The South Face

The imposing South Side of Mont-Blanc, whose headwall, dominated by huge rock pilars, is extremely steep. Those visible on the right are the Freney Pilars, the Brouillard Pilars begin hidden behind the brouillard (fog).

During the approach from the Monzino hut, the pilars appear deceptively small because of the distance, but are more than 500m high. Separated in two by the Inominata ridge, which begins at the right, the face delimited by the Brouillard Ridge on the left (the skyline on the left of the picture), and the Peuterey ridge (visible on the pciture above)

This is a very remote corner, which is a fearsome trap if a storm moves in. Reaching the Eccles shelter (4000m) requires a long day of climbing from the Valley. Because of its tragic history, its position and difficulty, the central Pilar of Freney , of which the base is seen on the right picture, has kept his reputation of being one of the big climbs of the Alps.

Northern Side

Eastern Side

Weatern Side