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M4810 #7: Pointe Lechaud

It’s found at 3127 metres, just slightly lower than the 3400-metre-tall Petit Mont Blanc. Some of us are relieved to know that they won’t have to climb as much as last time on the Grigna. 1000 metres to climb seems like a good compromise. But what was the key word last time? Relativity. What we didn’t consider is that height is just one of the challenges. Length is another, and in this case it really counts.

M4810 #6: Grigna - Brioschi Hut

We all have our eyes on the challenges that Red Week will present, on the questions we’ll have to ask and the answers that we’ll have to find. Maybe this is why the Grigna didn’t seem like such a hard test. 

At its 2400 metres, the Brioschi hut - our destination on this new day of hiking and of change - didn’t set off any alarms. 

Neither did the words whispered as we crossed the towns of the Lecco region by car to get to the Colle del Balisio: “We’ve got 1600 metres to climb”. 

M4810 #5: Pointe Helbronner

Imposing white peaks surround us as we slowly get higher. We leave the spring weather behind and make our way to the kingdom of perennial snow and ice, towards the 3000 metres of our destination. 3462 metres above sea level. We’re on the Monte Bianco Skyway cable car, on our way to Pointe Helbronner. And we’re about to see something that will make us more deeply understand the meaning of our expedition.

M4810 #4: Aurona

A sunrise marks the start of this fourth adventure at high altitude with Methodos.

This time, with the sad awareness that summer is really over: at 6 in the morning when many of us were heading towards the meeting point, the city is still dark. The days are getting shorter, and this opens a new chapter of the adventure – winter outings, though the snow and ice. But for now, that’s not the point. In fact, judging by the unlikely Milanese heat, we’ll have a beautiful day of hiking.

M4810 #3: Fallère Hut

Third leg of the journey: we reach 3000m for the first time! Two days in the mountains of the Aosta Valley: leaving from Vetan to reach the Fallère hut. This path crosses an open-air museum with wood sculptures that are perfectly integrated into the landscape. After an evening at the hut, we head towards the peak of the Mont Fallère, trying - for the first time - a via ferrata. It was a day of great emotions and, at the top, a fantastic view of the Monte Bianco!

M4810 #2: Val Masino – Monte Disgrazia – Ponti Hut

Getting higher in this second preparatory outing.

2559 m – The Ponti hut in Valmasino: the Predarossa Valley (Sondrio) is the frame for this new test of our effort, courage, and desire.

M4810 #1: Nicola Hut

Emotion, fun, smiles, mountains: that’s M4810!

Check out the photo gallery of this first Methodos training trip and experience the colours and feelings of the beginning of our new adventure.

The journey

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Mont Fallère

Methodos - M4810 - Mont Fallère

It is the first peak over 3.000m of our project

Mont Fallère is found in the Grand Combin Alps in the Aosta Valley.

Found between the Gran San Bernardo Valley and the Valdigne, it’s a great introduction to the magical world of the 3000s. Mont Fallère, situated in the heart of the Aosta valley, proposes a 360° panorama of all the Aosta valley peaks. Its layout is not the be underestimated, but overall it doesn’t present great difficulties, even if we need to be really careful in the final part of the ridge.

We go up in two stages: the first day up to the Fallère Hut; the second day we arrive at the summit and then we go down to the valley.

Read the story :)

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Pointe Lechaud

Our first alpinistic climb to a summit

Pointe Léchaud (3.128m) is located along the borderline between Italy (Valle d'Aosta) and France (Savoy).

It is located south of the Col de la Seigne (2.512m) between the Veny Valley and the Savoy Valley of the Glaciers.

We climb in two stages: on the first day we walk from La Visaille to the Elisabetta Soldini Hut (2.195m); on the second day up to the top and back to La Visaille.

From the hut we go up to the Col Chavannes (2.603m); from the hill we have to leave the marked path that begins to descend into the Chavannes valley, following a path on the right that crosses the very steep eastern slope of Mount Lechaud. The trail continues on the right, again not far from the crest of Mount Lechaud and crosses a small valley of stones or snow, reaching the wide basin where the Chavannes Glacier is located. Once we have put on crampons, we set foot on the glacier going diagonally to the left. From this point we gradually turn to the right pointing directly to the top, which can be reached by overcoming some easy rocky steps. What we see is a vast and spectacular panorama on the Italian side of Mont Blanc.

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Vallée Blanche

Methodos - M4810 - Vallée Blanche

Crossing the Gigante glacier towards the Aiguille du Midi

Although it may seems like a "scenic walk", the Vallée Blanche should not be underestimated, as it is an itinerary that involves crossing the Gigante glacier. It is always necessary to be accompanied by an Alpine Guide who knows the itinerary very well and knows how to avoid the dangers.

We go up by cable car to Punta Helbronner (3.462m), we wear harnesses and crampons and we tie ourselves together.

The first section makes us lose altitude and then we start to climb towards the Aiguille du Midi. The last section includes the ascent of the snow-covered ridge of the Aiguille du Midi, reaching 3.842m.

The return is with the panoramic cable car which takes us back to Punta Helbronner.

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Monte Rosa

Methodos - M4810 - Monte Rosa

2 full-immersion days of technical alpine skill training on Monte Rosa

The Monte Rosa is a mountain range that is found in the Pennine Alps, along the watershed line between Italy (on the border of the Aosta valley and Piedmont) and Switzerland. It gives name to the Monte Rosa Alps supergroup, which in turn is composed of various important groups and subgroups, east of the Cervino and south-east of the Mischabel range. It is the most extended range in the Alps, and second in height after the Mont Blanc. It is the highest mountain in Switzerland and the second in Italy, and has the highest average height, containing 9 of the 20 highest peaks of the chain.

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Gran Paradiso

Methodos - M4810 - Gran Paradiso

The Gran Paradiso is the only mountain over 4000m that is fully on Italian territory

The Gran Paradiso is the only mountain over 4000m that is fully on Italian territory. A classic and fascinating climb: after a first part on ice, to be able to reach the peak marked by a statue of the Virgin Mary, you must pass some simple rocky crossings.

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Monte Bianco

Methodos - M4810 - Monte Bianco

Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco in Italian) is a mountain situated in the North-occidental Alps, in the Graian Alp range, on the watershed line between the Aosta valley (val Veny and val Ferret in Italy), and Haute-Savoie (the Arve valley in France), in the territories of Courmayeur and Chamonix, which give name to the Mont Blanc Massif, belonging to the subsection of the Mont Blanc Alps.

It’s 4808,72m (the last official measure was taken September 13, 2017) make it the highest mountain in the Alps, in Italy, in France, and in general in Europe if we exclude the Caucuses. This is why it’s called the King of the Alps. It shared a spot on the list of the highest Seven Summits with Mount Elbrus in the Caucuses.

Primarily granite full of peaks and crests, cut by deep glacial valleys, it is internationally renowned for its climbing and, from a historical point of view, the birth of mountaineering coincides with its first ascent: August 8, 1786.