Taking on the legendary Aiguilles du Diable traverse

The Aiguilles du Diable traverse... A grandiose route I had been looking forward to for years, finally coming true in very good conditions! For several years I've been gazing at these 5 extremely slender and aesthetic spires every time I pass through the Mont Blanc massif, marvelling at these vertiginous summits and wondering whether they'll stay put much longer, given everything that's been falling down lately.

The time has finally come: we set off with all our kit to set up camp in the middle of the Combe Maudite, try to get a few hours' sleep, and launch the assault on these legendary summits, with the firm intention of reaching the highest point of each spire and sitting down on it (which most of the time means sitting astride a granite blade a few dozen centimetres thick, legs dangling over the void on either side).

Aspirations that were fulfilled: the route was done in exceptional conditions, still putting mind and muscles severely to the test, while instilling in us an inextinguishable wonder, joy and pride!

Lots of people out that day (12 rope teams by our count), but without it really being a nuisance. We're the first to start climbing from the col, with the Corne du Diable (which the vast majority of rope teams didn't climb). We then join the “queue” to climb the Pointe Chaubert, with 3 rope teams having gone ahead of us. Another wait at the foot of the great corner of the Pointe Médiane, then things flow nicely. The rope teams ahead didn't climb L'Isolée, and a party of three behind us took the Contamine variant. All in all, it was indeed very busy, but we had been warned and in the end it didn't bother us much (on the contrary: nice encounters and conversations while waiting).

With this fine link-up, I complete the ascent of all the 4000ers in France! My climbing partner played a decisive role this season, and I thank him abundantly. Only 8 Italian summits and 4 Swiss ones left in my sights to complete this great quest!