NEW ROUTE ON MONT MAUDIT
1. Name of the Route : Eperon Gousseault
Gousseault was a mountainguide from Provence, who died in 1971 with the age of 24 during the attempt of a new route in the northface of Grandes Jorasses.
2. First Climbers of Eperon Gousseault: Ivano Ghirardini (France) and Rahel Maria Liu (Germany)
Ivano Ghirardini (49) is mountainguide from Chamonix and Provence. He did the first solo winter climbing of the 3 most famous northfaces of the Alps (Eiger, Matterhorn, Grandes Jorasses).
Rahel Maria Liu (32) is a climber from Germany. She is writing her doctoral thesis in Philosophy at the University of Tuebingen (Germany).
3. Approach to the Bivouac Place (Col de la Brenva): Saturday, 27. July 2002
We started in the morning from Aiguille du Midi (3800m), traversed Col du Midi, climbed Mont Blanc du Tacul and Col du Mont Maudit on the normal routes. We reached Col de la Brenva (4303m) in the afternoon and spent the first night here by bivouacing.
4. Eperon Gousseault: Sunday, 28. July 2002
We reached the beginning of the route by traversing “Le Corridor” in NW-direction. The route starts on about 4010m. Eperon Gousseault is a very logical route through the SW-face of Mont Maudit. The first pitch is snow/ice-climbing of about 45° to 50°. The second pitch is rock climbing with a difficulty of UIAA grade IV. The third pitch is the most difficult one with rock climbing of grade V. The following 11 pitches are rock climbing grade III and
snow/ice climbing. The complete route is 300 m high and ends at about 4315 m on the NW-ridge of Mont Maudit.
We needed about 5 hours for our climbing of Eperon Gousseault. We started at about 10.30 a.m. from Col de la Brenva and Eperon Gousseault at about 12.00 a.m. We were back at Col de la Brenva at about 18.30 p.m., where we spent a second bivouac night.
5. Return to Chamonix: Monday, 29. July 2002
We returned to Chamonix from Col de la Brenva via Mont Blanc, Aiguille du Gouter and Tete Rousse.
Ivano Ghirardini, Rahel Maria Liu
1. Name of the Route : Eperon Gousseault
Gousseault was a mountainguide from Provence, who died in 1971 with the age of 24 during the attempt of a new route in the northface of Grandes Jorasses.
2. First Climbers of Eperon Gousseault: Ivano Ghirardini (France) and Rahel Maria Liu (Germany)
Ivano Ghirardini (49) is mountainguide from Chamonix and Provence. He did the first solo winter climbing of the 3 most famous northfaces of the Alps (Eiger, Matterhorn, Grandes Jorasses).
Rahel Maria Liu (32) is a climber from Germany. She is writing her doctoral thesis in Philosophy at the University of Tuebingen (Germany).
3. Approach to the Bivouac Place (Col de la Brenva): Saturday, 27. July 2002
We started in the morning from Aiguille du Midi (3800m), traversed Col du Midi, climbed Mont Blanc du Tacul and Col du Mont Maudit on the normal routes. We reached Col de la Brenva (4303m) in the afternoon and spent the first night here by bivouacing.
4. Eperon Gousseault: Sunday, 28. July 2002
We reached the beginning of the route by traversing “Le Corridor” in NW-direction. The route starts on about 4010m. Eperon Gousseault is a very logical route through the SW-face of Mont Maudit. The first pitch is snow/ice-climbing of about 45° to 50°. The second pitch is rock climbing with a difficulty of UIAA grade IV. The third pitch is the most difficult one with rock climbing of grade V. The following 11 pitches are rock climbing grade III and
snow/ice climbing. The complete route is 300 m high and ends at about 4315 m on the NW-ridge of Mont Maudit.
We needed about 5 hours for our climbing of Eperon Gousseault. We started at about 10.30 a.m. from Col de la Brenva and Eperon Gousseault at about 12.00 a.m. We were back at Col de la Brenva at about 18.30 p.m., where we spent a second bivouac night.
5. Return to Chamonix: Monday, 29. July 2002
We returned to Chamonix from Col de la Brenva via Mont Blanc, Aiguille du Gouter and Tete Rousse.
Ivano Ghirardini, Rahel Maria Liu
IvanoGhirardini-P8190011-av1.JPG)
ivanoghirardini-P7050018.JPG)
