Aiguille de Rochefort
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Aiguille de Rochefort

13126 feet/4001 meters
Haute-Savoie/Aosta (Mont Blanc), France/Italy, Europe  

Last update: April 15th, 2002
   © Copyright by Rahel Maria Liu


Rochefort Ridge

Rochefort Ridge

 (Picture credit to: © Daugias )
Overview

The Aiguille de Rochefort is not the highest point of the famous Rochefort-ridge , but the most visited summit. From the Aiguille de Rochefort, you have a wonderful view around. The highest summit of the Rochefortcrest is the Dôme de Rochefort with its 4015 m. But it is less visited than the Aiguille de Rochefort which is located about in the middle of the ridge between the Dent du Géant and the Col des Grandes Jorasses. About 50 % of the mountaineers who climb the Aiguille continue to the Dôme.

The first climb of the Aiguille de Rochefort was on 14. August 1873 by the british climber J. Eccles with his french guides M.-C. and A. Payot. 3 years later, these 3 persons also climbed the Dôme de Rochefort for the first time. Not before july 1900, 4 mountaineers continued the Rochefort-ridge with direction to the Dent du Géant . This was the basis of the whole traverse which was undertaken for the first time by Karl Blodig and Max Horten from Bonn on the 2nd of August 1903.

There are higher summits with more different shapes in the Mont Blanc region, but there exists only one Rochefort-ridge. Although some people think that the Rochefort-ridge ends at the Aiguille de Rochefort, this is only partly true. Viewed precisely, the end of this ridge is not before the Calotte de Rochefort, 3974 m, the northeastern edge-pillar of the crest. But you can leave this summit, unless you want to climb to the Bivacco Canzio at the Col des Grandes Jorasses and to traverse the Grandes Jorasses the next day.

The Rochefort-ridge is dreamlike. It is as unique as the Bianco-ridge at the Piz Bernina . It is one of the most beautiful and worthwhile tours. Incomparable are the horizontal passages at the part of the mountain massif together with the very exposed passages at the firncrests which seem to be like knifes, seen from the Dent du Géant . Very attractive is the whole traverse of the Rochefort-ridge from the Col du Géant to the Col des Grandes Jorasses including the traverse of the Grandes Jorasses . The traverse in O-W-direction from the Col des Hirondelles to the Col du Géant is difficult and not often climbed. For this route, very much experience is necessary. The other routes, especially through the NW-face with its seracs, are climbed very scarcely:

There are routes for extreme climbers: for example the 700m high and 70° steep northwestface - a new route of Hermann Bratschko, Karl Schreiner, Emil and Karl Rupilius, climbed on the 25th of July 1932 in 12 hours. Or the 200m higher southface. On the 16th of July 1935, Francesco Ravelli and Maria de Benedetti from Torino opened a new direct route through the crumbling rock of this face. The Dôme-de-Rochefort-southface has been climbed by Angelo Piconi and Luciano Pasi in 3 hard days from the 17th to the 19th of September 1971: the "Toni-Gobbi-memory-route" in memory of the famous guide from Chamonix (first winter-climb of the Grandes-Jorasses-Hinrondelles-ridge, Aiguille-Noire-south-ridge, "Major-route" through the Montblanc-Brenva-flank). He died with the age of 65 years 1970 in an avalanche at the Sassopiatto (Plattkofel) (Dolomits).

Routes Overview

1. W-ridge/ Rochefort-ridge :
2. Descent over the glacier de Leschaux to Montenvers:
3. NE-face

4. Traverse Aig. de Rochefort - Grands Jorasses (4208 m)
  • IV, 6-8 h from the Col du Géant to the Col des Grands Jorasses; 6-8 h from the Col des Grands Jorasses to the Pointe Walker. 5-6 h from the Pointe Walker to the Col des Hirondelles, 850 hm, long mixed route of which the second part is very committing ( Rébuffat )
  • From Col des Grandes Jorasse to la Calotte de Rochefort: IV D, 5c ( Damilano/Perroux )

Getting There


1. To the Aiguille de Rochefort
  • a. You can come from the Ref. Cosmiques.
  • b. You can come from the Rif. Torino.
    •
2. To the Ref. Cosmiques:
  • In order to reach the hut, you need about 1/2 h from the Aig. du Midi. If you leave the cable car station via the bridge, you go to the Southsummit. On the firn ridge, you go down with SE-direction to an even ridgeplatform; then turn right to the S and SW-direction below the S-face of the Aig. du Midi. Pay attention to crevasses!
  • You reach the Aig. du Midi with cable car from Chamonix.
  • You reach Chamonix by train (from Martigny/CH or Geneva or Annecy - TGV to St. Gervais), bus (from Annecy, Geneva, Grenoble, Courmayeur, Aoste and Turin) or car from Geneva or Martigny (Switzerland) via Vallorcine, the Col des Montets and Argentière.
    •
3. To the Rif. Torino
  • You reach the hut directly with the cable car from Entrèves/ Courmayeur (Italy).
  • You can reach the hut directly also with the Helbronner cable car from the Aiguille du Midi (to Aiguille du Midi with the cable car from Chamonix ). Pay attention: The Helbronner cable car, traversing the Géant glacier, is mostly closed.
  • Or you go on foot from the Aiguille du Midi over the glacier du Géant (3 h): From the foot of the S-face of the Aig. du Midi you go on the almost even glacier to the Pointe Lachenal, turn left (E) to the glacier valley below the rugged E-face of the Mont Blanc du Tacul. You go along this E-face of the Tacul and the Pointe Adolphe Rey in order to loose only little height. Now you turn to the ESE to the Col des Flambeaux. From here in a few minutes to the Ref. Torino. It is a very beautiful glacier walk with 200 hm ascent. Difficulty: F.
  • You reach Courmayeur through the Mont Blanc tunnel from Chamonix.
  • You reach Chamonix with train, bus or car from Geneva or Martigny (Switzerland).
    •

When To Climb

  • June till September/October

    		•
    Red Tape

  • There are no permits or fees required. There is no seasonal closure. Only the Helbronner Cable Car is mostly closed because of ecological reasons. There is a big parking place in Chamonix near the Cable Car ground station.

    		•
    Camping and/or Accomodation

  • There is a campingplace in Chamonix .

    • Mountainhuts


    1. Ref. des Cosmiques (3613 m)

    The Ref. des Cosmiques is situated on a shoulder between the Col du Midi and the SW-ridge of the Aig. du Midi (Cosmiques-ridge).     2. Rif. Torino (3322m/3375m)

    The Rif. Torino has 2 huts, the lower and older one and the upper, new one. Both huts are connected by a tunnel.

  • the lower old one
  • the upper new one
      according to Eberlein :
    • with 170 beds
    • serviced from June to September
    • Tel. 00390/165/844034 (expensive)
    • internet: Rif.Torino.new

    • Mountain Conditions and General Information

    1. Weather Information: 2. General Information: 3. Train (Chamonix Valley):
      0033/450 53 1298 
       0033/8 36 35 35 35 
       0033/450530702 (train station Chamonix) 
       internet: http://www.cff.ch/
    4. Bus (Chamonix Valley):
    0033/450 53 0555 
     0033/450 53 0115
    5. Cable Cars:
    • Aiguille du Midi: 0033/450/533080 
    • Courmayeur: Tel. 00390/165.846658, Fax 00390/165.842347
    Maps

  • Institut Géographique National
      1:25000 no. 3630 OT (Chamonix)
      1:25000 no. 3531 ET (St-Gervais)
      to order at
    DAV Service
    cordee.co.uk 
    http://www.swisstopo.ch/
    http://www.ign.fr/

    • Books


  • Laroche/Lelong: Die Gipfel des Montblanc. Munich 1999.
    ISBN 3-405-15693-9
    (to order at amazon.de )
  • Hartmut Eberlein: Mont-Blanc-Gruppe. DAV-Gebietsführer. 9th ed. Munich 2000.
    ISBN 3-7633-2414-3
    (to order at amazon.de )
  • Gaston Rébuffat: The Mont Blanc Massif. The 100 Finest Routes. London 1996
    ISBN 1-898573-03-4
    (to order at amazon.de or at amazon.com )
  • Helmut Dumler/Willi P. Burkhardt, Viertausender der Alpen. 11th ed. Munich 1998.
    ISBN 3-7633-7427-2
    (to order at amazon.de )
  • Helmut Dumler/Willi P. Burkhardt, The High Mountains of the Alps.
    (to order at amazon.com )
  • Damilano/Perroux, Neige, Glace Et Mixte: Mont Blanc.Editions Ice 1996.
    ISBN 2950986803
    (to order at cordee.co.uk )