Grandes Jorasses – 4208m, South Flank – AD , 1450m , 13-15hrs
There is no easy way up the Grandes Jorasses. With it’s huge North Face and steep defending ridges, even the standard SW Flank route is a long and serious undertaking.
The Climb – A long, serious route with rock scrambling and some steeper ice/mixed ground near the top. Conditions need to be good to make an ascent.
Experience – Good quality alpine climbing experience on bigger AD 4000m peaks. Fitness essential.
Guiding – if you are interested in climbing the Grandes Jorrasses with a guide, check out our 1:1 Guiding Peaks week.
Much of the route is climbed in the dark, after a very early start from the Boccalatte hut in order to descend early enough in the day to find safe snow conditions.
The line weaves up heavily glaciated terrain and rock ridges, crossing a few areas threatened by icefall – the summit seracs in particular, can sometimes make the route unclimbable.
From the summit, the views of the rest of the Mont Blanc range are superb. The descent needs to be started quickly though, in order to still find good snow conditions on the south facing slopes below.