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Petit Viking

WI4 M3, Trad, Mixed, Ice, Alpine, 1500 ft (455 m), 12 pitches, Grade III,  Avg: 4 from 1 vote
FA: C. Profit, D. Radigue, S. Tavernier. June 1984
International > Europe > France > .Snow, Ice & Mixed > Mont Blanc Range > Argentière Basin

Description

When a mountain project user completes this route they should submit a route description. I have not yet climbed this route, but I do have a useful beta photo to add that may help future aspirants (and hopefully myself). 

I've gone into Argentiere on a number of occasions and did not find enough ice to climb this thing, but on a recent tour I thought I saw it in good shape and snapped a photo. I didn't have time to come back and climb it myself but I shared it with someone else who did climb it and reported "the first two pitches + the bergschrund were a challenge: super dry conditions before reaching the ice in the gully". When I asked "was the gully any good" the guy reported "yes it was!". I'm posting this photo as a record of what the route can look like when it's in.

Note, the bergshrund is reportedly often the crux. You can hopefully get a clear photo of the shrund here, which in these conditions was passable.

Location

Back of argentiere glacier on Pointe Domino. The most obvious ice line that follows a dihedral to its top and snow/ice to the summit.

Protection

2x 60 ropes, couple pins, handful of cams, screws, i.e. typical chamonix alpine mixed rack

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Photo of the route in climbable conditions, Dec 20, 2023. Bergschrund and first two pitches here were reportedly "a challenge: super dry". Ice was good though.
[Hide Photo] Photo of the route in climbable conditions, Dec 20, 2023. Bergschrund and first two pitches here were reportedly "a challenge: super dry". Ice was good though.
Back of Argentiere Glacier Dec 20, 2023. Pointe Domino center
[Hide Photo] Back of Argentiere Glacier Dec 20, 2023. Pointe Domino center