British alpinists featured prominently in the recent celebrations to mark the 150th ascent of the Grande Casse (3,855m), the highest summit in the Vanoise Range and the entire French department of Savoie.

This great mountain mass, generally climbed from the village of Pralognon, is one of the best known in France, with a relatively straightforward Voie Normale and a famous North Face.

The 800m Couloir des Italiens, put up in 1933 by Luigi Binaghi and one of Italy's most prolific new-routers Count Aldo Bonacossa, is still widely regarded as one of the great north face smow/ice routes of the region.

In spring, the Normal Route up the Grandes Couloirs is a classic and popular ski mountaineering experience, whilst in summer, when it can receive more than 80 ascents a day, it provides a long, though reasonably-angled snow ascent to a fine summit ridge (PD-).

The first ascent, on the 8th August 1860, was made by the Englishman William Mathews, with the famous Chamonix guide Michel Croz, and the best chamois hunter in the locale, Etienne Farve.

Croz, who had to cut 800 steps during the ascent, was unarguably one of the greatest alpinists of the era, while Mathews is perhaps best known for founding The Alpine Club with Edward Kennedy in 1857.

This year it proved more convenient for the tourism department in Pralognon and its partner Savoie Mont-Blanc to organize a re-enactment of the ascent on the 24th June.

A total of 35 alpinists and 10 guides made a successful ascent from the Refuge de la Vanoise. These included three local guides, who were representing the first ascensionists. They were dressed in period costume and seemingly roped together with old hemp washing line.

The Alpine Club was well represented on the summit by Paul Braithwaite (current AC president), Rupert Baron, Derek Buckle, Francoise Call, Henry Day, Knut Tonsberg, Gus Morton and Martin Scott.

But also reaching the summit was Mark Mathews, a descendant of the first ascensionist (William was his great-granduncle). Mathews was responsible for setting up the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales and in 1995 established the Sunflower Trust, a charity to assist children with learning difficulties.

In his early 60s, Mark Mathews was helping to raise money for the charity by first completing the Windsor Triathlon and then climbing the Grande Casse.

Participants report a great event, with the Grande Casse in prime condition. Prior to the ascent the weather had been generally poor and the Alps had received much snowfall. However, the combination of an exceptional window of good weather, and the main couloir having avalanched to leave stable slopes, meant that the ascent took place safely.

Of the British group, Braithwaite was the first to reach the summit, proving that years of hard cycling have not dulled his drive in the mountains.

The photograph shows, from left to right, Favre, Mathews and Croz, close to the summit of the Grande Casse on the 24th June 2010.

Thanks to Rupert Baron, Derek Buckle, Francoise Call and Martin Scott for their help with this report.
 

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