South face of Mont Blanc is a great terrain for mountaineering, feeling far from Chamonix bussy routes and cable access, from Val Veny the 3000m of climb to the summit present something more adventurous, some more route searching and the feeling of being in a big mountain in alpine terrain. Since 2012 when I did Innominata I really enjoy to climb or ski every now and then in this side. Brouillar was the missing long ridge for me after I did Peuterey ridge in june, and first with Ben Tibbets and then with François Cazzanelli we talk about doing-it. As usual, our bussy agendad didn't match up, so on monday August 20th I decided to go. I started from my van at Val Veny (Freney parking) a bit before 5AM and take the trail to Lac des Marmottes direction Glacier du Miage. After 40 minutes, before the glacier I started climbing straight up on grassy and rocky terrain towards Aiguilles Rouges de Brouillard. Hitting the ridge I get the first sun in my face. Easy terrain but lot's of uphills and downhills in a brake rock terrain. 3 hours after leaving the car I get to Col du Brouillard and start climbing up to Pointe Baretti and Mount Brouillard. At 10 AM I was at Col Emile Rey. Some of the down climb can be delicated due to the rock quality but it was possible to do without abseiling down. It was warm (I was climbing in teeshirt up to 4600m) and dry and it was some rock falling so I waited a bit between some rock falls and I climbed the steep couloir (IV max) fast to get out the exposed zone. After that it continues in a easy climbing up to Pointe Louis Amédée, from where after a short narrow section the climbing gets really easy and the ridge becames larger at the exit of Innominatta. I puted the crampons there and a thin jacket and follow the snow fields to Mont Blanc de Courmayeur and Mont Blanc, that I reach 7h30 after leaving Val Veny. It was earlier than I thought so I was thinking to go to do some more ridge up there so I was going down Mont Maudit and Tacul and wanted to go to Torino hut to do Rochefort and maybe Jorasses ridge but it was very warm and snow bridges and crevasses to cross Vallée Blanche didn't look so good traveling alone, so at the end I decided to go to Cosmiques and go down to Chamonix and hitchhike the tunnel and run to the car.

Gear:

• backpack salomon x-alp 23l
• helmet salomon prototype
• sunglasses
• buff
• poles
• 2 iceaxes (carbon Elite climb)
• Salomon overboot crampon
• Salomon X.-alpine shoe
• light down jacket
• 30m 5mm dynema rope
• 2 carabinners
• 1 sling
• 2 energy bars (226ers) and 2 gels (226ers and Mountain fuel)
• Gloves
• harness (Blue Ice light)

Move

view of the ridge from Val Veny

first sun at the Aiguilles Rouges de Brouillard

The entire ridge from the first gendarmes

the couloir from Col Emile Rey

From Pointe Barreti, Mount Brouillard, Pointe Louis Améndée and Mont Blanc de Courmayeur, and Col d'Eccles at the right.

Blanche de Peuterey at the right, Col d'Eccles at the center, Innominatta ridge and piliers rouges du Brouillard.

Braked rocks on easy but delicated terrain, 7km of this!

Last part of the snowy ridge up to Mont Blanc de Courmayeur

From Mont Blanc de Courmayeur looking back to Brouillard ridge.