Europe, Italy, Aiguille Savoie (Second Ascent of the Southeast Ridge, Descent by the Southeast Face)

Publication Year: 1932.

Aiguille Savoie (11,900 Feet)

(Second ascent of the southeast ridge, descent by the southeast face)

The first ascent of this ridge was made by Paul Preuss, solo, August 13, 1913, in four hours, from the Triolet hut.1

On August 13th, 1931, our party reached the Triolet hut of the C. A. I.2 from Savojan in two hours and a half. The hut was left at 3 A.M. next day, and following the moraine and glacier, the party reached the base of the ridge at a height of about 10,660 feet. The climb is up open chimneys and very steep placques of solid rock, sometimes along the ridge (gendarmes), sometimes a little to the right of it. The ascent is very interesting and of moderate difficulty.

The summit was reached at 8.15 (five hours and fifteen minutes from the hut) and the descent was begun at 8.45, amidst an extremely violent snowstorm. The southeast face was traversed diagonally, and in the last portion the couloir descending from the Col de Talèfre was followed. This appears to be subject to stone fall. The bergshrund was wide and high, and had to be jumped. Return to the hut at 1 P.M.

The party was made of two ropes, the first with Evaristo Croux, guide, and Max Strumia; the second with Francesco Ravelli, Abrate and Passerin D’Entrèves.

Max M. Strumia.

1 Rivista Mensile, C. A. I., Turin, 1914, p. 336.

2 8,486 feet—in miserable condition, will probably be reconstructed higher up in 1932 or 1933.