South Ridge of Pic du Glacier Blanc

After a five-year hiatus, I’m reunited with Antoine, with whom I’ve already completed several beautiful climbs in the Ecrins and the Monte Rosa over the past 15 years.

The PDB at Aiguille Pierre Estienne

To get him back into the swing of things, we spent the afternoon climbing the PDB route on the Aiguille Pierre Estienne, a very pretty little mountain climb that’s ideal for climbing in big shoes. Three to four pitches of climbing on a fairly steep wall lead to a very scenic summit ridge. The route as a whole is never very difficult, and Antoine fully enjoys this beautiful hike in a breathtaking setting.

A quiet evening at the Glacier Blanc mountain hut, which was completely deserted on this weekday.

The South Ridge of Pic du Glacier Blanc

We set off around 4:45 a.m. toward the south ridge of the Pic du Glacier Blanc, one of the area’s classic routes—and rightly so…

Another climbing party shares our goal, but we won’t get in each other’s way at all. Antoine is incredibly efficient on this terrain, and our progress is smooth—mostly on a tight rope—interspersed with short pitches and two rappels to cross the gaps. This climb offers unique views of the Barre des Ecrins.

We reached the summit around 8:45 a.m.—a T-shirt is a must on this glorious day!

Antoine is thrilled with this lovely little return hike, which didn’t present too much of a challenge. He’s the kind of person who doesn’t need to push himself to the limit to enjoy the mountains.

Thank you, Antoine, for placing your trust in me again. See you soon to continue the story….