Traversée de la Meije

Day 1 — From Les Enfetchores to the Promontoire Shelter via La Grave

The goal is to avoid getting lost in the Enfetchores! The ascent of the famous Enfetchores is an almost unavoidable prelude to the Meije traverse. After a gondola ride up to the first section of the Meije Glacier Cable Car at 2,400 m, a tricky traverse and a few climbing moves in the Enfetchores will give you a chance to assess the rope team’s fitness and coordination. We then reach the Meije Glacier; after a short glacier traverse and crossing the bergschrund, a rocky section leads us to the Brèche de la Meije (3,357 m). We descend its south face by free climbing, with a short rappel if necessary, then traverse the glacier to the Promontoire refuge, where we spend the night.

Elevation gain: about 1,300 m to the Promontoire mountain hut (3,092 m). Duration: 4 to 5 hours. Overnight stay at a mountain hut.

Day 2 — Le Grand Pic and the Ridge Crossing

No time to mess around—the climb begins as soon as we step out of the refuge at Pas du Crapaud, by the light of our headlamps. At daybreak, we arrive at the foot of the Castelnau wall, and then the historic passages follow one after another all the way to the Carré Glacier: Dalle Castelnau, Pas de l’Ane, Dalle des Autrichiens, Pas du Chat, and then the Carré Glacier ledge. A little more exposed climbing, and we cross the Cheval Rouge and the Chapeau du Capucin—the final obstacles before the Grand Pic, where the view opens up onto the ridges. Three long rappels take us to the start of the bypass around the Dent Zsigmondy. The cables then allow us to bypass the first Dent, along a long and physically demanding section where the altitude really takes its toll. Back on the ridge, the difficulties gradually ease off until we reach the Doigt de Dieu (3,973 m). After a bit of downclimbing and a few more rappels, we set foot on the Tabuchet Glacier. The path down to the valley is still quite long, so perhaps we’ll regain some strength at the Refuge de l’Aigle.

Elevation gain: About 900 m to the Grand Pic, then 200 m along the ridges. Duration: 7 to 10 hours to the Refuge de l’Aigle, then about 3 hours of descent to La Grave.