Via Ferrata by Pierre Ronde
Description
Two in one! That’s what you get with the Alpe d’Huez via ferrata. Two routes are on offer, the ‘Découverte’ and the ‘Sportive’, and they’re both south-facing! Both on a 200m rock face.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
Duration: 3h, including approach walk (discovery route: 2h ascent, sporting route: 2h30)
Difficulty: PD, D+.
Start: 1600 m
Difference in altitude: 200 m
Exposure: south
Period: June > October
TOPO, MAPS :
- IGN top 25, 3335 ET, Alpe d'Huez.
- Les via ferrata autour de Grenoble et Briançon, éditions Glénat.
- All via ferrata in France, Libris editions.
The "Découverte", or beginner's route (2h), leads off to the right and evolves over rocky ledges.
The "Sportive" route (2h30) gets to the heart of the matter with a pretty vertical wall, then a fairly long aerial slab followed by a few easy jumps.
Once at the top, the parking lot is a 5-minute walk away.
Although not particularly technically demanding, Via Ferrata climbs do require suitable equipment: harness, helmet, lanyards, ropes and karabiners.
Qualified instructors offer half-day outings.
Marking
Map references
IGN top 25, 3335 ET, Alpe d'Huez.