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Plateau du Trient and the Aiguille du Tour

Plateau du Trient and the Aiguille du Tour


Postby past my sell by date » Tue Aug 07, 2018 1:21 pm

Date walked: 01/07/2005

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The Plateau du Trient is a large flattish area of glacier on the North Eastern side of the Mont Blanc massif.which is easily visible from height in Western Switzerland North of the Rhone valley
ADT00.jpg

Zoomed shot from the Gizzi Furrgu pass - The peaks to its immediate L are the Chardonnet and the Argentiere - both over 3900m

I first set foot on it in 1999 on a "heli-ski" tour where I met my Swiss guide Klaus for the first time. We landed by helicopter below the Aiguilles Dorées, skied down to the lowest point, skinned up to the col du Tour and skied down to Le Tour in the Chamonix valley
ADT001.jpg
Map of the Plateau du Trient
ADT01.jpg

ADT02.jpg
Helicopter landing below the Aiguille Dorées
ADT02a.jpg
Roc de Plines - a striking lump of Chamonix granite :)
ADT04.jpg
Looking South up to the Fenêtre de Saleina which one traverse early on the "Haute Route"
ADT05.jpg
Back along our track from the Col du Tour
ADT06.jpg
At the Col looking across to the Chardonnet
ADT07.jpg
Down the descent couloir on our route to Le Tour

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Several years later Donna and I decided to get Steve to take us up the 3540m Aiguille du Tour - a popular - but not difficult preparation peak for Mont Blanc starting from Champex over the border in Switzerland. A lift takes you up to La Breya at 2194m and then you walk up the Combe d'Orny first to the 2826m Cabin d'Orny where we stopped for a drink, and then on beside the glacier d'Orny to the Cabin du Trient at 3170m
ADT08.jpg
The Grand Combin and Mont Vélan from La Breya
ADT09.jpg
A rest in the Combe d'Orny
ADT10.jpg
Looking across to the Clocher du Portalet - a rock climbing peak in the valley. The impressive main route goes up the obvious crack, but includes a couple of F7a pitches - way beyond my capabilities :lol: :lol:
ADT10a.jpg
Cabin D'Orny
ADT10b.jpg
Cabin du Trient - modern picture - it wasn't like that in 2005 :lol:
ADT12.jpg
From the hut balcony looking across to the Aiguille Dorées
ADT12a.jpg
Slightly further Right - evening clouds come down over the peaks
We set off across the glacier early next morning - initially slightly downhill and then up - beneath the 3475m Aiguille Purtscheller towards the Aiguille du Tour.

Early morning photos on the glacier

ADT13.jpg

ADT14.jpg
Looking E down to the Col d'Orny
ADT15.jpg
The Aiguilles Dorées again
ADT16.jpg
Early morning sun on the Aiguille Purtscheller and the Aiguille du Tour
ADT17.jpg
Looking back again
ADT18.jpg
Donna and Steve heading up under the Purtscheller
ADT19.jpg
From just below the start of the rocks - 3519 m Aiguille de la Varappe ( highest of the Aig Dorées), 3412m Aiguille de la Fenêtre, and the Fenêtre de Saleina. Behind, the Argentiere and the Chardonnet
I can't remember much about the rock climbing to the summit, except that it was easy - not much more than a grade III scramble - and there were a few other climbers around.
Views from the summit
ADT20.jpg
The Aiguilles d' Argentiere, Chardonnet and Verte with Mont Blanc at the back
ADT21.jpg
Zoomed view across the Glacier du Tour to the Verte with the Drus (in shadow) directly below the summit of Mont Blanc
ADT22.jpg
Looking SW down the Plateau du Trient and through the Fenêtre on to the Glacier de Saleina
We retraced our steps first to the hut and then back to the car at Champex. a nice trip
Last edited by past my sell by date on Thu Nov 28, 2019 6:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Plateau du Trient and the Aiguille du Tour

Postby HalfManHalfTitanium » Fri Aug 10, 2018 7:57 am

Great to see these photos. I remember seeing the Plateau du Trient when we climbed the Aiguille du Tour from the other side (Premier Albert hut). The flat ice-plateau surrounded by spiky rock peaks is extraordinary. Like an Arctic sanctuary - right in the middle of Europe's crowded continent!

Tim
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Re: Plateau du Trient and the Aiguille du Tour

Postby past my sell by date » Tue Aug 14, 2018 4:48 pm

HalfManHalfTitanium wrote:Great to see these photos. I remember seeing the Plateau du Trient when we climbed the Aiguille du Tour from the other side (Premier Albert hut). The flat ice-plateau surrounded by spiky rock peaks is extraordinary. Like an Arctic sanctuary - right in the middle of Europe's crowded continent!

Tim

Hi Tim
We thought of going from the Albert Prem. but at the time it had a reputation for being a bit "grotty" and Steve thought this way was nicer, so even though we were in Cham.we took his advice
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Re: Plateau du Trient and the Aiguille du Tour

Postby dav2930 » Thu Aug 16, 2018 8:43 pm

Interesting report Tony, with some great photos. Love the sunrise ones and the one of the surreal Roc de Plines - looks like something Dali might have painted!

It brought back memories for me. Like Halfman, I went up from the Albert Premier side (I didn't stay in the hut but bivvied in the rocks above it - it was actually a very nice bivvi). I think I was a bit daft going solo across the glaciers. They seemed pretty benign but one young woman in a roped party did step through a hole with one leg and was struggling to get out. I went to her assistance giving little thought to the possibility that I might fall in myself. I managed to avoid falling into any crevasses and had a very enjoyable day. Did you take in both summits? I noticed a lot of folk didn't bother with the North Peak which is the higher of the two. I remember it looked quite daunting from the South Peak but turned out to be very easy. As you say, it makes a good acclimatisation peak for MB; if I'd done it before MB instead of a couple of days after, I might have spared myself some altitude grief! :roll:

Here are some of my pics:

ADP-Cham-95.JPG
Aiguille du Tour from above the Albert Premier hut


ADS-Cham-98.JPG
On the Trient glacier


AEH-Cham-113.JPG
Ascent to the South Peak


AEA-Cham-106.JPG
Descending from the South Peak towards the North Peak


ADZ-Cham-105.JPG
The North Peak


AEB-Cham-107.JPG
South Peak from bottom of North Peak


AED-Cham-109.JPG
Aiguilles d' Argentiere, du Chardonnet and Verte, and MB, from North Peak
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Re: Plateau du Trient and the Aiguille du Tour

Postby past my sell by date » Sun Aug 26, 2018 12:43 pm

[quote="dav2930"]Interesting report Tony, with some great photos. Love the sunrise ones and the one of the surreal Roc de Plines - looks like something Dali might have painted!

It brought back memories for me. Like Halfman, I went up from the Albert Premier side (I didn't stay in the hut but bivvied in the rocks above it - it was actually a very nice bivvi). I think I was a bit daft going solo across the glaciers. They seemed pretty benign but one young woman in a roped party did step through a hole with one leg and was struggling to get out. I went to her assistance giving little thought to the possibility that I might fall in myself. I managed to avoid falling into any crevasses and had a very enjoyable day. Did you take in both summits? I noticed a lot of folk didn't bother with the North Peak which is the higher of the two. I remember it looked quite daunting from the South Peak but turned out to be very easy. As you say, it makes a good acclimatisation peak for MB; if I'd done it before MB instead of a couple of days after, I might have spared myself some altitude grief! :roll:

Hi Dave
yes the Roc de Plines is quite dramatic - a Lobster's claw comes to mind. Can't remember doing more than one summit, but I'm sure Steve would have taken us to the highest - and there were certainly a few other people there
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