The Grand Capucin

Viewed from the broad, open expanse of the upper Géant Glacier, Grand Capucin is a captivating objective for any serious rock climber. Its sheer granite walls rise 1,500 feet from a sea of ice, surrounded by lesser (yet still impressive) towers such as Trident du Tacul, Petit Capucin, and Pointe Adolphe Rey. But in this realm of ice and rock, the Grand Capucin stands out for its sheer mass and visibly compact rock. It’s the closest thing in Chamonix to a Patagonian peak. In fact, the pictures I took while climbing Grand Capucin are often mistaken for climbing in Patagonia.

I first saw the Grand Capucin while skiing down the Vallée Blanche.