North ridge — Capu Larghia, climbing route | Pick a Peak
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North ridge

Arête N

TD 6a Edit route
Capu Larghia · 2475 m · Monte Cinto Massif · France
Time
15 h
Height of the difficulties
750 m
Orientation
N
Equipment
P3+
Free climbing
6a

A well-visible ridge from Haut-Asco reaching the western summit and composed of 7 teeth.

Approach

From the Haut-Asco car park, take the GR20 heading south (towards the Tighiettu refuge). Do not cross the Tighiettu stream and just before the footbridge, leave the GR by a cairned path that leads to the Trimbulacciu cirque. Access is gained after skirting a rocky dome to the right. Traverse the valley covered with alders and marked by dried-up stream beds, to reach the rock bands directly below tooth 1. Climb these bands as best you can (III). You then reach the foot of tooth 2 by easily skirting tooth 1.

Route

A cairn marks the start of the route.

Tooth 2

L14b50 mA few metres to the left of the ridge, spot a low-angled crack that turns into a dihedral blocked by the right end of a roof band. Climb this easy crack to enter the dihedral naturally and exit it to the right before reaching the roofs. Reach by steps a comfortable belay station 3 m below a tree.
L24b30 mFrom the belay, head in a traverse towards a shrub on the left, climb a fine crack just above, overcome a steep step but with very good holds and belay before the next step.
L34c40 mOvercome the step with a traverse from right to left slightly overhanging on very good holds. Above, the ridge narrows and you can follow it on the western slope while managing the pulling well. Belay at the foot of the next step.
L44b40 mClimb a ledge to the right and leave it to rejoin the ridge at the level of a shrub. Belay on a tree above, at the foot of a steep step on the right edge of which you can see pitons.
L55c50 mFollow the pitons (two side by side, then a higher piton) in a slab that allows you to bypass the step, climb the steps that follow and belay below the summit.

Easy downclimb (III) on the south-eastern slope to reach the foot of tooth 3.

Tooth 3

L66a45 mJust to the right of the notch, climb the dihedral in its entirety to a shoulder (do not exit it to the left before the 45 m). One piton mid-pitch, one cam jammed at the start. A continuous pitch with two steeper sections: one good protectable section on cam at the very start, another section after the piton. Belay at the shoulder: one piton in place to be completed.
L75b30 mTraverse on a flake (sounding somewhat hollow) from left to right to reach an easy crack and attain a platform below the summit. Belay on a block. Note: to reach the left end of the flake, traverse from the belay towards the left (descending at first seems less committing and easier).

Downclimb 2 m on the eastern slope to reach a ledge where you find a rappel belay (spit + piton). Abseil 20 m.

Tooth 4

L84a40 mReach a couloir on the western slope by a slight downclimb and climb it to the ridge line where you belay. Fair rock.
L95a35 mOvercome a small step on the ridge then the easy steps (many shrubs) and belay on a tree reached by a small move.
L104c25 mClimb the succession of steps that allows you to access the summit of tooth 4 where you find a belay (on a natural).

Abseil 40 m (see the "Remarks" section below).

Tooth 5

L115c50 mClimb onto a small platform to the right of the notch and ascend diagonally to the left a line of cracks that leads to an inclined ramp towards the right (two pitons) that you follow to its exit onto a ledge where you belay.
L126a40 mReach the foot of a piton-protected dihedral (4 pitons) that you climb and exit to the right onto a ledge where you belay.
L136a45 mFollow the ledge to the right interspersed with steps that ends in an exposed traverse. Belay on 2 pitons (which you can still complement) quite uncomfortable, situated to the right of a piton-protected ramp that heads to the left.
L145c20 mClimb the ramp (2 pitons) and continue in fair rock (another piton).
L154b40 mAvoid the last step to the left.

Downclimb (III+) towards the south-east to the basin at the foot of teeth 6 and 7. Skirt tooth 6 to the east and reach the foot of tooth 7.

Tooth 7

L16-184c120 mReach the ridge by a line of weakness to the left and follow it to the foot of the summit facet overtopped by overhangs. Well feasible with rope tight, one piton on the ridge line to possibly make an intermediate belay.
L165c50 mTo overcome the summit facet, first climb a slab (protectable in a traverse from right to left) then possibly a fine crack to the left that leads to a ledge. You then climb another fine crack with a piton at the start of the difficulties. This crack leads onto the wide ledge below the overhangs. Then traverse to the left to exit at the easiest.

Reach the summit.

Descent

Traverse the ridge towards the south and reach the top of the normal route by a 10 m descent in a couloir on the western slope. You find a belay there. Descend the dihedral of the normal route (III) on the eastern slope. You arrive south of the Félix notch (enormous crenellation between the two eastern and western summits of Capu Larghia). Cross this notch to descend its northern slope. Reach the basin at the foot of teeth 6 and 7 then traverse eastwards to a small col that allows you to reach the next valley (issuing from the Vallon col, 2380 m on the IGN map). Descend it as best you can (many cairns) and rejoin the approach at approximately the altitude of the foot of tooth 2.

Gear

2×50 m rope, full set of cams (at least 0.3 to 3) and wedges, slings, cord to possibly reinforce rappel belays.

Remarks

The topo above results from a climb made on 24/06/2022 (after a first attempt on 15/06/2022) with the topo "Grandes voies de Corse" 2021 edition. The latter describes the route well and only four small criticisms (hopefully constructive) are made below.

  • The approach information in the "Grandes voies de Corse" topo (description + photo with traced route) for crossing the first rock bands that form the right bank of the Trimbulacciu cirque are hard to understand. What we have described above quite vaguely is a cairned path that traverses directly the valley covered with alders (bottom of the Trimbulacciu cirque south of the rocky dome) and leads to the foot of the rock bands that must be crossed (with some freedom to the imagination) to find cairns again at their top.
  • In the "Grandes voies de Corse" topo, the first pitch of tooth 2 mentions a slightly overhanging crack followed by a small dihedral, which might suggest an alternative start on the ridge line (start as far right as possible): this seems harder than 4b...
  • The belay R13 on pitons not mentioned in the "Grandes voies de Corse" topo is not very comfortable and it may be possible to include the ramp of L14 at the end of L13: this is what is described in "Les 100 plus belles..." but that remains to be confirmed.
  • Small question about the rappel belay for the descent of tooth 4: the 2015 and 2021 editions of the "Grandes voies de Corse" topo describe two different approaches to a belay with "rappel ring". Seen from tooth 5, there does seem to be a belay towards the east and this may be what is described in the 2015 edition but access seems complicated... Following the 2021 edition, we briefly searched to the west but found nothing. We fell directly onto the summit with a belay on a natural (already set up on 15/06/2022) which we used twice to abseil. If regulars know the approach to a more secure rappel, I invite them to contribute... Finally, "Les 100 plus belles..." indicates downclimbing tooth 4 (III+): that still seems very steep...

Remarks on the descent

  • During the descent from the summit, a belay is visible in a couloir on the eastern slope: is this the one described in the "Grandes voies de Corse" topo that allows you to reach the Félix notch by rappel?
  • The last part of the descent to rejoin the valley covered with alders south of the rocky dome requires a small downclimb: during the approach, carefully note this passage which will be the last difficulty after a more or less long day in the mountains.
  • The "Grandes voies de Corse" topo seems to indicate an end of descent that would continue in the valley issuing from the Vallon col and would downclimb other rock bands to rejoin the valley covered with alders. If that is better, it remains to be described...
  • "Les 100 plus belles..." proposes to cross the ridge not at the level of the Félix notch but at the level of the Vallon col.

Possible escape routes

  • At the notch between teeth 4 and 5, you can descend its eastern slope and rejoin the approach at the foot of tooth 2. See the descent from 15/06/2022 for a description of this possible retreat but quite laborious. The eastern slopes of the previous notches look even less inviting. Can they be descended? What about the western slopes?
  • After the downclimb of tooth 5, you find yourself in the basin (at the foot of teeth 6 and 7) mentioned in the descent.

Possible extensions

"Les 100 plus belles..." describes the climb of tooth 1. Always according to this topo, the ascent of tooth 6 is a priori possible (without details on the route, nor grade, nor descent description).

Route history

First ascent: 5 June 1954 (according to "Grandes voies de Corse") or 1964 (according to "Les 100 plus belles...") - H. Bruck and A. Rother.

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    More routes on Capu Larghia

    West summit - Normal route south face

    PD+ 3c
    ↗ 800 m

    Starting from the Tighjettu hut, take the GR20 north, then, around 1950 m altitude, bear left to climb straight towards Capu Larghja, with the Félix notch clearly visible. Climb as best you can via a succession of slabs, terraces and ledges that are rather easy, aiming rather to the right, until…

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    Capu Larghia
    Capu Larghia Pierre Bona / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

    Source: camptocamp.org · text under CC BY-SA 4.0