Text and pictures © 2007-2024 Guillaume Dargaud
Last updated on 2021/11/05
"Go, climb the rugged Alps, ambitious fool,
To please the boys, and be a theme at school." — Juvenal, Satires.
Left: Going up the Petit Arcelin, with the big one in the background.
Right: The Petit Arcelin. The climb in in the shaded part.
Left: Halfway up the Petit Arcelin.
Right: Dicey piled-up slabs, but good friction.
Left: The entire route moves sideways, staying below the ridge, so beware if there's a crowd of guides and clients up on the easier ridge route.
Right: Summit of the route on the Petit Arcelin.
Left: Edelweiss flowers are everywhere in the park.
Right: Big spider trying its luck at catching hikers.
Left: Shepherd houses or their ruins at the entrance of the park.
Right: Hiking up towards the base of the Vanoise Needle, above Cow lake.
Left: Vertical panorama from the Vanoise needle.
Right: A blue-eyed girl on 'La fille aux yeux verts'.
Right: While climbing on the Vanoise needle, the higher peaks in the back of the valley become increasingly visible. On the right 'La Grande Casse' is getting into view.
Left: Upper part of 'La fille aux verts'.
Right: Last pitch on 'La fille aux verts'.
Right: Summit of the Vanoise needle with 'La Grande Casse' in the background.
Left: Carcass of a dead mountain goat before the Grande Casse.
Right: Ruins of an old mountain hut in the Vanoise.
Left: Sleepy marmot.
Right: Horse wandering around the park.
Left: Portette lake, under the Pierra Menta.
Right: Martin leading the way on the Grande Parei, a ridge leading to the Pierra Menta.
Left: Rock field near the Portette lake.
Right: We combined two routes on a lovely day. It's been a long time since I last hooked up with a rec.climber, but there are still a few of them around, even in Europe.
Right: The 3 hour long approach is rewarded with an outstanding view on Mt blanc.
Left: 1st pitch of the route, after a tiny neve, even this late in the summer.
Right: Jenny at the end of the first pitch.
Left: Oops, I just went offroute, changing route after some runout on what is normally a well bolted climb.
Right: Higher up on the slab, with the Peclet-Polset hut near the Lac Blanc.
Left: 10th and last pitch of the route.
Right: Summit of the Pointe de l'Observatoire.
Above: Full 360° pano With the Echelle Pt on the left, the Polset Pt and the Dent Parrachée.
Left: Looking at the Corneillets from the descent.
Right: Cows grazing the rumex in front of the Corneillets. Below cheese makers sell their barely prepared fares to the passing hikers.