Mont Blanc – The Finest Routes

Mont Blanc – The Finest Routes is a collection of the 100 must-do climbing
routes in the Mont Blanc Massif.

Modern alpinism is a multi-faceted activity for which the Mont Blanc Massif is
the perfect playground. Classic routes to which every mountaineer can aspire
are surrounded by the towering rock faces, huge mixed walls, precipitous ice
shields, serrated ridges and narrow gullies that define the massif`s harder
climbs.

In order to attain these prestigious summits via the most interesting
itineraries, this book presents a modern selection of 100 must-do routes,
ranging from historic classics to more recent lines, described in order of
increasing difficulty.

Author and mountain guide Philippe Batoux provides a comprehensive account of
each route, outlining its history and atmosphere and giving all the technical
information needed to climb it. These written descriptions are complemented by
photo diagrams and detailed topos. In addition, every route is illustrated
with superbly evocative photos that make best use of the book`s large format.

The routes were chosen for the quality of the rock, the reliability of the in-
situ gear, the beauty of the surroundings, the prestige of the summit and the
enthusiasm the route inspires.

Preference has been given to routes in the modern idiom, whether they are
gullies that only form in winter, difficult free climbs on high-altitude
cliffs, long ridge scrambles or traverses of major summits. There are routes
here for all tastes, from famous classics such as the Cosmiques Ridge on the
Aiguille du Midi, the American Direct on the Petit Dru, the Whymper Couloir on
the Aiguille Verte, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses and the Kuffner
Ridge on Mont Maudit to more recent gems such as Je t`ai conquis, Je t`adore
on Pointe L`Epiney, No Siesta on the Grandes Jorasses and Le Vent du Dragon on
the Aiguille du Midi.