After our unforgettable Mont Blanc tour last year, we knew immediately: Next year we'll be heading back to the Western Alps, where you can climb above the clouds to the most beautiful places!
This year's trip was dedicated to the Italian side of the Western Alps - Aosta here we come!
We started in Courmayeur, a small, quaint town with an incredible backdrop that lives up to its name: Cour = court, Mayeur = mayor. From this we conclude that mountain climbing is a great way to prove yourself in all its facets.
If you take the Skyway Courmayeur up to the windy heights, huge rocky peaks and towers are already waiting to wind their way mercilessly up to the summit of the Mont Blanc massif. Right in the background we can see the Peuterey ridge, which we admire with great awe - but we would probably still need a bit of training for that!
The conditions are also perfect on the Kuffnergrat, which ends at Mont Maudit, and the Diavolo, which reaches its summit at Tacul du Mont Blanc. However, we have our sights set on the other side: the Rochefortgrat! A beautiful snow ridge that in places winds around the sharp edge of the mountain like rolls of foam. A breathtaking sight!
To acclimatize, we went to the ridge of the Tour Ronde on the first day, where we were able to admire the area in awe and get our money's worth with some fine climbing up to the summit. Afterwards we went to the Torino Hut, which is located directly at the start of the Skyway Courmayeur.
After a rather short but comfortable night, we set off at 2:30 a.m. towards the start of the Rochefort ridge. There was still some ice and snow in the climbing passages before the Dent du Geant, which made the whole climb a little more interesting. We found our way to the Giant's Tooth without any major problems. It towered magnificently into the sky as the sky gradually began to burn. We spent a few minutes there, speechless, taking in the morning atmosphere. Then we climbed the Rochefort ridge. We found the best conditions there and reached the Aiguille du Rochefort quickly and easily.
Further back we were able to admire the exposed ridge of the Grandes Jorasses. We stayed there for a while and then started the way back: a bit of climbing, a bit of abseiling and above all, as always: enjoying!
The next day we drove to Staffal to spend another night at the Gnifetti hut in the Monte Rosa area. We climbed to Punta Giordani - the midday sun burned our skin and there was no wind. We hadn't sweated so much in a long time! The arduous climb was worth it, however, as we tackled the ridge to the Vincent Pyramid. The rather unknown ridge turned out to be a real gift: beautiful climbing with a view of the fearsome eastern slopes of the Monte Rosa area.
The Parrotspitze, the Ludwigshöhe, the Schwarzhorn and the Balmenhorn (also called Rockia-Nera) also shone in all their glory. We quickly arrived at the Capanne Gnifetti and were greeted with a beer and homemade pizza. This hut is particularly recommended: TOP hospitality and food!
After a rather long evening playing cards and drinking red wine, we decided to pay a visit to Ludwigshöhe the next day. We booked an early bird so that we could start the long journey home early enough. Tired and satisfied, we drove back to Austria and will certainly revel in the adventurous and wonderful memories of the mountains in the west for a long time to come.
