We’d done the Kuffner. Mont Maudit: arête Küffner (4465m) Date: 10-06-2007 Massif: Mont-Blanc Participants: Nico S. Horaires: est ce bien raisonnable d'en parler ici? Across snow. Through rocks. Ahead a few other ropes. I was a bit disappointed. I felt like I’d left my lungs below. It wasn’t time to be hanging around.We started up again. Du coup nous décidons de gravir l’Androsace au lieu de le contourner. I felt what was left of my energy drain out of me. We stopped just short of it to gear up for the climb ahead. It involves mixed climbing, including some steep ice and classic rock climbing. We had done the route in decent time but were feeling it now. The rope came tight with no sign of him exiting so I started to move. (Sorry Ed. It kept coming up lose around my feet. Heureusement que mon copain guide Fred Degoulet m’a dit que ça passait bien… C’est magnifique de grimper avec de telles couleurs.
A mid morning start had us crossing during the the hottest part of the day. Once I started going down I would instantly feel better. It felt like everyone was skipping past me. An exposed snow traverse brought us to a final gully. Also known as the Tour Ronde Ridge and the Frontier Ridge it was first climbed by a team lead by Moritz von Kuffner in 1887. There was a huge gendarme on upper ridge. I couldn’t believe I was finally on the Kuffner Arête.We moved up some easy snow slopes and through a band of rock. The Kuffner Arête – My First Alpine Experience. It’s a manageable grade but serious enough undertaking. Un itinéraire "mixte" pour utiliser le jargon des alpinistes, qui permet d'entrer dans le monde des grandes courses: réveil matinal (1h à 2h du matin), approche glaciaire de nuit, rimaye et accès raide, terrain parfois instable, gros dénivelé, altitude, engagement, cramponnage parfois délicat, passages en rocher athlétique, descente longue et qui demande encore de l'attention malgré la popularité de l'itinéraire, etc.A planifier plutôt en début de saison pour bénéficier de bonne conditions de neige là où on préfère en avoir (au contraire des zones de rochers instables et sableux apparaissant une fois la neige disparue...), l'arête Küffner nous gratifie aussi d'un panorama hors du commun sur le versant Brenva du Mont Blanc. … I wanted to stop and take pictures but Niall was having none of it. L’ Arête Kufner vu depuis l’épaule du Mt Maudit. I’ve often traveled over for long weekends and gone high with nothing more than a headache. Back down along the lower ridge we could see other groups behind. We eventually got to the bergshrund where the local guides have put in a ladder to aid people crossing it. The Kuffner Arête is one of the most aesthetic and airy routes in the Alps and is seen as the best route on Mont Maudit (4465 metres). The Kuffner Arête is one of the most aesthetic and airy routes in the Alps and is seen as the best route on Mont Maudit (4465 metres).Also known as the Tour Ronde Ridge and the Frontier Ridge it was first climbed by a team lead by Moritz von Kuffner in 1887. Ascension Arete Kuffner, Ascension Mont Maudit. Assez secrète car flanquée au fond de la Combe Maudite, l'arête Küffner est un bon mélange de ce que peut présenter une course classique de neige et de rocher. L'une des plus belles courses mixes des Alpes. Being completely devoid of technique or ethics I hauled up the thing with a couple of Italian teams hot on my heels. All that wold be great on a clear day.
Seul problème, nous ne sommes pas les seuls à avoir eu la même idée…Nous choisissons donc de faire l’attaque classique qui même au bivouac de la fourche tandis que les autres cordées grimperont la variante d’attaque plus loin. The plus side was we didn’t have to carry bivvi equipment and there was an outside chance I might actually get some sleep in the Torino Hut.It was a beautiful walk through some impressive scenery. Apparently the views are incredible, especially of the Brenva Face and the South East of Mont Blanc.During the summer an Irish Mountaineering Club team took on the Kuffner Arête, starting the expedition from the Auguille de Midi.Our party was comprised of two, Niall Hedderman and I. Arête Kuffner is a route inside of Mont Maudit 4465m. "Le mont Maudit est devenu plus raide et englacé en raison du réchauffement climatique. Minutes later we passed some more tents (same?) Himself and his equally fit client had just done the Arête du Diable Traverse and were on their way back to the Torino Hut.
We’d a breakfast sitting at 2.00am so the alarms were set for 1.30am. It was still only 4.00amThe bergshrund was big. What do you think we did?Some time later we found ourselves on the the descent track off Maudit through the spectacular seracs. Its situated on the south side of Mt Blanc. Moment magique en montagne, le soleil se lève. It is also called the Tour-Ronde-Ridge (Eberlein and Rébuffat) or the Border-Ridge . Appelée aussi arête de la Tour Ronde, la Küffner suit la crête frontière France-Italie menant au sommet du Mont Maudit. We put our heads down and made directly for the bergshrund. With the mist down this proved problematic. I was convinced Niall was trying to trip me with rope. It is amazing looking route and it is now firmly on bucket list. Out of range from anything that might have come off side of the mountain. We had done the Kuffner Ridge. I’d stopped on a snowbridge crossing the Vallée Blanche the day before to drop a layer and have drink. We’d been advised that the start from the Fourche Bivouac Hut on the lower ridge wasn’t in great condition. Monter et suivre l'Arête Kuffner jusqu'à l'Epaule du Maudit, descente puis remontée à l'Epaule du Tacul, descente au col du Midi et remontée vers Aiguille du Midi. This trip though I’d added worry. It must make routes so much more enjoyable. Here we’d a decision to make. It’s a daft hour of morning to get up. I nearly blew a gasket. It is a wonderful alpine tour via a not very distinctive ridge. After 15 mins or so we saw some headtorches coming out of mist, in what appeared to me the wrong way. The views onto the Puetery Ridge and down across Val d’Aosta are breathtaking. We also wanted to catch England’s continued quest to ‘bring football home’.