First Ascent of a 17-Pitch Alpine WI6 M7+
This is Baptiste Obino's second major new alpine route in France this month
A new 700-metre 17-pitch route has been opened on the north face of Roche d’Alvau in the French Alps called Ç’Alvau l’coup by Baptiste Obino and Martin De Truchis. They graded it ED+ 6a WI6, M7+.
Obino told Montagnes Magazine that he spotted the line last year when climbing in the area. The approach took four hours on skis to the base. They then spent three days making the first ascent of the route, which ends on the summit of the 3,538-metre peak.
At the start of the year, Obino, who’s 26, completed a massive new route on the west face of the Drus above Chamonix called Petit Pont with Philippe Bruley and Amaury Fouillade. They graded the 1,000-metre route ED M5 6a A3.
In 2024, Obino made the first ascent, solo, of a new route on La Meije in the Alps, then climbed a new route on the south face of the Barre des Ecrins with Nicolas Jean and Victor Garcin. Obino is quickly becomming one of the best European alpinists of his generation.
