Mountaineering in the Écrins: two days with Alain climbing the SE ridge of the Grande Ruine (3,765 m) from the Adèle Planchard hut. A great alpine classic!
A 2-day trip starting from the Adèle Planchard refuge in the Écrins, to the SE ridge of the Grande Ruine. A short but strenuous climb (250 meters of difficulty with 600 meters of elevation gain from the refuge), rated III with sections of IV. Arrival at the Grande Ruine at 3,765 meters.
Long climb to the Adèle Planchard Shelter
After a day of rest, we stretch our legs to hike up to one of the most remote mountain huts in the Ecrins, Adèle Planchard…. The trail is long, and the elevation gain is significant. In short, you have to earn it—we’re in the heart of the Ecrins.
Fortunately, the climb is rewarded with some beautiful sights. The Valfourche plateau is one of those magical places that could have inspired beautiful Japanese prints. A flower-filled, tree-lined plain, surrounded by towering mountains and bisected by the Romanche River, which at this point is a translucent blue torrent. It offers a beautiful distillation of high-mountain scenery: untamed nature, purity, beauty…
The warm welcome from Adèle Planchard really makes the climb a lot easier!!
The SE ridge of the Grande Ruine—short but beautiful!
After spending the night at 3,200 meters, we set out for the southeast ridge of the Grande Ruine. It’s a beautiful, prominent ridge, bathed in the first rays of sunlight, which adds a nice, not-too-difficult ridge section to the ascent of the standard route.
The approach requires some goat-like agility, but once you’re on the ridge itself, the rock is excellent and the climbing is straightforward and easy to protect.
The atmosphere at the base of the nearly vertical face is a bit austere in the morning twilight. Fortunately, the route winds its way cleverly to avoid the steepest sections, and in the end, the climb is mostly Grade III with a few Grade IV sections to spice things up.
Once his early-morning doubts had faded, Alain savored this beautiful climb, and we wrapped up our week together in style with one of the most breathtaking views in the Ecrins!
See you next year
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