South Ridge of Le Moine - Full Route

The suspense over where Antoine and I are heading lasts right to the end… At 7 p.m. on the eve of our departure, all he knows is that he should be ready for anything! For once, a promising weather window seems to be opening up around Chamonix. So it’s off to the capital of mountaineering and tourism for our 2019 adventures… The first day’s rather mixed weather will be perfect for “just” walking up to the Couvercle hut.

Now that we’re both devoted dads, a beer and a nap will be more than enough to round off the day. Surprisingly, there are very few of us at the hut: we could almost be in some forgotten corner of the Écrins!

The full south ridge of the Moine: Chamonix climbing all the way

Up at 4 a.m. We set off for the full south ridge of the Aiguille du Moine, a lovely little mountain roller coaster… Right from the start, we get a proper introduction to Chamonix climbing: chimneys, wide cracks, awkward squeezes, “goat-rake” moves and all the other local specialities. The setting is magnificent, the rock lives up to its reputation, and Antoine is as solid as ever despite his lack of training…

After four hours of this little game, we join the classic south ridge, which still has a few spicy passages in store: some seriously punchy V++ climbing! Then there are slender pinnacles to skirt along some decidedly scenic ledges.

Six hours after setting off, we stop for a pose and a pause on the Moine’s summit monolith… Hallelujah!

Back to the Couvercle: al dente snow and championship napping

After a good break, the descent demands our attention for around two hours of chamois terrain, with a few abseils thrown in. Pure luxury: some al dente snow patches take us almost effortlessly back to the hut… It’s 2 p.m., so there’s still time to perfect the art of high-altitude napping and table tennis!

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