No results
No results
Arête N
Exit the A64 at Capvern. Take the road to Arreau and Saint-Lary as far as Fabian. Take the road towards the Cap de Long dam, parking the car at the Val d'Estaragne car park.
From the Val d'Estaragne car park head south-east, taking care to pass on the right bank of the stream (on the left when going up). Follow the path to reach the scree. Climb it entirely until a steep couloir, half grassy half rocky, leaving the normal route on the right beforehand. Once at the top of this couloir, climb the upper grassy slopes as far as the ridge.
The route follows the crest of the ridge, staying most often on the left. At first easy, the ridge gradually bristles with gendarmes and notches. You arrive at the foot of a step made up of bright smooth slabs. Climb this on the left, staying close to the crest (III/III+). Possibility of setting up a belay station. Continue climbing until two steps to descend (III+), the most impressive section of the climb. Two slings in place on good piton placements (June 2016), abseil strongly recommended, exposed descents. Then climb without difficulty the last section of the ridge to the summit.
By the normal route. Route hard to find. Descend on the south side (back to the summit cairn, head left following the cairns) the ridge slightly tricky (II), average terrain and exposed traverse just before the col, little protection possible.
At the col separating Pic Méchant from Pic des Toudes. Descend a couloir towards the Estaragne valley by a path, staying on the right bank (on the right when descending). Reaching a scree zone follow the cairns on the right to avoid the rock bands below, and allow you to rejoin the path leading to the car park.
- Access: climb as best you can the snow slopes / small golottes from the valley (steep - 50° easy in places, see attached topo). Reach the crest of the ridge and attack the rock.
- Descent by the normal route = north-west couloir in snow, quite steep in places (45° ?).
Pick a date to see who is going
Ascend Val d'Estaragne preferably on the right bank on faint or unmarked paths in the direction of the low point (2702 m) of the south ridge of Cintes Blanques.To reach it most easily aim for this low point in steep and rather unattractive scree from the small lake (around 2600 m)From the 2702…
Details →From the summit of Pic Méchant, which can be reached by its normal route or by Pic des Toudes via a traverse.
Details →From the car park, follow the trail toward the south and leave it around 2200 m to continue toward the south and skirt to the right the rock bars that close the cirque on the left.You meet a trace that traverses almost horizontally toward the north-east above these bars to reach a scree slope then…
Details →On the left side of the north face axis, three large dihedrals are evident, topped by a wide terrace of scree or snow and an obvious chimney leading to the north ridge.
Details →Leave the car on a terrace at the foot of a large reddish scree slope, the last one before the Estaragne valley.
Details →From the parking area on the D 929 at 2079 m, Val d'Estaragne on the right bank, at 2450 m leave the Pic d'Estaragne route heading south and climb the steep combe that opens at 2600 m into the small cirque formed by the ridge of Cintes Blanques, the couloir begins in this cirque to reach…
Details →
Source: camptocamp.org · text under CC BY-SA 4.0