With Frank on the Grassi gully, Ailefroide Occidentale: autumn light, good ice and shared summit happiness after a long alpine climb in the Écrins.
Our adventures with Frank continue, and the impressive feats keep coming! This time, it’s the Grassi couloir on the western face of Ailefroide that’s getting a visit from our crampons.
Day 1 — Glacier Noir, Col de la Temple, and Autumn Light
Fall can offer great opportunities for long mixed-terrain hikes in the Alps: access on foot, days that are still long enough, and temperatures that aren’t quite winter-like yet…
After the recent spell of unsettled weather and the return of the high-pressure system, something good seems to be on the horizon. I’m torn: Mont Blanc or Écrins? In the end, the local option—for me, at least!—wins out.
We set out without any specific information about the conditions—just going by instinct. We were quickly captivated by the sight of the vast north faces of the Glacier Noir.
The climb up to the Col de la Temple, before heading down to the Temple-Écrins refuge, gives us time to crane our necks in every direction to admire these massive faces, which are as frightening as they are fascinating.
On this first day of the long approach, we’re taking our time. We’re pacing ourselves with every step to conserve as much energy as possible for tomorrow.
Col de la Temple, the setting sun, and wisps of clouds dancing around us… Enchanting. The autumn light is truly magical.
We arrive at the mountain hut at night. Our headlamps make the eyes of the chamois gleam; they’re enjoying a mountain almost completely devoid of people. On this Saturday evening, we disturb the solitude of a mountaineer who will set out for Coolidge Peak the next day.
Day 2 — Grassi Couloir: Ice, snowdrifts, and pure joy
We don’t get to enjoy the warmth of the blankets for long: we have to wake up at 2 a.m. Tough! Since we don’t know exactly what’s in store for us, we’d rather save as many daylight hours as possible. It might come in handy.
Two months after the Devies–Gervasutti climb with Ju, here I am again approaching this face. Fresh snow covers part of the scree and makes the hike less strenuous.
We’re making our way up the Long Glacier couloir in generally good conditions. A few sections where the ice is exposed still give our calves a good workout!
At 7 a.m., it’s still dark at the base of the gully. We decide to bypass the first pitch by continuing 50 meters up the couloir, then climbing to the left. A downclimb, secured by a piton, allows us to rejoin the route.
Once inside the gully, the good conditions are confirmed. The atmosphere is sublime in this canyon, tucked away in the middle of the great cliff face.
First key passage: the charm of the renfougne
We climb up a couloir to the first key section: a gully that starts off moderate, followed by a 6- to 7-meter section of narrow, steep terrain that’s difficult to protect with ice screws.
I spend a few minutes having fun chipping away at a snow cork. That’s the charm of the renfougne: no more than 10 cm of depth to drive the ice axe into. Not bad for working on my wrist swing!
The following pitches are less steep—up to 70°—with good ice that holds ice screws well.
After a section of snow slope, you come to the second key section, which is just under 10 meters long. The ice is thin but good... Then there’s a gully.
We veer slightly off the route described above by heading right onto the so-called horizontal ledge, before turning back to the left. This means we do a bit of mixed climbing (M4).
A short descent brings us back along the line of the previous gully, onto a snowy slope that continues into a couloir.
Climb to the ridge and summit
After a few slopes and short mixed sections, we emerge at the edge of the ice slab. We follow it to the couloir that leads to the summit ridge.
On this section, the conditions aren’t ideal: couscous scattered over the gravel. Time to really work those pedals! About a hundred mediocre meters out of a total route length of roughly 1,200 to 1,250 meters—we’ll take the hit.
The climb out onto the ridge, under open skies and in full sunshine, draws a few little cries of delight from us!
The couloir doesn't open up directly at the summit. We could start the descent, but to do things right, we'll continue along the ridge. With all this snow, this little detour still takes a bit of energy.
Reaching the summit. The doubts of the day before and the excitement of today give way to a sense of fulfillment. We savor these moments together. Our bond as a climbing team grows stronger, and our trust is at an all-time high. It’s working!
Day Two… sometime today
We relax and have a bite to eat for about an hour at our vantage point before tackling “day two”: the descent!
The route on the western Ailefroide isn’t exactly the shortest or the most straightforward. Back along the ridge, down the rocks, slopes, and couloirs, then a long moraine section—oh my!—all the way to the Sélé refuge.
Since we can totally picture ourselves snuggled under a warm comforter down in the valley, we head all the way down.
I’m heading out a little ahead of Frank to take care of a logistical detail: picking up the car at Pré de Madame Carle. Since we’re arriving in Ailefroide around 8 p.m. on a Sunday evening in October, hitchhiking won’t be easy!
I wander around the village. Not a soul in sight. Yet I could definitely see myself sitting in an armchair powered by an internal combustion engine…
Two hundred meters past the village, just as I was resigning myself to the extra walk, the divine intervention I’d been hoping for finally happened.
Behind a building, a faint light appears. I walk closer: one headlamp, then two. Beneath the headlamps, people. Surrounding the people, a vehicle.
I knock on the window. Not only do these two guys share our status as bipeds, but they’re also high-mountain guides in the Dolomites!
After sharing a glass of red wine and letting them finish their meal, here I am, settled into the much-coveted recliner.
Way to go again, Frank!
Some technical details about our climb
- Difficulty level indicated in the route description: TD to TD+, with a maximum of M4 and 4+ on ice.
- Approximate length: 1,200 m, including 500 m of passageway.
- Pins: Seven or eight would have been comfortable; we had six.
- Friends: We had brought micro-Camalots up to the red size, but a smaller set would have been enough under these conditions.
- Wired: not in use.
- Pitons: Two pitons might have provided better protection for the first key move and reinforced certain belay stations.
This information reflects the conditions we encountered during our climb in October 2015.
Practical Info / Route Topo
Day 1 — Approach via Col de la Temple
- Approach through the Glacier Noir area, crossing Col de la Temple in the evening light before reaching the Temple-Écrins hut after dark.
Day 2 — Grassi gully and Ailefroide Occidentale summit
- A 2 a.m. wake-up, approach via the Glacier Long couloir and entry into the gully around 7 a.m. Approximately 1,200 metres of ice, snow and mixed terrain, followed by the ridge to the summit. A long descent via the Sélé hut brings us to Ailefroide around 8 p.m., before recovering the car from the Pré de Madame Carle.
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