Le Râteau – 3769 m

From the Col des Ruillans, go up the Girose glacier to the south-east towards the Col de la Girose. The route to cross the pass depends on the snow conditions, from the east or the west. Then go up a triangle of snow to around 3 m then follow the ridge over easy rocks. Reach the summit by crossing two ledges equipped with pitons (passage in III). The descent is done by the same route.

1st ascent Christophe Turc, W summit (3766m), father and son, July 17, 1906.
Topo – maps: 3436 ET Meije Pelvoux.
Ecrins Summit, Glénat edition.
Difficulty III, PD
Duration: 5 hours by cable car

CULTURE
The Turks, guide families.

The Turc families are the oldest established in the Vénéon Valley with multiple branches. The origin has not been determined to date, but has fueled many legends. Christophe Turc is one of the figures of Oisans, he was at the origin of a long line of peasant guides of Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans. “Father Bourbon” was a farmer, breeder, guide and then hotelier, with the construction of the Hôtel du Vallon aux Étages, a beautiful building, which still welcomes mountaineers and mountain enthusiasts. He was first a porter for the famous Father Gaspard, then a guide with, to his credit, a bunch of great firsts, including the Râteau Ouest. His two sons Adrien and Christophe became guides and are part of the legend of the Vénéon guides. Another line of Turkish guides is that of Joseph Turc “the Zouave” from Puy, guide and peddler, nephew of Gaspard. He marked the history of mountaineering in Oisans by climbing the MeijeHis son also became a guide: the lineage is still there.

Alpinism: Definition: Climbing mountains which requires special equipment to cross rock, ice or cliff.

Rating: Two aspects are considered in the mountaineering rating, the technical difficulty as well as the altitude and duration. The + or – refines the rating in each category.

F / Easy
PD / Little Difficult
AD / Quite Difficult
D / Difficult
TD / Very Difficult
ED / Extremely Difficult
ABO / Abominably Difficult

Equipment: Harness, mountain boots, helmet, crampons, ice axe, 100 m rappel rope, chocks and friends, quickdraws, ice screws, self-locking, headlamp, altimeter watch. Equipment rental in many sports stores.

Contact mountain professionals in Oisans. Full list on the website http://www.montagne-oisans.com/montagne-alpes-sejours-20.html