Mountaineering in the Ecrins Massif

Classic Snow, Rock and Mixed Climbs

Mountaineering in the Ecrins Massif showcases the Ecrins› most beautiful
summits through a selection of the area’s best lower grade snow, rock and
mixed climbs.

Authors Frederic Chevaillot, Paul Grobel and Jean-Rene Minelli have chosen 25
classic Ecrins routes – graded between F and AD – that have come to be
regarded as classics due to their quality, their altitude or, simply, their
easy access.

These routes provide the essential pleasures of mountaineering: getting off
the beaten track, enjoying the pure mountain air and delighting in the charms
of the high mountains. Most of these routes are at the boundary between hiking
and technical alpinism and should be within the capabilities of any fit hiker-
mountaineer.

Routes and peaks featured include: the Aiguille du Goleon; the north ridge of
the Aiguille Dibona; the south ridge of Pic Coolidge; the north-east face of
the Meije Orientale; and the traverse of the Barre des Ecrins ridge, plus many
more.

Each route features a detailed and comprehensive route description, a sketch
map and a route summary detailing the start point, difficulty, timings, height
gain, best time of year and the gear required. A conscious decision was made
to limit the selection to relatively easy climbs, and so the routes described
in this book – a mere fraction of the climbs in the magnificent Ecrins Massif
– should be within the capabilities of almost all mountaineers.