The goal was to make the most of the Bastille Day long weekend. We initially planned to climb the Dents de Lanfon, but the weather was too hot with the heatwave. So we changed our plans for the Pointe Percée via the Voie du Trou.
There were three of us: Léa, Marc and me.
The Night#
We spent the night at the Gramusset refuge. During the night, a roped party was rescued by helicopter—a particular atmosphere at the refuge that stayed with us until the early morning.
The Climb#
Day broke on what promised to be a beautiful day. After a quick breakfast, we left the refuge around 5:30 am and set off on the route.
The Voie du Trou is a fine classic, well known to climbers of the Aravis. You don’t climb through the hole itself, but next to it. You can catch a glimpse of Mont Blanc through the hole.
The route is well equipped and fairly homogeneous overall, with decent rock. The 5b+ pitch after the ridge can be impressive as it is much more vertical than the rest of the route. We finished up the slabs, to easily reach the summit.
The arrival at the summit is magnificent—easy, but you mustn’t slip. The open view over the Aravis rewards all the effort of the climb.
The Descent#
The descent goes down the normal route. You need to follow the cairns carefully and not descend too far. We were back at the car at the Col des Annes around 5:30 pm. A beautiful, full day, without having to rush.
