Evergreen Patrick Gabarrou, who is not far short of 59, has added two more ice/mixed routes to the Mont Blanc Range.
On the 400m mixed North West Face of the Calotte de Rochefort (3,981m) above the Mont Mallet Glacier, Gabarrou and Simon Deniel have put up Tom.
Their route climbs more or less up the centre of the face between the classic Chevalier Route on the North West Ridge and the great couloir taken by Nicknick la sale Bête, a Godefroy Perroux route from 1995.
The pair spent the night in the Requin Hut and next day made the long approach to the foot of the face, climbed the route, which featured difficult mixed terrain and a capping rock buttress, and descended to the Periades Bivouac in a total of 18 hours.
Deniel is a 22-year-old climber from Brittany who now lives in Chamonix, and with whom Gabarrou climbed a new route on the North North East Face of the Dent Blanche last year.
Just a couple of days later the same pair put up a 200m ice route in a goulotte amongst the western lower buttresses of the Tour Noir, not far from the Argentière Hut. Four nice pitches, equipped belays, and quick access make this a potential classic.
Named Camille Cour de Rose, this is the third route Gabarrou has climbed in this sector. Last year, with Henry Bizot, Philippe Lansard or Jean-Sébastien Knoertzer he put up Bea and Freddo, two goulottes named after the guardians of the Argentière Hut.
Gabarrou has named many of his climbs after loved ones or friends who have disappeared in the mountains. These latest routes are no exception.
Tom was named for Thomas Emonet, an aspirant guide who was killed by an avalanche last winter in the Jaeger Couloir on Mont Blanc du Tacul. Emonet particularly liked wild and remote parts of the Mont Blanc Massif, so his name on the Calotte is fitting.
Camille refers to Camille Audibert, a talented young climber who was paralysed in an accident.
Although Gabarrou says he doesn't keep count of his new routes, it's estimated that he has put up more than 100 first ascents in the Mont Blanc Massif alone, a number of these being benchmark ascents in the history of alpinism.
There appears to be no sign of him slowing down.
The photo shows the Aiguille du Tacul in the foreground, with the Dent de Géant to the right, the Dome and Calotte de Rochefort left background, and on the far left Pointe Young of the Grandes Jorasses.
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