Aiguille Verte, the formidable peak of the Mont Blanc massif

Rising to 4,122 meters, the Aiguille Verte stands like a granite fortress above the Chamonix valley. It is considered one of the most technical and prestigious summits in the French Alps.

Altitude

4 122 m

Localisation

45.933° N / 6.982° E

A summit reserved for seasoned mountaineers

The Aiguille Verte is not a beginner’s summit: its routes require endurance, technical skill, and commitment. Reaching its peak means joining the mountaineering legend of Chamonix and its great classic climbs.

1865

First ascent

Completed by Edward Whymper with Christian Almer and Franz Biner.

19th century

Symbol of alpine difficulty

The Aiguille Verte becomes a major milestone of early mountaineering.

1963

First winter ascent of the north face

By René Desmaison and Robert Flematti, marking a major technical breakthrough.

1985

Pierre Béghin’s solo winter ascent

An extreme ascent that reinforces the mountain’s formidable reputation.

Today

Cult of the great faces

The Verte remains a mythical objective for experienced climbing teams.

45.9327° N / 6.98250° E

En chiffres

4,122 m

Altitude

1865

First ascent

1 north face

Famous and formidable

0 compromises

Reserved for seasoned climbers

Whymper again

Already famous for the Matterhorn, Edward Whymper also shaped the history of the Aiguille Verte. “To be an alpinist is to have climbed the Verte.”

The Verte, “the graveyard of ambition”

In 1949, Lionel Terray described turning back just a few dozen meters below the summit of the Aiguille Verte when his partner fell into a bergschrund. The accident was narrowly avoided, and Terray later wrote that the Verte was one of the few mountains capable of “silencing even the most self-confident climbers.” The experience deeply marked his approach to alpinism.

The neighbours of the Aiguille Verte

Around the Verte, other giants of the Mont Blanc massif rise:

Mont Blanc

Italy

4808 m

Rigor and Grandeur

The Aiguille Verte embodies difficulty and commitment. For Norton Peak, it represents the rigor and grandeur of alpine challenges.

From Chamonix

Classic routes via the Whymper couloir or the north face, all technical and committing.

“There are no small summits, but there is the Verte.”

Chamoniard saying

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