Le Troubayet - Kalinka

A route of seven pitches, not very sustained, well bolted and in a magnificent setting.

Approach 25min Just after Sembrancher turn off towards Verbier and the almost straight away take the road on the left to the col des Planches. Park at the second bend after passing through Vens, (with a farm below). Take the farm road, (No entry for cars,) until the first bend (100m) and then take the footpath which rises to the right. After about 80m, take a footpath on the left, cairn, easy to miss. The path starts of horizontally before becoming quite steep. Be careful to follow the cairns and newly painted,(2017) red marks. Initially, keep trending rightwards and do not descend directly downwards., though later it does descend quite steeply. After about 20mins the path passes about 15m below rocks with a large diagonal overhang with a slab trending leftwards underneath it. The route starts up this slab, One bolt visible, (some cairns). Shortly after this the path arrives at a scree gully and crosses this diagonally upwards to another rock rib, 2 bolts clearly visible on a slab and 15m higher up a belay chain. This is the start of “La Suite Logique”, (name very faint on the rock.) This means you have gone too far! N.B. The approach is quite awkward, especially if damp (T3/4).

Route 2 to 3h The route starts up a slab, under a large overhang. P1 4b 25m 4 pts A steep slab with flakes under an overhang, then an easier angled slab. P2 5b 25m 4 pts A short vertical step, then a steep slab with small incuts between some cracks, (some thin moves,) until the crest of the spur. Possible to link pitches 1 and 2. (9 quickdraws.) P3 4c 30m 3 pts Large blocks until a gap at the foot of a steep wall. P4 5c 25m 8 pts Short, vertical wall above the belay, ( a thin move on going up to the right,) and then gain a crack which is climbed on its right side, (slab with good fingerholds) P5 5b 3om 6 pts Slab with incuts until crossing over the crest of the spur to make a short traverse on its left flank before coming back to the right flank by an easy angled corner, which is followed to just below the crest.
P6 4a 20m 3 pts Traverse close to the crest of the ridge and descend to a good terrace.
P7 5b 30m 3 pts Short slab then stepped terrain to the summit.

Return 15min Go up 50m to a clearing then go to the right. to join a good path. This path passes the cairn for the approach path and so back to the parking.

The belays are with two bolts, not linked. The route is not equipped for abseiling. (P3 and P6 are likely to be problematical.) Good, clean rock, which is the result of an enormous cleaning effort. (The rocks either side are very mossy.)