New 10-Pitch 5.10 on South Face of Grandes Jorasses
Three climbers took advantage of a weather window to climb a new route on a remote pillar
On Feb. 24, Matteo Della Bordella, Luca Schiera and Giacomo Mauri made the first ascent of Il Regalo di Berna 5.10 450m on the south face of the Grandes Jorasses. This side of the mountain is accessed from Italy, while the north face is accessed from France. It took them one day to establish it.
The stunning route climbs a direct line up the Pilastro Ghiglione pillar left of the Hypercouloir, which was first climbed in 1978 by Gian Carlo Grassi and Gianni Comino.
The south face is also called the Tronchey Wall or Pra Sec face. Described by the great Renato Chabod as “infernally alive,” little known and very rarely climbed, it is the highest rock face of the entire Mont Blanc massif. The rock quality varies and is better in the upper towers than in the lower overhangs.
The first ascent of the highest peak, Pointe Walker, was by Horace Walker with guides Melchior Anderegg, Johann Jaun and Julien Grange in June 1868. The second-highest peak on the mountain, Pointe Whymper at 4,184 m, was first climbed by Edward Whymper, Christian Almer, Michel Croz and Franz Biner in June 1865.
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