• This topic has 16 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 12 years ago by jhw.
Viewing 17 posts - 1 through 17 (of 17 total)
  • Climbing/walking: is this ridge (Buet) doable in July without ropes?
  • jhw
    Free Member

    By beginners, basically (fit ones)

    Everything I read says it’s fine for anyone who can walk (but that there is snow until September…so July might be dodgy). There are apparently chains fixed in place where you’re exposed.

    But from all the pictures it looks like K2! Lethal drops on both sides. Presumably you need to be clipped in and can’t just rock up with no gear whatsoever.

    Also, a quick look on the net suggests it’s doable by bike from the Pierre Berard side (hauling bikes up, of course). Dunno how much “fun” the trails would be – bits look amazing, but much looks to be a rocky hellfest – but would certainly be epic (an epic walk?). Again though the snow might be a problem until September (though maybe this year July will be alright given the lack of snow, I don’t know).

    am
    Free Member

    It’s a few years since I’ve done this but yes, it’s a walk with bits of easy scrambling in places(I think) – I certainly don’t remember any chains and didn’t use ropes. Did it in early Sept and there was still slushy snow on the summit but otherwise clear. I’d expect similar in July if there has been a lack of snow this winter. A lot of the path above the hut was loose and shaley so not sure what it’d be like to ride but the run down from the Refuge La Pierre à Bérard would be fine so maybe bike into and out from the hut and decide from there. It is very busy summit as well because it’s an ‘easy’ walk so plenty of people to dodge

    freeridenick
    Free Member

    JHW

    best walked from the Samoens Valley – with a night at the refuge grenarion(leave your bike there for the 1000m descent to sixt 8)
    as seen on my pics from last summer.

    The north ridge from the refuge is fantastic and airy but not hard. you dont need any kit.

    its on my list of biking descents, but dont take your bike down the north ridge 😯

    Up the berard valley to col de salenton the bike descent would be to the col de salenton. then the passy valley to refuge col l’anterne. across to pointe pormenaz then great singletrack down to Servoz. a big day out….or again break it at the Berard refuge overnight.

    Also Buet is know to hold snow long into July (although maybe not this year)

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    CharlieMungus
    Free Member

    Should be ok, I went up it on the CX bike last May, it wasn’t too icy

    jhw
    Free Member

    Take it that was a joke?!

    OK, thanks – this is looking to be a sweet trip. Keep it flexible, but something like, days 1-3 we’ll ride Les Houches (Bionnassay descent, if possible), Le Tour and Emosson/Dorenaz; Day 4 we’ll traverse from Brevent to Grenairon (I don’t know if we could do the massive 5 hour ride and then the 4 hour push from Sixt up to Grenairon in a single day; we’ll probably need lights for the push and my companions might revolt at spending that much time on the trail in any case). Day 5 we’ll do the Buet walk, Day 6 we’ll descend to the valley floor and either do some stuff above Flaine I’m interested in, or just get the train back to CHX from Cluses if there’s no time.

    I’ll do the two-day Buet thing the following week, if the weather’s good and no snow.

    Might be a bit tight. Plan doesn’t allow for mechanicals/injuries/inevitable July storms/people wanting to spend a day in CHX riding the Midi (shame…), not to mention one of the epics I can’t mention here! I think the people I’m going with in the first week will be happy just with the (great) stuff at Les Houches and Le Tour, if that’s the case I’ll do all this crazy stuff the following week.

    There’s so much other good stuff to try too, but never enough time.

    bagpuss72
    Free Member

    😯 I’ll hold the bags!! That looks impressive good luck!!!

    Joe
    Full Member

    We did it last June and ther was a lot of snow. There are fixed cables to hang onto although it is quite a steep ridge. Maybe bring a krab and a sling for confidence if someone gets tired and wants to rest safely.

    No need for ropes at all, especially later in the season when there’s no snow. We went from the valley to Buet and back to the valley-floor in a day although we were so bollocked by the end of it we could barely talk.

    There is a lovely bivvy spot on the summit as well which we stayed on later in the season, approaching from the other hut (I forget the name).

    Joe
    Full Member

    jhw
    Free Member

    we were so bollocked by the end of it we could barely talk.

    Sounds like my idea of a perfect day. I’ll tell my friends it’s a short hike, maybe a bit longer than the green face of Box Hill but not as steep! Ten hours later…

    Nah, we’ll split it over two days if we do it, I think, as Nick mentioned.

    The main difficulty will be how to lug warm walking kit (shoes?) from Brevent to Grenairon by bike in advance of the climb given much of that ride is on a plateau and you don’t want to be too burdened. I can always get some robust mtb shoes with vibram soles but you can’t do a walk like that in troy lee shorts.

    freeridenick
    Free Member

    sounds like a good trip.

    can use the chair at sixt to gain 300 metres. it took us 3 hours from the village last summer (chair was shut) and the trails at sixt are awesome anyway so worth riding a few laps there. especially from les praz des communes (nice buvette for a drink) then down le sairon to le brairet

    well worth doing the flaine descent. brill – just make sure you don’t go through the gers bowl, but head right at the col du plat junction down the combe de foges then to the refuge des sales for lunch. then the incredible gorges des sales down to sixt.

    you could overnight at the refuge des fonts on the brevent – sixt day? then get the chair up in the morning?

    freeridenick
    Free Member

    5/10s are your answer to that. perfect for big mountain epics on bike or foot!
    I scrambled Pointe percee in mine a few years ago…thats a grade 3 scramble

    globalti
    Free Member

    I worked as a leader for Rambler’s Holidays there in summer 1980. The Buet from Grenairon depends on how much snow is on the approach; the long slope below the summit ridge might just avalanche if there was wet heavy snow and sometimes there is a big build up of old snow on the edge of the plateau. Best thing is to ‘phone the refuge before going as they will know. Technically it’s a doddle, just long and very very exposed to the sun. I walked up the Grenairon side and down a less known path to Chalets des Fonds and back to Sixt in one long day but I was pretty fit at that time. I’ve also done the Buet from Vallorcine with a night at the Refuge Berard, which is a nice route and shorter than via Grenairon. I took Mrs Gti as her introduction to Alpine walking.

    TBH I wouldn’t bother taking a bike over the Buet, there would be a lot of carrying. I would take a bike from Sixt to Chamonix via a night at Chalets Moede Anterne though, that’s a fantastic route. The early morning start dropping into the mysterious green valley below Moede Anterne then climbing the Col du Brevent and the sudden stunning view of the Massif du Mont Blanc is an amazing experience.

    freeridenick
    Free Member

    also if you want an awesome ride the other way off flaine let me know. would take you to Cluses where you could train it back to chamonix?

    jhw
    Free Member

    Thanks, definitely – the more options the better. These all look great. Just consulting a map on Geoportail – backinasec…

    Drop me an email on jhwooding@hotmail.com – thanks!

    freeridenick
    Free Member

    email sent.

    jhw
    Free Member

    Thanks – to the non-network PC…

    jhw
    Free Member

    Thanks all, awesome tips

Viewing 17 posts - 1 through 17 (of 17 total)

The topic ‘Climbing/walking: is this ridge (Buet) doable in July without ropes?’ is closed to new replies.