American Direct-North Face linkup

Maybe THE ultra-classic long rock climb on the Drus, and probably one of the best long hard rock climbs in all of Chamonix. This linkup combines the best sections of the American Direct with the upper cruxes of the classic Pierre Allain route on the north face. This is probably the safest combination, as the upper pitches of the American Direct have been damaged by the rockfalls that obliterated the Bonatti Pillar (though they apparently still go). This route is not entirely safe from rockfall, however, as the lower pitches are subject to occasional bombardment from the Niche des Drus (the small glacier on the north face), especially on warm days. The entire mountain should probably be avoided during serious heat waves due to the risk of further permafrost melting-driven collapses.

The route is usually done with a bivouac where the route crosses onto the north face (the classic bivouac spot for the Pierre Allain north face route), though very fast parties might do it in a day (though even pros frequently get benighted at least on the way down).

Before setting out on this climb, interested parties should spend a good amount of time on the internet learning about it. There are no modern guidebooks that describe it in detail (as far as I know), but reading about others' experiences and comparing topos can be a good idea. CamptoCamp is probably the best resource to start with.

The American Direct:

Approach the bivouac site at the base of the climb as described below. From the Rognon des Drus, cross the snowfield and gain a series of prominent horizontal ledges. Follow these to the right (3, poor protection, may be wet) up and over a high flake until you reach a corner system and a good bolted anchor. It's a good idea to try to recon this section the evening before the climb. After this the route is quite easy to follow with fixed anchors the whole way. Follow pitch-by-pitch topos that you find online (CamptoCamp has a good one). Move quickly, the climbing is straightforward but there's a LOT of it and the hard climbing is all stacked near the top. If you can simul-climb the easier bits, that's a good idea. The crux is the stunning fingercrack of the 90m dihedral, which will feel pretty hard at 6c with over 20 pitches of climbing already under your belt.

Exit to the north face:

Eventually you will find yourself at a bolted anchor at the top of a flake heading up and right out of the top of the 90m dihedral. At this point you have two options. The original American Direct heads right via a pendulum pitch. Instead of doing this, note a bolt ladder to the left that traverses in an incredibly exposed position over the 90 meter dihedral to a bivouac spot on the north face. This is the traverse used by the 1952 original West Face first ascent party to access the second part of their route. Hopefully a fixed rope is in place, because some of the original home made bolts have not survived (worth inquiring over). If you are planning to bivouac en route, this is the best spot. Snow that can be melted for water is likely here year round.

Pierre Allain Route:

The final 300m of climbing follows the classic 1935 north face route, which will have a very different vibe than the American Direct. Expect far more loose rock and trickier route finding, but nothing dire. If you've made it this far and the north face is reasonably dry, you will make it. Again, I really recommend consulting some different guidebooks for descriptions of the face so you know what you're getting into. Near the top, you have the option of passing through a narrow hole on the far right of a ledge system to finish on the sunny south face via a long traverse often accompanied by fixed ropes. The summit of the Petit Dru is well-earned, and also hosts some bivouac spots. Say hi to the Madonna statue!

Traverse to Grand Dru:

At this point it may be tempting to try to directly descent the Petit Dru, but that is loose and complex. Better to finish on the classic Traversée des Drus. There are good pitch-by-pitch descriptions of this online and in the Mont Blanc Granite Vol 3 guidebook. Nothing too hard here, maximum of 5c, but you might be getting tired. The Grand Dru is a lovely summit, but by the time you get there, you will have probably done at least 35 pitches of rock climbing (might have been one or two more for me and my partner). 

Descent:

From the Grand Dru, descend easily down the ridge towards the Aiguille Verte for a little over 100m, looking for a bolted anchor on a block that's about 2m high right on the ridge. From there a series of 11 or 12 (depending on glacier snow levels and rope length) double rope rappels leads down to the Charpoua Glacier. It's really key that you find a topo for them, because they swing back and forth quite a bit and the anchors can be hard to spot (but they're all good). Once on the Charpoua glacier, descend down and to the right towards the rock island. This might be non trivial, and the glacier can often be quite broken and require some sketch bridge crossings, steep icy downclimbs, or both. This is another place where checking in to ask about conditions with locals can be crucial. From there a trail leads a short way to the Charpoua Hut. The hike down from there is simple but long and steep, and it's probably a good idea to check an up to date map of the area to be aware of any potential closures.

From Montenvers, follow the climbers' path down the ladders to the Mer de Glace. Follow one of the ascent paths up the other side for the Flammes des Pierres, which have changed a couple times in recent years and are worth inquiring about before setting off. Once above the steep terrain exposed by the retreat of the glacier, a faint climbers path traverses back climbers' left towards a moraine that leads to bivouac sites at the top of the Rognon des Drus near the base of the route. Expect this to take 3-4 hours. Most people bivy at the base of the route.

Generally there are fixed anchors all the way to the top, ranging from solid bolted anchors to more old-school slung blocks and pitons. Bring a single set of cams to Camalot 3 with doubles in finger size through Camalot size 1 and a small set of nuts. No unusually large or micro gear needed.

Bring at least one ice tool per person for the north face and for the glacier travel (2 is excessive but could be needed during an off-season ascent). One or two ice screws might not be an idea in case things get hairy on the Charpoua Glacier on the descent, or if the Pierre Allain is unusually icy.

Double ropes of at least 50m are needed to rappel the route.