Grand Pilier d'Angle
Encyclopedia
The Grand Pilier d'Angle (4,243 m) is a buttress on the southern side of Mont Blanc in the Mont Blanc massif
in the Val d'Aosta, Italy
.
The first ascent from the valley was by James Eccles
with guides Michel Payot and Alphonse Payot on 30 July 1877 during an ascent of the Peuterey ridge, although the summit had been visited on 20 August 1822 by F. Clissold with guides J. M. Couttet, M. Bossonney, D. Couttet, P. Favret and J. B. Simond on the descent from their first ascent of Mont Blanc de Courmayeur
.
The first ascent of the pillar (the north-east face) itself was by Walter Bonatti
and Toni Gobbi on 3 August 1957. Bonatti said after the climb that "the mixed terrain of the face was without doubt the most sombre, the most savage and the most dangerous of any that I have ever encountered in the Alps." The first winter ascent of the Bonatti-Gobbi route was by A. Dworak, J. Kurczab, A. Mróz and T. Piotrowski between 5 and 9 March 1971. The first solo ascent of the route was by Nicolas Jaeger on 3 August 1975.
Other well-known routes on the face include the Cecchinel-Nominé (Walter Cecchinel and Georges Nominé, 17 September 1971; the Boivin
-Vallençant
of 1975 adds a direct finish to this route) and Divine Providence (Patrick Gabarrou
and François Marsigny, 5–7 June 1984). The first solo ascent of this route was by Jean-Christophe Lafaille
in 1990, who said, "This route is the most difficult and involving in the whole of the Mont Blanc massif."
Mont Blanc Massif
The Mont Blanc massif is a mountain range in the western Alps. It is named after Mont Blanc, at 4,810.45 m the highest summit of the Alps. It is located in France , Italy , and Switzerland...
in the Val d'Aosta, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
The first ascent from the valley was by James Eccles
James Eccles
James Eccles FGS was an English mountaineer and geologist who is noted for making a number of first ascents in the Alps during the silver age of alpinism.-Life:...
with guides Michel Payot and Alphonse Payot on 30 July 1877 during an ascent of the Peuterey ridge, although the summit had been visited on 20 August 1822 by F. Clissold with guides J. M. Couttet, M. Bossonney, D. Couttet, P. Favret and J. B. Simond on the descent from their first ascent of Mont Blanc de Courmayeur
Mont Blanc de Courmayeur
Mont Blanc de Courmayeur , in the Italian part of the Mont Blanc massif, is the second-highest peak in the Alps....
.
The first ascent of the pillar (the north-east face) itself was by Walter Bonatti
Walter Bonatti
Walter Bonatti was an Italian mountain climber. He is noted for a solo climb of a new route on the south-west pillar of the Aiguille du Dru in August 1955 and the first solo winter ascent of the Matterhorn north face in 1965.-Life and career:Bonatti was born in Bergamo...
and Toni Gobbi on 3 August 1957. Bonatti said after the climb that "the mixed terrain of the face was without doubt the most sombre, the most savage and the most dangerous of any that I have ever encountered in the Alps." The first winter ascent of the Bonatti-Gobbi route was by A. Dworak, J. Kurczab, A. Mróz and T. Piotrowski between 5 and 9 March 1971. The first solo ascent of the route was by Nicolas Jaeger on 3 August 1975.
Other well-known routes on the face include the Cecchinel-Nominé (Walter Cecchinel and Georges Nominé, 17 September 1971; the Boivin
Jean-Marc Boivin
Jean-Marc Boivin was a French mountaineer, extreme skier, hang glider and paraglider pilot, speleologist, BASE jumper, award-winning film maker, and author...
-Vallençant
Patrick Vallencant
Patrick Vallençant was a French alpinist/skier and pioneer in ski mountaineering.He was a pioneer in ski mountaineering and leader of the French school of ski mountaineers. His motto was: "si tu tombes, tu meurs", translated as "you fall, you die"...
of 1975 adds a direct finish to this route) and Divine Providence (Patrick Gabarrou
Patrick Gabarrou
Patrick Gabarrou is a French mountaineer and mountain guide who is credited with more than 250 first ascents, most of them in the Mont Blanc massif....
and François Marsigny, 5–7 June 1984). The first solo ascent of this route was by Jean-Christophe Lafaille
Jean-Christophe Lafaille
Jean-Christophe Lafaille was a French mountaineer noted for a number of difficult ascents in the Alps and Himalaya, and for what has been described as "perhaps the finest self-rescue ever performed in the Himalaya", when he was forced to descend the mile-high south face of Annapurna alone with a...
in 1990, who said, "This route is the most difficult and involving in the whole of the Mont Blanc massif."