Around the Triolet
A lovely Italian outing around the Dalmazzi hut, finishing with an elegant traverse of the massif.
With Sophie, Els, Laurent, Philippe, Jérôme, Oliv & Tchouky.
Last week of the placement: we welcome Sophie, Els, Laurent and Philippe for five days in the mountains.
Together we decide to head to Italy and go up to the Dalmazzi hut. The choice of routes is varied and we plan to climb the Aiguille de Triolet via the upper Col du Triolet.
On the way up to the hut, the Titans wall offers a few multi-pitch routes to round off the day. I set off with Els on Genepy 2, a pretty slab route. The footwork is a bit puzzling at first, but Els has the right feel.
The next day, after a very short night, we all set off for the upper Col du Triolet. The approach goes well, but the couloir, in hard snow and rather exposed, takes us longer than planned. Laurent shows great tenacity to reach the top of the couloir: well done! At the col, the plunging view of the north face of the Triolet and the Argentière glacier far below is exhilarating. But the wind catches us and it is already late. So we decide to leave the summit for another time in order to have decent snow on the way down.
After a short but good night for everyone, we put our crampons back on, highly motivated. That day, we cross the Col de Talèfre to traverse the Mont Blanc massif as far as Montenvers. A great outing along a varied route, framed by beautiful faces such as the north faces of the Talèfre and the Petites and Grandes Jorasses.
The mixed weather only adds mystery to the landscape, which reveals itself in small touches. Our imagination completes these suggestive visions, until we are taken by surprise when the veil lifts completely.
The descent of the Couvercle ladders still has a few fun, even impressive, passages in store for what is just an approach walk.
The day ends with the descent of the Mer de Glace on good, crunchy ice that grips well: the crampons stay in the pack. The fine particles deposited on this ice make it melt, which gives it this roughness and reassuring grip. Beware, however, the day after rain, when the polished ice becomes very slippery again.
Another great week in the mountains: thank you to our four protagonists!
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