A slab leads up to a steep corner where you need to squeeze into a short chimney, the back-pack had to come off already. Arête Ryan Aiguille du Plan massif du Mont Blanc. The drop to both sides, the general increasing steepness of the ridge, and wider views gives a feeling of exposure and awesomeness. Apparently the first ascent by Lochmatter/Ryan was done in 12h40 from the Montenvers train, which means they kept about the same speed as us navigating through unknown terrain with considerably disadvantaged equipment and possibilities for rescue, impressive!Gear suggestion: 2*40m ropes, camalot no 0.4 – 3, crampons, ice axe. The East ridge of Aiguille du Plan rises from a series of massive bergschrunds off this little hidden glacier in the backyard of Les Aiguille des Chamonix. Ouverte en 1906 (Lochmatter/Ryan) elle reste aujourd'hui encore une course d'envergure ou l'on ne cessera de penser aux ouvreurs qui réalisèrent la première au départ du train du Montenvers et en seulement 12h40! du Plan rises from Envers de Blatiere Glacier, flanked by the Pain de Sucre and the Dent du Crocodile in the heart of the Chamonix Aiguilles. Clear skies and low winds in the Mt Blanc massif makes the challenging climbing an easy life.With just a few pitches left, the route takes off slightly to the left in order to find the weakest line through the steep shields of the summit pyramid of Aig du Plan.From the summit of Aig du Plan, it looks like you could almost throw a snow ball over to Aig du Midi. Apparently the first ascent by Lochmatter/Ryan was done in 12h40 from the Montenvers train, which means they kept about the same speed as us navigating through unknown terrain with considerably disadvantaged equipment and possibilities for rescue, impressive! This prominent ridge line in-between Pain de Sucre and Dent du Crocodile was first climbed in 1906 by Lochmatter brothers and Ryan, and later on alternative starts were added in adaption to the varying conditions of the glacier.We are reading in the mid-difficulty section of Rebuffat’s bible “The Finest 100 Routes” – that every wannabe alpinist needs to climb through in order to become an accomplished mountaineer – but the topo says little of the actual grades on the climb (D+, 500m, cracks, in Piola’s topo of Envers des Aiguilles).On paper it looks like a fairly easy day out, but coming across the video from The L.Theirry variation appealed to us since it avoids the cold and unpleasant climbing in Couloir de Crocodile, thus also shortening the time of exposure to rock and ice fall before reaching the key crest.
After a short scramble up this dry couloir, we finally had hands and feet on solid granite, gloves and crampons off, and ready for a long day in the warming sun.From the first pitch the climbing in not easy in big boots. On commence en direction du Nord-Est, avec l'Aiguille Méridionale d'Arves (3514 m, point culminant du Massif des Arves) au premier plan et l'Aiguille Centrale d'Arves juste derrière sur sa gauche. Arete Ryan – Aiguille Du Plan E Ridge. Part 1.
A slab leads up to a steep corner where you need to squeeze into a short chimney, the back-pack had to come off already. Having heard that conditions were good to attack this well recommended rock ridge, we thought we must take the chance since it is getting less and less frequented due to the retreat of the Envers de Blatiere glacier. After a short scramble up this dry couloir, we finally had hands and feet on solid granite, gloves and crampons off, and ready for a long day in the warming sun.From the first pitch the climbing in not easy in big boots. Getting there offers a quick download to the valley, instead of walking down the steep and crevasses Envers glacier to the Requin Refuge and returning by Mer de Glace to Montervers the next day. Arete Ryan, E ridge Aiguille du Plan, with L.Theirry variation in green, and 2 other options in red. As we were able to zig-zag through the bergschrunds the approach was quick and we reached the little secondary couloir (between the “rognon” and the SE flank of the E spur of Aig du Plan) before sunrise.
Although it took us 2h30 to reach the cable car, it was a good and safe decision. This prominent ridge line in-between Pain de Sucre and Dent du Crocodile was first climbed in 1906 by Lochmatter brothers and Ryan, and later on alternative starts were added in adaption to the varying conditions of the glacier.We are reading in the mid-difficulty section of Rebuffat’s bible “The Finest 100 Routes” – that every wannabe alpinist needs to climb through in order to become an accomplished mountaineer – but the topo says little of the actual grades on the climb (D+, 500m, cracks, in Piola’s topo of Envers des Aiguilles).On paper it looks like a fairly easy day out, but coming across the video from The L.Theirry variation appealed to us since it avoids the cold and unpleasant climbing in Couloir de Crocodile, thus also shortening the time of exposure to rock and ice fall before reaching the key crest.
Tout d’abord il a fallu franchir la rimaye. So reversing the Midi-Plan traverse was our obvious choice of descent. Superbe course de rocher en 4 !!!!!. arete ryan; aiguille du plan The E. Ridge of the Aig. July 2012. Gradually traversing to the right from there, relaxing climbing takes you to the key crest, where the two alternative starts join.