Ice Climbing in the Western Alps

Ceillac (France)


Climbing on the wild side: Maurizio Bovo on the key pitch of Les Formes du Chaos Climbing on the gentle side: the second step of Holiday on Ice (Ph. A. Ceresa)

Back to Icehome Argentera Bardonecchia Ceillac Fournel
Freissinieres La Grave Gressoney Maurienne Varaita
General characteristics of the site:
Ceillac is a small village lost at the end of a long and narrow valley. The icefalls are on a steep face oriented north and placed right after the village, just in front of the skilifts. The face has a strange structure, composed of rock cliffs alternating with almost vertical woods: the trees are excellent belays. The altitude of the climbs is pretty high, so conditions are usually good, even when desperation reigns elsewhere. These properties, together with the beauty of the area and the minimal walk-in (15'), make of Ceillac a little gem. Too bad that there aren't more climbs here.
Favourable period:
The climbs are located between 1800 and 2100 meters and they are very shady. Furthermore I suspect that the valley is somewhat protected from the warming action of Fohn. Some of the icefalls are already feasible in mid-December and they keep growing until March. Another excellent property of the site is that the climbs are not subjected to meaningful avalanche danger even after heavy snow falls.
How to get there.
From Briançon drive south toward Embrun-Gap (N94) all the way to Mont-Dauphin. Pass a few houses and a gas station, and when the road begins turning west, make a left following signs to Guillestre. After Guillestre follow the road to Château Queyras (D902). The road runs on the side of a narrow and deep gorge cut by the Guil river (beautiful), and it leads to a small artificial lake. At the crossroad make a right following the sign to Ceillac (D60, on the left is the road to the Col d'Izoard). 4.6 km after this crossroad an icefalls is visible at the end of a long cwn on the main valley orographic left. This is the Pelouses fall (III/5, 50 m, rappel) that can be approached by a long unpaved road that leaves the main road on the right by crossing the creek on a small wooden bridge.

After two more km the village of Ceillac is finally reached (1680 m). Leave the village on your left and keep driving straight toward the skilifts. In view of the skilifts a small crossroad is reached. On the right you can see the first icefall: L'Arlésiene (II/4, 80 m, descend by rappelling from the trees on the left). Continue on the main road, and leave the car in the long parking lot on the side of the ski slopes. The icefalls are on your right. Walk all the way to the end of the parking lot and you arrive at a bridge over a small creek. The large fall over your head is Les Formes du Chaos. If you only see foaming water up there, and very little ice, don't worry: this is not an unusual situation on this strange and amazing climb. One hundreds meters to the right there is an obvious hanging icicle: this is the daunting line of Sombre Héros. The other falls, partially hidden in the woods, are further to the right.

Sleeping, eating, walking around:
Ceillac is an adorable little village with the usual collection of cafes and boulangeries that makes every climber happy. More info on the area around Briançon will progressively become available in the Briançoinnaise page.
Useful phone numbers:
Mountain rescue: 92 21 10 42
Gite Les Veyres: 92 45 01 91
Gite Les Baladins: 92 45 00 23
Climbing guides and maps:
Les Cascades de Glace...by R. Balestra.
Institut Geographique National Top 25: 3537 ET Guillestre (1:25.000).

The Climbs:


Les Formes du Chaos


Getting there:
This is the leftmost icefall. It is enclosed in a very characteristic deep and wide chimney cut in the rock face by the running water. The flux of water is extremely powerfull, so study the ice conditions carefully: is there enough ice to do the climb? Remember, you are not a salmon, and there are little chances of up-swimming the fall. When, against your better judgement, you decide to go, wear your wetsuit, don your flippers and stumble along the easy snow gully to the bottom of the fall.
Description:
Start on the right, by a steepish wall in thick ice. The main waterfall is far away on the left so this is the only normal section of the climb. Bolt belay in a rock bay (80º-85º, 30 m). Traverse on delicate mushrooms to the left toward the center of the fall: at this point you are subjected to the full strenght of the water. If the fall is really totally frozen the water will only be a powerful but mercifully hidden rumble. In less than optimal conditions you will be already totally soaked by now. Reach a wonderful flat terrace at the feet of the first narrowing. In periods of good icing this terrace can be reached by following a more direct line that starts at the lowest point of the icefall (75º-85º, short vertical steps, 40 m, excellent pitch, it is better to place a screw belay here). Climb the following step either on the left, where you'll be likely to find better conditions (75º-80º), or on the right following a steep recess (90º). Continue along an easy snow gully. If you are running out of rope, you might be able to place a belay here. Otherwise you might have to trust your companion, scream "Off Belay" as loudly as you can, and run in the snow and ice gully to the bottom of the next step (70 m from the bolt belay). If you go fast enough the rope will remain taut and your companion will climb in the illusion of being properly belayied. The leader won't have the same illusory sense of safety, but, hey!, life is rarely perfect.

Reach an amazing cave on the right: once I left two pegs in the roof, and they are still there. Climb the following steep wall, usually on the right side, to a bolt belay on the right. This pitch is as weird as hell, but absolutely fantastic (crux, 85º-90º possibly a short overhanging section, 25 m). A brief easy section leads to another steepish wall. Place an ice screw belay either on the right and climb a 10 m icicle, or on the left and begin on easier slopes (75º). Continue the pitch with variable difficulties according to the itinerary and the conditions (75º-85º, 50 m, bolt belay on the right). Now the climb loses most of the technical interest but the atmosphere is still extraordinaire. Meet a final bulge before freedom. Start a fire and dry up your clothes if you can.

Descent:
Easy. From the summit of the fall follow an easy snow slope for about 50 m. A final cliff can be climbed either by a narrow and characteristic gully straight ahead, or by an icicle on the right. If in no mood for more ice, the cliff can be easily avoided by following a detour on the left. The main trail is soon reached, and it can be followed down to the right all the way back to the parking lot. Alternatively, at the end of the fall and before of the final narrow gully, traverse to the right without descending too much (vague ledges) until landing in the gully of the left branch of the Y fall. Descend with two easy rappels. This descent can be difficult to find in bad visibility and without a clear trace.

Don't abseil the climb unless in emergency. What such an emergency could be? Well, for example, an entire section of the fall could be just too thin for progression. Or, maybe, what you thought was white ice-when you were down in the street-revealed to be just foam pouring down holdless and iceless rocks. In such a predicament abseil: what else could you do?

Notes and Tales:
The main problem with this fall is the abundancy of the water flux. It takes a long period (at least 2-4 weeks) of sub-freezing temperature to turn this Maelstrom in something remotely resembling a normal icefall. I have never-ever found it in perfect conditions. I never even heard that it can be in perfect conditions: here the water is so abundant that it always seems to find its way to the helpless climber. The first time I was there I had to bridge over the full power of the falling water to connect two sections of marginal ice. While stemming, I could only see the deep darkness of the cleft between ice and rock under my belly. Plus, I could barely breath immersed as I was in the water spray. The only question I had in mind was: if I fall in there, will I be able to get out before drowning or freezing? If you think that drowning should not be considered as a possible outcome of an iceclimb, this is not the place for you. Higher up there was not enough ice to attempt the crux, we were totally soaked and so we decided to bail out of there. The belays that were advertised were nowhere to be seen. A few blades in the improbably smooth rock saved the day. The final rappel was on an sling wrapped around a vague ice mushroom: the nylon web was sliding away on the ice and it did not seem very safe to rely on it. No fear: I squezed my soaked mittens on the sling, and the water froze immediately blocking it until the coming spring. I never liked hot tea as much as in that afternoon. It was an amazing, terrifying, fantastic day in the hills.

The second time I went there it was after a very long cold spell. There were four of us: my old friends Alberto and Maurizio came from Turin, and in Briancon we met Xavier from Grenoble. So we were a multilingual team, wildly communicating in Italian, French, English and with an eclectic mixtures of the three idioms. To further complicate the issue I speak English with an American accent, while Xavier speaks it with a Scottish accent. Nothing will be said about our French accent. Once at the parking lot we could tell right away that the conditions were good because we couldn't see any water breaking out of the ice. The wide base of the climb was climbable on at least three separate lines, which converged at the top of the first step, where the icefall finally enters in the characteristic chimney. The crucial wall that bounced us down during my previous visit was made of incredible ice formations that were plastered together in a totally cahotic way: the shapes of Chaos, indeed. In this memorable day the pitch involved climbing a narrow ice chimney at first, followed by a slightly overhanging traverse on big mushrooms leading to a second chimney (the iceaxes here were useless: it was much better to grab the ice holds with the hands). Some squezing and panting lead to a tiny terrace and a second traverse with the ice axes cutting through soft snow. This pitch was a miracle of equilibrium and technique but not of strength. Maurizio climbed first and he went throught the usual stages, which are well known by any ice climber:

Stage 1: Panting and no answer to our anxious questions. This behaviour is usually accompained by frequent worried looks to the belayier. This is the I wish I weren't here! phase.
Stage 2: Short and brisk answers: "It's a mess..."
Stage 3: More elaborate answers: "It is very delicate... very technical, really"
Stage 4: Histerical and elated free speech: "Oh, it is sooo amusing!".

I was the second to lead the pitch. I went through the same set of emotions and, as I reached stage 4, I yelled:"Oh, it is sooo amazing!". Xavier decided that we were both right and that the pitch was both amazing and amusing. Alberto didn't say anything because, almost at the end of the pitch, an exausted ice mushroom gave up under his feet, and he had to survive a weird overhanging exit.

The remaining of the climb is easier and much more reassuring. We were so intoxicated by the likely success of our expedition that we begun behaving a bit silly. Maurizio did an hilarious impression of Jeff Lowe climbing an improbable thinly iced overhang, while safely keeping his back at rest on the snow: "Shoot a picture and then you can take the snow out with the computer!" he said, at the apex of his delirium.

There should be a law saying that every iceclimber must do this climb at least once in lifetime.


Sombre Héros


Getting there:
Walk in the wood toward the barely visible base of the climb, under the obvious free-standing. Alternatively there is a vague trail at the left of the start of Les Formes du Chaos which arrives at the base of the first pitch in a few minutes.

Description:
The description is superfluous since the climb is as narrow and predetermined as you can imagine. The first pitch (80º, 30 m) lands the climber to the frozen lake at the base of the huge freestanding of pitch two. 15 meters of almost vertical ice leads to the next rock bay (bolt belay). No time for rejoicing yet: there is still a delicate icicle curtain to negociate.

The picture of the icicle of pitch two is borrowed from Balestra's book. Thank you very much, and don't sue me, please!

Descent:
Easy. Three shortish rappels from bolts belay.
Notes:
The freestanding is very obvious as seen from the road, and it cries for being climbed. The ice thickens as the season passes by and it becomes easier. This icefall comes in condition well before Les Formes du Chaos but after the other easier climbs. The icicle curtain of pitch three can be thin at begining of season. Thanks to the in situ belays and to the easy abseils the climb has a low overall engagement and, when in good conditions, it is an ideal approach to the pleasures of a grade 5 climb.

Holiday on Ice (Y fall, left fork)


Getting there:
About 200 meters to the right of Sombre Héros there is an obvious stream of green ice winding upwards in the wood. Walk to the bottom of the small creek originating from the fall, wear your crampons and gain the base of the climb. This access is common for both branches of the Y fall.

Description:
The left and right Y fall are composed of a number of steps connected by easier sections. The first wall is common to both climbs. Place the first belay either on a tree on the right or, perhaps more conveniently, on an ice screw on the first ice bulge. Climb two short steps to the base of a lovely narrow wall. Climb in the center or, if water breaks through the ice, along a narrow gully against the rocks on the left (80º). Bolt belay on the right, or continue to a tree belay further up. At this point the right fork is visible, but leave it for later on. Continue on easy ground at the base of the second step. Overcome it, either by following the steepest direct line (80º-85º), or by an easier zig-zagging path following the line of minor resistance. The third step is a little bit easier (75º-80º). Now the end of the climb can be reached by following the gorge for about 80 easy meters leading to the descend trail. Alternatively from the summit of the third step continue the climb by overcoming a difficult icicle on the right (90º-85º, 25 m, tree belay).
Descent:
Easy. From the summit of the climb, scramble in the wood untill arriving at the obvious trail. Descend by following the track to the right. After about 10' from the summit of the climb the trail crosses the bottom of a deep gorge. The icefall in the narrow gully overhead is Easy Rider. This a short ancellent climb for a not-yet-tired-enough climber.
Notes:
This is a lovely climb in a wonderful environment and it is an excellent introductory climb almost always in good conditions. In fact, it is easy to find here some French guide followed by some introductory course in ice climbing. French guides seem to love to hang out with lots of eager beginners with fancy black-and-yellow iceaxes, and, most of all, they resemble a mother duck followed by lots of ducklings. If you are a fast party, they are usually very nice and they will let you pass ahead. The icicle of the final pitch is considerably harder than anything else on the climb and if it were longer it would almost deserve a grade 5. If you have never climbed anything in that range of difficulty but you would like to give it a try, you can reach the summit of the icicle by traversing right from the top of the easy final gully. Find the tree belay (slings and a steel biner), rappel, and top-rope this nice pitch.

Y fall, right fork


Getting there:
See Holiday on Ice.
Description:
Climb the first step of Holiday on Ice and follow the right branch of the gully. The second step (belay on the right) can be climbed along a variety of lines either by following thin icicles (80º-90º) or by easier short gullies (75º-80º, 35m, belay on the right). After an easier section with some short bulges, the third gorgeous step is reached (bolt belay a bit hidden in a cave on the right). Again this step can be climbed in various ways. Personally I liked best a line all the way to the left. Easy ground leads to the descent trail.
Descent:
Easy. See Holiday on Ice.
Notes:
The two steps of this climb are magnificent: at the end you ask for more, and I did feel like climbing for ever and ever. Another lovely characteristic of this climb is the atmosphere of the gorge, that, strangely, is wild and utterly idyllic at the same time. The left and right forks can, and should, be climbed in the same day. Alternatively I suggest to join either climb with Easy Rider, that is easily reached with a 3' detour from the descent trail. For the confirmed ice climber that happens to be here in spite of his desire of being on a grade 6 horror, some marginal excitement can be found in climbing pitch 2 along a number of thin and steep icicles. This climb has something for everybody. Too bad that it isn't ten pitches longer: this is why it didn't deserve the glory of a full 3 stars grade.

Easy Rider


Getting there:
Descend the trail common to the descent of all climbs. The trail crosses a gorge under a cliff cut by an obvious narrow cleft. A thin ribbon of ice looms up there...
Description:
Follow the gully for two uniform pitches (70º). There are two steeper short bulges on pitch one and one steep narrowing on pitch two (80º). Once out of the fall scramble on easy ground to reach an obvious tree belay (slings). The first belay is on three pegs on the left wall of the gorge.
Descent:
Two easy rappels down the route.
Notes:
This is a lovely climb in a very narrow gully (one, two meters wide at most). Warning: the gorge is so narrow that any ice that you happen to launch in space will invariably hit the other people down in the gully. My friend Alberto almost killed me in that way. He was totally remorseless and he even claimed that I fully deserved it, in consideration of all the other occasions that I almost killed him in the same way... Totally not true, of course. It was a sad story. No matter of the pendent lites that you may have with your companion, watch out.
Back to Icehome Argentera Bardonecchia Ceillac Fournel
Freissinieres La Grave Gressoney Maurienne Varaita

I would be happy of receiving your comments, material to be added to the guide, images, or anything else that comes to mind. Send everything to Gimmi Ratto gimmi@in.pi.cnr.it

Copyright © 1995, 96 by Gimmi Ratto. (April, 28, 1996).