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A classic ridge climb offering 250m of interesting and varied climbing with some excitingly aerial pitches. This is a ‘must do’ for everyone wishing to climb aesthetic granite lines in the Mont Blanc massif.
The Arete des papillons was first climbed by Henri Camere and Raymond dewas in 1926. It has been one of the most popular rock routes in the Mont Blanc massif ever since.
The approach is relatively quick from the Aiguille du Midi – Plan lift station making this itinerary convenient in case of limited time availability. However this climb can be quite busy so make sure you do not miss the last lift, otherwise you will have walk all the back way to Chamonix.
The climb is an amazing combination of slabs, cracks, corners and ridges which can be sometimes airy – in short, this is true adventure climbing. The hardest moves are 6a but you really need to climb 5c to complete the route as you can pull on slings to get through the hard moves. You certainly can not be afraid of heights on this climb as some of the moves while being easy and safe do feel aerial even for the following climber.
The descent is also interesting with some rappels and scramble down the Papillons Couloir to reach the path leading back to the lift station.
You have some prior experience climbing or mountaineering. You know basic techniques and basic maneuvers (belaying, rappelling, basic knots). You can follow French 5 (5.8) on rock and French AD in the high mountains.
