For the last day of photo shoot for Berghaus and the Gore-Tex Active Shell, Anna Gatta, Jon Griffith, Will Sim and I went to the Rochefort Ridge (Arete de Rochefort). We left Torino hut early to be on the ridge before the sunrise. On the way to the “Salle a Manger”, Jon took some amazing photos with the full moon and then on the ridge too.
The Rochefort Ridge is graded: AD / III / 45. 600 m
Anna and Philippe on the top of the Couloir under the full moon (Photo J. Griffith)
Arête de Rochefort / Rochefort ridge (© P. Gatta)
Access: From the Torino hut cross the glacier du Géant, let the col du Géant on the right and climb a snow slope followed by a couloir to a pass on the right of a Gendarme (rocky tower). Join and follow the ridge. Avoid another Gendarme by the right and follow the ridge to the Salle à Manger.
Sunrise at the base of Dent du Geant. The moon over Mont Blanc du Tacul. Mont Maudit and Mont Blanc on the left (Photo J. Griffith)
On the Rochefort ridge (Photo J. Griffith)
Arête de Rochefort / Rochefort ridge: follow the ridge, sometimes very narrow to the point 3 933 m. Descend for about 20 meters, cross a rocky point to the right. Continue to the bottom of the Aiguille and climb a couloir on the right (1st pitch). Join the top of Aiguille de Rochefort in 2 pitches, on the left first, then along the ridge.
On the Rochefort ridge, Dent du Geant (Photo J. Griffith)
Climbing a pinnacle rock (Photo J. Griffith)
More photos and information on Rochefort Ridge
Informations et photos (en Français) sur Arête de Rochefort