Via Ferratas of the French Alps. Richard Miller

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      VIA FERRATAS OF THE FRENCH ALPS

      by

      Richard Miller

      2 POLICE SQUARE, MILNTHORPE, CUMBRIA, LA7 7PY

      www.cicerone.co.uk

      About the Author

      Born on Jersey – an island not known for its mountains – Richard Miller first discovered a love of high places among the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Since then a passion for travel and exploring wilderness has led to bouts of walking, scrambling, mountaineering and rock climbing across the globe. Latterly, having discovered the relatively civilised pleasures of continental Europe, his attention has been focused on the Alps and Pyrenees.

      His first experience of a via ferrata was among the spectacular peaks of the Italian Dolomites. Having found this comparatively moderate activity to his liking, he set about visiting as many via ferratas as possible and soon discovered a burgeoning number of new routes across Western Europe. His desire to share this enjoyable pursuit with a wider audience has led him to produce this guidebook. It also gave him a good excuse for visiting (and revisiting) the large number of via ferratas that have been constructed in France in recent years.

      © Richard Miller 2014

      First edition 2014

      ISBN: 978 1 85284 648 0

      Printed in China on behalf of Latitude Press Ltd.

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

      All photographs © Richard Miller 2014

      Dedication

      This book is dedicated to my family, with grateful thanks for their generous help and encouragement.

      Advice to Readers

      While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. If we know of any, there will be an Updates tab on this book’s page on the Cicerone website (www.cicerone.co.uk), so please check before planning your trip. We also advise that you check information about such things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be altered over time. We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to [email protected] or by post to Cicerone, 2 Police Square, Milnthorpe LA7 7PY, United Kingdom.

      Warning

      Using via ferratas can be a dangerous activity carrying a risk of personal injury or death. It should be undertaken only by those with a full understanding of the risks and with the appropriate experience to evaluate them. Via ferratists should be correctly equipped for the routes undertaken, understand how to use the equipment, and ensure that the equipment used is in a working state. While every care and effort has been taken in the preparation of this book, readers should be aware that conditions on the routes can be highly variable and can change quickly. Natural and artificial holds and fixed self-belaying equipment may become loose or fall off, and rockfall, snow and ice can affect the character of a route. These can materially alter the risks involved in undertaking a via ferrata. Signposts, cairns and other landmarks mentioned in the text for navigational purposes may also change.

      Except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law, neither Cicerone nor the author accepts liability for costs or damage of any nature (including damage to property, personal injury or death) arising directly or indirectly from the information in this book.

      Front cover: Approaching the top of Via Ferrata l’Aiguillette du Lauzet (Route 51)

      CONTENTS

       Mountain safety

       Map key

       Overview map

       INTRODUCTION

       When to go

       Getting to the Alps

       Getting around

       Language

       Costs

       Accommodation

       Maps

       Route grading

       Equipment

       Moving safely

       Climbing with children

       Dangers

       Accidents and mountain rescue

       Insurance

       Using this guide

       ROUTES AND BASES

       Geneva and the Northern Alps

       Chambéry

       Tarentaise

       Maurienne

       Grenoble

       Briançon

       Route listing

       Appendix A Routes listed in order of difficulty

       Appendix B Glossary of via ferrata terminology

       Appendix