“Intégrale 2.0”: a new take on a legend by Damien Tomasi

Published on 06/09/2024

It must be 1 or 2 a.m. and, despite the cold and our only sleeping bag for two, I manage to fall asleep. But I'm regularly woken up by the sound of falling rocks in the Eccles Couloir at the Grand Pilier d'Angle. Between the noise of the rocks and that of the seracs collapsing onto the Frêney glacier, it's almost impossible to sleep!

In an hour's time, the alarm will go off and we’ll get out of this tight down... To save weight, Aymeric has had the genius idea of taking just one sleeping bag for two poeple and sew a sort of sheet inside, that we wrap ourselves in. A “genius” idea when we were in his living room, which eventually became a “no-brainer” when we were trying to sleep at the top of the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey or at the Col de Peuterey!

Our little adventure on the Italian side of Mont-Blanc formed in our minds some time ago and has been nourished by several mythical ascents made on this side since 1982.

In 15 days, in February 1982, Renato Casarotto, an incredible Italian mountaineer and great soloist, invented a sequence that has become legendary: the “Super Intégrale”.

His simple, ingenious and slightly crazy idea was to climb the same summits as the Intégrale de Peuterey, but following the most difficult routes: the Ratti-Vitali on the west face of the Noire de Peuterey, the Boccalatte-Gervasutti at Pointe Gugliermina and the Central Pillar of Frêney.

Casarotto's winter feat has only been repeated twice, and only by roped parties of three.

In 2003 by Patrick Pessi, Stéphane Benoist and Patrice Glairon-Rappaz. Then in 2010 by Aymeric Clouet, Pierre Labbre and Jérôme Para.

In summer, the “Super Intégrale” very quickly entered the fast and light technical mountaineering scene: not the kind where you walk, but the kind where you climb fast! 

In 1988, Pierre Gourdin and Patrick Gabarrou did the first two-day rehearsal of the “Super Intégrale”.

In 1992, Patrick Berhault and Fred Vimal achieved the first one-day(!) as part of a French guide course!

Last year, Enzo Oddo and Léo Billon smashed the timetable with an incredible time of 15:56 from Val Veny...(I think we're going to have to shake our heads to do better!).

On another note, in the summer of 1990, Alain Ghersen solo climbed the Directe Américaine at Les Drus, the Walker Spur at Les Grandes Jorasses and the Intégrale de Peuterey in 66 hours... An extraordinary feat that is perhaps the finest summer ascent ever made in the Mont-Blanc massif!

Aymeric and I have no desire to climb or hike so fast, but our motivation is fuelled by all these adventures that have become legendary over the years. During our discussions and by reading the guidebooks, the itinerary we were planning took shape: we wanted to climb the Intégrale, without ever leaving the ridge and reach the summits via the difficult routes. Not a fast or extreme route, but an aesthetically pleasing one for sure.

On August 4, after a night at the Borelli hut, we climb “Nero su Bianco”: a very adventurous route opened in 2000 by Erick Svab and Maurizio Oviglia. This line, quite unique for the Mont-Blanc Massif, follows large slab shields up the east face of Pointe Brendel. The climb is challenging and sinuous... A masterpiece of its kind!

After a good night's sleep next to the Virgin, we continue via the Dames Anglaises traverse and the Blanche de Peuterey and bivouac at the Col de Peuterey.

The next day, we climb the “Directissime Jori Bardill”, a route opened in 1982 by Michel Piola, Jori Bardill and Pierre Alain Steiner. The pitches are splendid and the rock is steep and superb.

We're alone and happy to be here.

At each belay, I look down into the valley and trace with my index finger the route we've been taking for the past 3 days. I find it logical, aesthetic, almost beautiful.

At 4.20pm, we reach the summit of Mont-Blanc and explode with joy. This place, traversed by thousands of people during the summer, is deserted and so beautiful at this time of day... You can almost touch the horizon.

I remember that the last time I was here was in winter and with Titi Gentet, and the thought brings a touch of nostalgia and sadness. I don't want to go down. I wish there was something else to climb, another pillar, another face... But the adventure ends here!

Article by Damien Tomasi, August 2024
Pictures by Aymeric Clouet and Damien Tomasi, August 2024