La Grave - Malaval versant S - Les Moulins – up to the ice pillar

The climb is pretty steep if you just go straight up. Once at the top, you can continue up the pillars] and even do the integral]!

Approach

The approach is basically inexistent, but nevertheless slightly longer than for Caturgeas if for example you park after the smaller tunnel. You might actually need over a minute! The ice-fall flows above the larger tunnel, 150m W of the parking.

Climb

L# | | 50 m | Large curtain, easier on the left of the small cave and steeper on the right. Belay must be built using screws. L# | | 50 m | Flat section followed by a steeper section at the centre (can be avoided by climbing up left on easier terrain, with a comfortable bolted belay on the left. A bolted belay is also available on the right. L# | | 45 m | Two steeper sections, bolted belay on the left, close to the ground next to a (dying?) juniper tree/shrub. L# | | 40 m | Small pillar with two obvious sections. Bolted belay on the left. L# | | 70 m | (Optional pitch) A moderate snow couloir and a short ice section leads to the base of the pillar. Belay on the right.

Descent

Abseil down using the bolted and chained abseil stations. Note that the R2 belay (top of pitch 2) cannot be reached with a 50m rope from R3 but that there is a good belay 5m above, sometimes hidden behind the ice.

The ice-fall faces S and although the bottom is in the shade all day, the top is exposed to the sun.