Ice Climbing in the Alps: the Home Page

Being puzzled about the future: under the icicle of the final pitch of Le Monde de Glace (Fournel)	On the second pitch of the long march to Les Naines des Ravines (Fournel)

Welcome to the Icehome

Here it comes: a guide to selected ice climbing locations in the French and Italian Alps. This area is one of the most well known and accessible winter playgroung in the entire world, and every iceclimber should come over here at least once in a lifetime. Since there are litterally thousands of icefalls sparse along the Alps, this guide cannot be a complete list of sites, and in most cases it cannot offer the complete list of climbs of each site. However you will find a great deal of informations, pictures and detailed descriptions on the best and most representative climbs of the area. As of today the guide includes detailed descriptions of 58 icefalls plus essential indications on 72 more climbs, for a total of over 17450 meters of climbing (on February 26, 1997). Whenever I add new climbs to the guide these numbers are updated: check here to see if there is any new material.

Hopefully this compilation of general informations will be useful for any ice climber that wants to pay a visit in some of the best cold spots of the western Alps. All the infos here are based on my personal knowledge and on friends and other ice-surfers contributions. The project was started in late fall 1995 and it will gradually growth and extend its scope in the years to come.

Please send me your comments or any contribution that you would like to add. All the pictures and other infos will be properly aknowledged. Keep in mind that ice climbing is a dangerous activity, and, please, don't sue me.

Index

Climbing sites and detailed topos, Italy:

• The ultimate chunck of ice in the solar system: comet Hale Boop
• Val Argentera (modified last on 5-25-96)
• The high Susa valley (Bardonecchia) (modified last on 2-26-97)
• Gressoney (modified last on 2-28-96)
• Val Varaita (modified last on 2-28-96)

Climbing sites and detailed topos, France:

• Ceillac (Modified last on 4-14-96)
• Freissinieres
• Fournel (modified last on 5-30-96)
• La Grave (modified last on 2-17-97)
• L'Alp d'Huez (modified last on 2-17-97)
• Val Maurienne (modified last on 2-28-96)

General informations:

• Ice climbing in Paradise
• General map of the area
• Ratings
• Boats, planes and trains
• Climbing guidebooks of the area and where to get them
• Useful phone numbers in the area.
• Weather forecast, ice conditions and avalanche danger (February 22, 1997)

• A dictionary of climbing terms
• Other icy sites on the Web
• More pictures from my archives
• More pictures from my archives
• Mail me