rimini, 2008