Aiguille Verte - Face Ouest

Between arête des Grands Montets and the north face of les Drus, the vast and steep Nant Blanc face of aiguille Verte is on full display for everyone in Chamonix yet receives very few ascents (and even fewer descents), due to its steepness and seriousness. There are a handful of classic, primarily the Charlet-Platonov (from 1935!) and Gabarrou-Silvy, and a lot of hard ice and mixed, with a bit of serac danger for added spiciness. It is also home to the steepest descent in all of the range, first skied by Boivin in 1989 and snowboarded by Siffredi in 1999, and only repeated a handful of times since then.

 As a bonus, you get the entire north face of les Drus!

Route List

1: Face N de la Petite Aiguille Verte, AD, Contamine, 1959

2: Voie Normale de la Petite Aiguille Verte, PD+, Estéril, Charlet, Charlet, 1886

3: Couloir Frigor, 5.3 E3, Bruchez, Charlet, 2013

4: Goulotte Moatti-Savary, TD+ WI4 M5, Moatti, Savary, 2005

5: Voie Gugliermina, TD X, Canzio, Fortuna, Gugliermina, Lampugnani, 1904

6: Cascades du col du Nant Blanc, TD+ WI4 X, Parkin, 2009

7: Violente Illusion, TD+ WI4 X, Autheman, Marsigny, 1991

8: Voie 1957, TD-, Buttin, Buttin, Rigotti, 1957

9: Variante Franco-Belge, TD- WI3, Croquard, Damilano, 1995

10: Voie Charlet-Platonov, TD- WI2 4c M2 X/5.5 E4, Charlet, Platonov, 1935/Boivin, 1989

11: Goulotte à la pointe Croux, TD WI4+, Franco, Revel, 1948

12: Goulotte Baumont-Cardis, TD WI4+, Baumont, Cardis, 1974

13: Descente Bonhomme-Bruchez, 5.5 E4, Bonhomme, Bruchez, 2018

14: Voie 1982, TD+ WI5, Miller, Richardson, 1982

15: Voie Charlet-Devouassoux, TD WI4, Charlet, Devouassoux, 1928

16: Voie Britannique 1976, TD+ WI5, Cohen, Collister, 1976

17: Voie du Loïc, ED- WI5 6a A1, Arpin, Pellissier, 1994

18: Directe Boivin-Vallençant, ED- WI5+ 5b, Boivin, Vallençant, 1974

19: Roulette Russe, ED WI6 6b A3, Babanov, Braguier, 1997

20: Tifenn, ED WI6 A1 M8+, Dumarest, Emonet, 2007

21: Directissime Gabarrou-Silvy, ED WI6 6b M5, Gabarrou, Silvy, 1978

22: Alpes Angels, ED M7 A1, TDolezal, Vrtik, 2003

23: There Goes the Neighborhood, ED WI6 5c A3, Backes, Twight, 1993

24: Goulotte Marsigny, TD+ WI4, Marsigny, 1990

25: Voie Brown-Patey, ED- WI5 6a, Brown, Patey, 1963

26: Sans Nom, Sans Âme, ED- WI5 6a A2, Parkin, 1994

27: Freedom, ED WI6+ M8 6b/A1, Henry-Amar, Lochu, 2007

28: Voie Tuccinardi-Schmutz, ED-, Tuccinardi, Schmutz, 1975

29: Voie Cecchinel-Stolzenberg, ED- 5c Av3, Cecchinel, Stolzenberg, 1976

30: Couloir Nord des Drus, ED- WI5 5c M8/A1, Cecchinel, Jager, 1973

31: Couloir Nord Direct, ED+, Accomazo, Sorenson, 1977

32: Voie des Polonais, ED, Kukuczka, Kurtyka, Lakaszewski, 1973

33: Voie des Tchèques, ED, Slavik, Simon, 1979

34: Directissime Jean-Claude Bertrand, ED+, Gabarrou, Long, 1986

35: Voie Lesueur, ED M7, Lesueur, Lesueur, 1952

36: Voie Allain-Leininger, TD+ 5c, Allain, Leininger, 1935

37: Voie des Guides, ED+ M8+, Feuillerade, Jager, Paris, Seigneur, 1967

38: C’est Arrivé Demain, ED+, Berhault, Remy, Remy, 1979

Updates

Oct 14, 2022: Graphic design update

May 18, 2024: Graphic design update