Grandes Jorasses

North wall above the Glacier de Leschaux (March 2005)

South side of the Grandes Jorasses

The Grandes Jorasses [ gʀɑd ʒɔʀas ] multiple peaks are a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif in the Alps, on the border between France and Italy.

The highest peak is 4208 meters with Walker Pointe, other peaks are Pointe Whymper ( 4184 m), the Pointe Croz ( 4110 m), the Pointe Elena ( 4045 m), the Pointe Margherita ( 4065 m) and the Pointe Young ( 3996 m).

First ascent and normal increases

The normal increase occurs from Rifugio Mario Gabriele Boccalatte e Piolti coming over the partially glaciated south side, ZS. On 24 June 1865, the first ascent was made by a group which included besides Edward Whymper, the leader Michel Croz, Christian Almer and F. Biner. In this expedition the highest point, however, was not entered, but "only" the appropriately named later, 24 meters lower side peak. This was only three years later an expedition with Horace Walker, Melchior Anderegg, J. Jaun and J. Grange on the southwest flank.

North Face

Famous are the Grandes Jorasses for their almost vertical north wall, the 1000 m high above the Mer de Glace rises. She counted together with the north faces of the Matterhorn and Eiger to the " last three issues of the Alps", before it was first climbed by Martin Meier and Rudolf Peters, 1935, the North Buttress of Pointe Croz ( Crozpfeiler ). The direct route to Pointe Walker on the Walker pillar forced Riccardo Cassin, L. Esposito and U. Tizzioni in three days in August 1938.

The speed record ( solo) by the Grand Jorasses north wall on the Colton -Macintyre route ( VI) to the highest peak, Walker Pointe, since 28 December 2008, the Swiss Ueli Steck holds with 2:21 hours.

Works of art

They were painted ( from the north ) by Carl Gustav Carus 1824: The Wreck of Chamonix, and - as alienation - by Caspar David Friedrich: The high mountains, also in 1824.

The south side of Jorasses on the glacier of the Val Ferret was - also alienated - painted by René Magritte " The Domain of Arnheim ".