Mont Blanc - Face Sud

The most serious of all of Mont Blanc sides, featuring such testpieces as the Central Pillar of Freney, Gabarrou-Long on the Red Pillar of Brouillard and the Hypercouloir of Brouillard, as well as the ultra-classic Innominata ridge.

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Route List

1: Arête du Brouillard, AD+, Bressoud, Dittert, Marquart, Marullaz, 1933
2: La Classica Moderna, ED- 6c, Barmasse, Pou, Pou, 2011
3: Voie Polonaise au Pilier de Gauche, TD+, Kowalewski, Maczka, Wroz, 1971
4: Brouillard Givrant, ED- WI6, Bellin, Boivin, 1985
5: Voie Bonatti-Oggioni, TD+ 6a, Bonatti, Oggioni, 1959
6: Directissime Gabarrou-Long, ED 7b, Gabarrou, Long, 1984
7: Incroyable, ED+ 8a/7b obl., Cazzanelli, Della Bordella, Ratti, 2020
8: Les Anneaux Magiques, ED 6c/6b obl., Anker, Piola, 1989
9: Via dei Dilettanti, TD+ 6b A1, Bessone, Manera, Meneghin, 1980
10: Cascade Notre Dame, ED WI6, Gabarrou, Marsigny, 1983
11: Pilier Central, TD 5c, Dworak, Grochowski, Jedlinski, 1971
12: Voie Jones, TD 5c A1, Jones, 1971
13: Hypergully, ED WI6+ 5c A1, Grison, Mailly, 1984
14: Le Pilier du Bout du Monde, ED- 6b+/6a+ obl., Anker, Piola, 1989
15: Etica Bisbetica, TD+, Grassi, Meneghin, 1986
16: Pilier Bonington, TD+ 5c A1, Baillie, Bonington, Harlin, Robertson, 1965
17: Hypercouloir du Brouillard, TD+ WI6, Gabarrou, Steiner, 1982
18: Patagonic, TD+ M6 5c, Dumarest, Gabarrou, 2003
19: Grand Éperon du Brouillard, TD+, Gabarrou, Long, 1983
20: Éperon du Brouillard, TD- 5c, Bourges, Ducournau, Franchon, Mizrahi, 1975
21: Innominette, TD WI5 5a, Gabarrou, Long, 1985
22: Arête de l’Innominata, D+ 5b, Aufdenblatten, Courtauld, Oliver, Rey, Rey, 1920
23: From Dawn to Decadence, TD 6b+ WI3, Clyma, Harlin III, Payne, 2004
24: Abominette, TD- WI3 5a, Gabarrou, Profit, Tavernier, 1984
25: Pilier Dérobé, ED, Frost, Harlin, 1963
26: Pilier Sud de Freney, TD-, 5c Dubost, Seigneur, 1972
27: Pilier Sud de Freney Direct, ED 6b, Cartwright, Richardson, 1995
28: Directissime Jordi Bardill, ED 6c A2, Bardill, Piola, Steiner, 1982
29: Pilier Central de Freney, TD+ 7a, Bonington, Clough, Dlugosz, Whillans, 1961/(Bonatti, Gallieni, Guillaume, Kohlman, Mazeaud, Oggioni, Vieille, 1961)
30: Grand Couloir de Freney, D+, Abert, Afanasieff, Blanchard, Challéat, 1974
31: Variante Boivin, D, Boivin, 1986
32: Ciao Walter, ED-, Deniel, Gabarrou, O’Connor Croft, 2012
33: Directe Bonatti-Zapelli, D+, Bonatti, Zapelli, 1961
34: Arête Intégrale de Peuterey via Couloir Eccles, TD+ 5c, Hechtel, Kittelmann, 1953
35: Face SE du Grand Pilier d’Angle, AD
36: Arête SE du Grand Pilier d’Angle, AD
37: Bivouac Eccles via Glacier du Brouillard, PD
38: Arête SE du Pic Eccles, AD, Croux, Ollier, Mackenzie, 1895
39: Rochers Gruber
40: Éperon W de la Blanche de Peuterey, D, Croux, Croux, Jones, 1906
41: Éperon Central de la Blanche de Peuterey, TD-, Olliviet, Roulin, 1974
42: Voie Boccalatte, D+, Boccalatte, Pietrasanta, 1937

Sources

• “Neige, Glace et Mixte, Tome 2”, François Damilano, JMEditions, 2006

• “Mont Blanc, les plus belles courses”, Philippe Batoux, Glénat, 2012

• “Mont Blanc: The Complete Rock Climbing Guide, Italian Side”, Fabrizio Calebasso, Matteo Pasquetto, Versante Sud, 2020

• “Guide Vallot, La Chaîne du Mont Blanc

• Tome I : Mont Blanc

• Trélatête”, Lucien Devies et Pierre Henry, 3ème édition, Arthaud, 1973

• “Le Mont Blanc, Tome 2: Grain de Folie”, Michel Piola, Glénat, 1991

• Patrick Gabarrou

• Matteo Della Bordella

• Simon Richardson

• Dominique Roulin

• Philippe Gatta

• Stéphane Benoist

• Planet Mountain

• Camptocamp.org

• Summitpost.org

• Scuola Nazionale di Alpinismo Giusto Gervasutti

• Éric Courcier

• Jon Fearne

Updates

Aug 10, 2020: First version published.

Apr 25, 2021: major revision, with 16 new lines from 3 additional sources, most existing lines redrawn and graphical update with new colors and thinner lines.

Dec 8, 2021: 3 new routes (From Dawn to Decadence, Pilier Sud de Freney and Pilier Sud de Freney Direct), big thanks to Simon Richardson for his help!

Jan 4, 2022: 1 new route (Incroyable on the Pilier Rouge). Thanks to Matteo Della Bordella for the info.

Feb 19, 2022: Redrew and corrected two lines that were wrongly labeled (Pilier Central de la Blanche de Peuterey and Voie Boccalatte). Thanks to Dominique Roulin for the info.

Oct 12, 2022: Graphic design update

May 14, 2024: Graphic design update

Aug 13, 2025: Graphic design update