A century ago, all the great peaks of the Alps were climbed. All except one: the MeijeThis citadel of ice and granite was to put up, even more than the Matterhorn, fierce resistance to the efforts of the attackers...
Meije means “noon” and designates the south. The inhabitants of La Grave used to refer to this mountain, located to the south of their village, “the eye of the meidjour” (the south needle).
La Meije (from the Provençal Meidjo) therefore owes its name to the sun which passes over it at noon.
Mountaineering
La Meije is a prime destination for mountaineers with multiple routes in a wide variety of styles. But the mountain is “alive,” so routes change with the changing terrain. Local guides follow the mood and are the only custodians of “up-to-date” information.
“The crossing of the Meije is a great race, requiring a certain ease in all areas of high mountains: rock, snow and icee, but at a still reasonable level of difficulty. You also need to be in good physical shape et don't fear the void which deepens with every step.”
Paulo Grobel, high-mountain guide at La Grave
The ascent is generally made by the South ridge of the Promontory and is linked with the crossing of the ridges up to the Finger of God. Following the collapse on May 15, 1964 of the Zsigmondy gap, which then lowered by 20 m, the route became more difficult, and the bypass of the first tooth (Zsigmondy tooth) was equipped in 1971 with metal cables to facilitate and secure the passage.
The south face of the Meije is also the site of many rocky routes for climbing enthusiasts.
Mountain huts
2 mountain huts provide access to the different peaks of the MeijeAmong the 3 highest perched in Oisans, their names perfectly capture the atmosphere: one perched on its promontory and the other perched on a spur like an eagle's nest.
Promontoire Refuge (3 m)
Located at the base of the Promontory ridge, starting point for the Grand Pic, for crossing the ridges of the Meije and for all the routes on the south face.
Hiker friends, no need to go mountaineering to reach the refuge and enjoy its terrace suspended above the Etançons valley. 1 m you will climb, you will have the alpine foot, but you will neither use a harness nor an ice axe.
approaching La Meije so close, sleeping at the foot of its vertical walls, will make the mountaineer in you vibrate.
Eagle Refuge (3 m)
It's all in the name: built on the top of the Tabuchet glacier, it provides access to the north face and the less difficult routes of the Finger of God and the Meije Oriental woody eau de toilette..
Fellow mountaineers, this refuge is dedicated to you. Indeed, mountaineering techniques are essential to reach this eagle's nest! Rebuilt in 2014, It has kept the originality of a refuge with a unique place to live which combines two floors of beds and a dining room. The old structure of the 1910 chalet has been preserved, as well the balance between the soul of the old refuge and the new project has been respected.
Location
La Meije in the history of mountaineering
It occupies a special place: it was the last major summit of the Alps to be climbed after numerous attempts between 1870 and 1877.
This first ascent was made by a Frenchman while most of the great firsts in the Alps were achieved by British mountaineers: Whymper, Coolidge etc.
For these reasons and also thanks to the aesthetics of its remarkable silhouette (described as “perfectly asymmetrical” by the composer Olivier Messiaen), la Meije occupies a special place in the imagination of mountaineers. Besides, she is sometimes called "The Queen" Meije » or « His Meijecompany.
La Meije is composed of three main peaks : the climax, the Great Peak of the Meije at 3 meters (983th major summit of the Écrins after the Barre des Écrins which peaks at 4 meters), God's Finger or Central Peak of the Meije (3 meters) overlooking the southern slope and la Meije Oriental (3 meters), large snow shoulder.
The first…
Firstst The ascent of the Grand Pic was made on August 16, 1877 by Emmanuel Boileau de Castelnau with Pierre Gaspard ; it follows the ridge of the promontory on the south face, that is to say the “normal” route. They came back down by the same route, abandoning ropes on certain passages (the technique of rappelling was not invented until later).
“This conquest was a great feat, the mountain had been the subject of many attempts (around 25)…”
Emmanuel De Castelnau (nineteen years old) and a valley resident in the prime of life (forty-three years old), Pierre Gaspard, a guide for only two years, were able to find the weak point during a reconnaissance on August 4, 1877. They crossed the key passage in socks. Those who follow in their footsteps today should imagine them climbing in hobnailed shoes, at a time when rock climbing was in its infancy. They bivouacked on the descent, without protective equipment. For many years the Meije was nicknamed: “the big difficult one”…”
Excerpt from the “Guide du Haut-Dauphiné” by François Labande, published by l'Envol.
And the others…
La 1st ascension without a guide, in 1879, is to the credit of Frederick Gardiner in company Charles Pilkington and Lawrence Pilkington.
La 1st crossing the ridges of the Meije was made in an east-west direction (from Doigt de Dieu to Grand Pic) on July 27, 1885 by Ludwig Purtscheller, Otto and Emil Zsigmondy. They abseiled down and planted pitons from the first tooth to the gap at the foot of the Grand Pic (today called the Zsigmondy tooth and gap). They descended by the Promontoire ridge, taking the Autrichiens slab, which is the only modification of the route used today compared to that of Gaspard and Castelnau.
In 1891, JH Gibson, Ulrich Almer et F. Boss made the 1st crossing the ridges (in the west-east direction), which became theclassic route and considered one of the most beautiful in the Alps. It is one of the 100 most beautiful routes in the Écrins massif.