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Mont Maudit
Arête Kuffner
Last update: April 14th, 2002
© Copyright by
Rahel Maria Liu
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Mont Maudit with Kuffnerridge on the right side of the summit.
Directly behind of them Mont Blanc du Tacul
© Copyright by
Rahel Maria Liu
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Overview
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Type:
Mixed Climb (Rock and Ice) |
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Difficulty:
II D (Damilano); D, 50°, III-IV (Eberlein);
D, 45°, III-IV (Dumler) |
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Time Required:
A long day |
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Approach
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The starting points are either the Fourche bivouac
or the Biv. Ghiglione or the Rif. Torino or the Aig. du Midi.
1. From the Fourche-bivouac, you go over the ridge
to the last snowsaddle. Here the ridge starts. You need 1/2
to reach this point.
2. From the Rif. Torino, you climb in 1 1/2 h to
the Cirque Maudit, and from the Aig. du Midi in 2 h. For the
description of this approach compare the description of the main
page how to reach the Biv. Gighlione. From the Cirque Maudit, you
go up the firn couloir which comes down from the first climbing
passage of the SE-ridge. You reach the ridge while you traverse
the often difficult bergschrund and climb up the firncouloir (45°)
to the snowsaddle at the beginning of the ridge.
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Route Description
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Books (different valuations of the difficulty): |
1.
Eberlein
: D, 50°, IV (passages), mostly III, mixed,
500 hm, 4-6h only for the ridge, 200hm at the NE-ridge
(1 h).
2.
Rébuffat
: A long mixed route at high altitude, 800
hm from the Col de la Fourche to the summit; 4-7 h.
3.
Dumler
: D, IV and III, mixed, till 45°, 850
hm, 7-8h from the Biv. Ghiglione.
4. Damilano/Perroux
: II D. 600m (no. 79a). |
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First Ascent: |
2nd to 4th of July 1887. Moritz von Kuffner together with
Alexander Burgener, H. Furrer and a porter. |
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Overview: |
The Arête Kuffner is the SE-ridge of the Mont Maudit. It
is also called the Tour-Ronde-Ridge (
Eberlein
and
Rébuffat
) or the Border-Ridge (
Dumler
). It is a wonderful alpine tour via a not
very distinctive ridge. The ascent is mostly ice and
firn. The route is partly very exposed at the passages
which go directly along the ridge. The difficulties are quite
regular from the E to the NE-ridge. The SE-ridge is objectively
not very dangerous. It is one of the most beautiful routes
of this kind in the Alps (
Eberlein
).
Rébuffat
Rébuffat
: The Mont Blanc Massif. The 100 Finest Routes.
London 1996. P. 130)
The SE-ridge is mostly a slender flank. It goes from the
E an ice-field up to the left. You leave the rocky ridge on
the right side. Above, there comes a big cornice which
you traverse. Then turn around a huge ridge-tower to
the left. Follow the mixed flank to the NE-ridge on which
you climb to the summit.
If you want to here the judgement of
Rébuffat
: "The route has a fine red tower, the Pointe
de l'Androsace, flowerlike in that barren world, a reminder
of the four men, members of the Androsace Club of Geneva,
who made the first ascent of it. The ordinary route avoids
it to the left, but you can climb it if the conditions on
the Brenva side are poor, or just because you feel like it,
even if this particular ascent is scarcely in keeping with
the character of the rest of the climb. The ridge comes out not
on the summit of Mont Maudit but on the NE Ridge coming down
from it; you follow the latter to get to the Shoulder (4336m)
and Mont Maudit itself (4465m)." (Gaston
Rébuffat
: The Mont Blanc Massif. The 100 Finest Routes.
London 1996. P. 131) swarms: "This
is a major ridge route, mixed climbing at high altitude,
which could not be more different from routes like the
Ménégaux and Couzy Routes, or even the Mer de Glace
Flace of the Grépon; but this after all is precisely
the point of the programme that I suggest, that it offers
a huge variety of possibilities for all weathers, at all
altitudes, and that it gives a host of pleasures complementary
to each other, rather than negating each other. This
climb, the Tour Ronde Ridge of Mont Maudit, is in the
most magnificent surroundings along a frontier ridge (not that that
has anything to do with it), a ridge which separates two
wild and widely differing worlds: the Combe Maudite on the
right and the Brenva cirque on the left. You will move sometimes
on snow, sometimes on rock, and some corniced pitches can
be delicate. The route is long, but without major difficulties
and likely to inspire you with the wish to go on to do the
great high-altitude climbs like the Peuterey dominating the
skyline on your left; moreover it will give you some of the
experience necessary to fit you for it." (Gaston
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Ascent description:: |
1. According to
Eberlein
: You go up the firn ridge until you reach
the foot of the first high climbing passage at the ridge.
Go to the left the firn and ice field up. At the top, you
turn right again over the distinct ridge until you reach
a horizontal ridge passage with a big cornice. You have to
traverse the cornice on the left side (W) which is very exposed
(50-60m). You go to the foot of a huge red rock tower (Pointe
de l'Ancrosace). You turn around this tower on the left
side and reach a short ridge passage between the tower
and the following rock face. You climb up a little bit left
to a couloir on the left side of the ridge. This couloir is
not very distinctive. You continue your ascent via the steep
firn hang (which has a little bit rocks) until you reach
a little overhang on the NE-ridge. It is situated clearly
below the ridge-shoulder P. 4336m. You follow the NE-ridge to the
summit.
2.
Rébuffat
: "From the hut follow the snow and rock ridge
which is at first horizontal (passing a small gendarme
on the right), and then steepens into a narrow snow ridge
going up to the foot of the great lower step. Go up right
of the crest of the step by a couloir, then follow the crest
to a narrow exposed shoulder from which a short descent leads
to the foot of the Point de l'Androsace, which, along with
the small teeth above, is usually turned on the Brenva side. If
you wish to climb it, go up by a deep chimney on the right (IV)
which leads to a narrow platform. Climb a slab and a short
couloir to a ledge (belay piton in place). Slabs and a crack
lead to the summit. Abseil (20m) down the Brenva side. You
reach a snow saddle at the foot of the upper step, which is
fairly steep, ice, snow and rock. Climb this taking a line depending
on the terrain, initially to the left on the Brenva side to
gain a slanting couloir; go up this latter. Go back right then
left to reach the NE Ridge of Mont Maudit. Follow this passing
the Shoulder (4336m), then continue first on the Brenva side
and later on the French side below the summit tower to reach
the summit from the W." (Gaston
Rébuffat
: The Mont Blanc Massif. The 100 Finest Routes.
London 1996. P. 131) |
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Descent: |
Long glacier walks with partly very big ascents:
1. Via the mainsummit of the Mont Blanc: From
the summit of the Mont Maudit, you go down to the Col
de la Brenva while you go along the frontier crest. Pay
attention to the cornices at the Col de la Brenva! From
the Col de la Brenva, you turn to the right (SW), go up
the steep Mur de la Côte (mostly icy) to the less steep hangs
of the summit. You go around the both rock isles (Petits
Rochers Rouges and Petits Mulets) on the left side and reach
the summit in 2 - 3 hours. Descents from the Mont Blanc via
the normal routes (Grands Mulets or Gouter) or on other ways.
2. Via the Col du Mont Maudit (4345m) and
the
NW-flank (normal route)
of the Mont Blanc du Tacul to the Aig. du Midi.
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Report: |
none yet |
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Essential Gear
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1 or 2 ice axes, crampons, rope, slings.
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