GUNUNG · Prancis

Aiguille du Dru

Aiguille du Dru (Les Drus)

Information

Elevation: 3.754 m
Country: Prancis (FR)
Location / Range: Massif Mont Blanc, Alpen Prancis — di atas Les Praz/Chamonix dan Mer de Glace, tersambung ke Aiguille Verte lewat punggungan barat
Mountain type: Menara/jarum granit kembar (non-vulkanik) di Massif Mont Blanc
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 45.9328, 6.9564
Difficulty: Sangat berat & teknis — panjat batu/alpine murni, bukan trek. Rute termudah pun bertingkat AD; muka-muka besarnya berupa pemanjatan sulit berjam-jam hingga berhari-hari. Hanya untuk pemanjat alpine berpengalaman
Best Season: Musim panas alpine (Juli–September) untuk batu; jalur campuran/es lebih baik di kondisi dingin stabil. Sangat bergantung cuaca & kondisi batu
Permits & Rules: Tanpa izin formal; wajib keahlian panjat alpine multi-pitch, penanganan tali & rappel, dan sering bermalam di dinding. Pemandu IFMGA lazim untuk rute-rute klasik
Hazards: Jatuhan batu serius (massif ini telah mengalami runtuhan besar, termasuk yang menghancurkan Pilar Bonatti pada 2005), eksposur ekstrem, pemanjatan panjang & terpencil, cuaca berubah cepat, dan risiko saat rangkaian rappel turun

Description

The Aiguille du Dru — often called 'Les Drus' — is a dramatic pair of granite towers in the Mont Blanc massif of the French Alps, rising east of the village of Les Praz in the Chamonix valley, above the Mer de Glace. It has two summits: the Grande Aiguille du Dru (3,754 m) and the Petite Aiguille du Dru (3,733 m), linked to the Aiguille Verte by the west ridge. The Grand Dru was first climbed on 12 September 1878 by Clinton Thomas Dent and James Walker Hartley with guides Alexander Burgener and K. Maurer; the Petit Dru followed on 29 August 1879. The north face of the Petit Dru is one of the 'six great north faces of the Alps'. The Dru is also famous for the Bonatti Pillar — a route on the south-west pillar of the Petit Dru soloed by Walter Bonatti on 17–22 August 1955 that stunned the mountaineering world — but that iconic pillar was destroyed by a massive rockfall in 2005. The Dru is no trekking peak: even its easiest route is graded AD, and it is respected as one of the most demanding rock-and-alpine climbing objectives in the Alps.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Konteks sejarah — Pilar Bonatti (Petit Dru, kini hancur)

Panjat batu ekstrem era 1950-an (solo enam hari oleh Walter Bonatti)

Referensi historis (jalur sudah tidak ada dalam bentuk aslinya sejak runtuhan 2005)

The south-west pillar of the Petit Dru — the 'Bonatti Pillar' — was soloed by Walter Bonatti on 17–22 August 1955 in a six-day ascent that redefined the limits of alpinism. This iconic line was destroyed by a series of massive rockfalls in 2005 and can no longer be climbed in its original form. It is listed here as historical background to Les Drus and a reminder of how dynamic (and dangerous) this granite massif is.

Source

Traversée Petit Dru – Grand Dru (rute klasik)

Alpine AD/D — panjat granit multi-pitch dengan traversée punggungan dan rangkaian rappel

Umumnya 2 hari (bivak) dari Chamonix via téléphérique/Montenvers dan pendekatan glasial; pemanjatan panjang & terekspos

One of the most classic lines on Les Drus: climbing the Petit Dru and then traversing the ridge to the Grand Dru (or vice versa), combining exposed granite climbing, movement along a narrow ridge, and many rappels on descent. The approach is long, over glacial terrain from the Chamonix side. This is a genuine alpine climb for experienced climbers — not a trek — demanding rope skills, protection, and management of weather and loose rock.

Source

Climbing Experiences

The Aiguille du Dru is not a trekking mountain but a pure rock-and-alpine climbing objective in the Mont Blanc massif: twin granite towers with big faces, ice couloirs, and a summit traverse demanding multi-pitch climbing and rappel skills. The clips below show real experiences on the walls and couloirs of Les Drus — including a solo on the west face and the Petit–Grand Dru traverse — while site pages summarise the routes and the history of the legendary Bonatti Pillar (now destroyed by the 2005 rockfall).

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.