Aiguille de Bionnassay
Aiguille de Bionnassay from east
The Aiguille de Bionnassay is a 4052 meter high mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the Savoy Alps. About the Summit of the border between France ( Haute- Savoie ) and Italy ( Province of Aosta ) runs.
Location and geography
The Aiguille de Bionnassay is about four kilometers west of Mont Blanc. Direct eastern neighbor is the Dôme du Goûter, with which it is connected via the 3888 m high Col de Bionnassay. Thus their saddle height is about 160 meters.
The mountain is surrounded on all sides by glaciers. To the north of the summit breaks off in an impressive, from a rock barrier broken ice wall of the Glacier de Bionnassay. To the south lies on Italian soil the Ghiacciaio de Bionnassay, which merges into the Ghiacciaio del Miage. The Ghiacciaio del Miage is over ten kilometers of the longest glacier in Italy and dates back to the Val Veny. Southeast is the Ghiacciaio del Dôme, which also flows into the Ghiacciaio del Miage. To the west lie on French soil, the Glacier du Miage and the same Domes de Miage.
Routes to the summit
The Aiguille de Bionnassay can be climbed from both Italy and France. Possible valley communities are on the Italian side Entrèves at Courmayeur and on the French side Les Houches near Chamonix.
From Italy
The easiest route to the summit via the Northeast Ridge. The starting point is the Rifugio Francesco Gonella ( CAI) to 3071 m. From the hut the route leads over the ridge of the Auguilles Grises in the Col de Bionnassay. Up to here, the route with the Italian normal route of Mont Blanc is the same. From the Col, follow the partially wech ended ice ridge to the summit (WS, II degree).
A further increase possibility of Italy performs on the 1888 erstbegangenen south ridge. Base is situated on 3349 m Refuge Durier (CAF ). The ridge offers job with climbing difficulties in III. Degrees and is rated with WS.
The increases on the Italian south side are considered to be lonely and not very committed, often the summit of Mont Blanc is exceeded.
From France
As normal route from the French side applies the northwestern flank, the route of first ascent. Base is the Refuge de la Tête Rousse to 3167 meters. The increase is a pure ice face with a slope up to 55 °.
The most popular trail descent from the summit via the Dôme du Goûter and from there to the Refuge du Goûter to 3817 m.
First ascent
The Aiguille de Bionnassay was on 28 July 1865 by Michel Payot, Jean -Pierre Cachat, EN Buxton, Florence Crauford Grove and R.J.S. Macdonald first ascents. The ascent was made about the difficult for those days northwestern flank, which is considered especially remarkable because later, the South Ridge and Northeast Ridge considerably lighter and less dangerous increases were found.
Sources and maps
- Hartmut Eberlein: field guide for mountaineers and climbers Mont- Blanc massif. Bergverlag Rudolf Rother. Munich 2005, ISBN 3-7633-2414-3.
- Institute Géographique National ( IGN): Topographic Map 1:25,000, sheet 3630 OT, Chamonix Mont- Blanc.
Railway connection
In the 1930s, the French railway company PLM made with a poster by the French artist Roger Broders advertise the route to its subsidiary Chemin de Fer du Mont- Blanc and its branch line from St. Gervais to the Glacier de Bionnassay.