Bionnassay (Aiguille de)

Overview

Aiguille de Bionnassay, a powerful but light shoulder of the Mont-Blanc, is the last 4000 m peak on the Mont-Blanc ridge in western direction.

Facing up to Aiguille du Goûter, The Aiguille de Bionnassay shows its fantastic NW and N faces. Seen from Dôme du Goûter, its narrow ridge has an amazing profile.
Ridges :
- E ridge : to Dôme du Goûter over Bionnassay Collar
- W ridge : Tricot ridge with Aiguille du Tricot, Arête du Tricot (pointes supérieure, centrale, inférieure) and Tricot Collar
- S ridge to Miage Collar and Dômes de Miage

Glaciers :
- In the N, the french Bionnassay Glacier
- In the W, the french Miage Glacier
- In the S, the italian Bionnassay Glacier tributary of Miage Glacier

Photo Gallery

Getting There

1) FROM FRANCE :
Start point is Saint Gervais or Val Monjoie (Les Contamines)
To Saint Gervais :
- By air : International airports:
* Geneva
Tel: 00 41 22 799 31 11 - Fax: 799 31 40
France exit at the airport
Tel: 00 41 22 798 20 00

* Lyon Saint-Exupéry
Tel: 00 33 4 72 22 72 21
Regular coach services:
Tel.: 00 33 4 72 35 94 96

* Annecy Haute Savoie Airport
Tel: 00 33 4 50 27 30 06
Transfers: Taxi to the SNCF railway station
Chambéry Airport
Tel: 00 33 4 79 54 46 00
Transfers: Taxi to the coach station or SNCF railway station

- Nearest station : St Gervais les Bains - Le Fayet station
DIRECT TGV (high speed train) SERVICE, PARIS/SAINT GERVAIS at weekends
Direct trains to Paris - Lyon - Nice - Marseille, etc.
Connections for TGV service in Annecy - Aix-les-Bains - Bellegarde
For more information: www.sncf.fr
Direct line to SNCF railways:
00 33 8 92 35 35 35

Pick up services at the station:
Taxi Besson: 8-seater minibus and 6-seater minivans by prior arrangement:
Tel. : 00 33 4 50 93 61 47 - Fax: 00 33 4 50 78 07 67
SAT bus services
74190 PASSY
Tel : 04 50 78 05 33 - Fax : 04 50 78 07 62
For more information: www.sat-leman.com

- From Chamonix, take E 25 (N 205) direction Les Houches, exit Le Fayet to Saint Gervais.

- From Paris:
A6 then A40 autoroute to Mâcon Nord, then towards Geneva, then Autoroute Blanche to the Passy exit (12 km / 7.5 miles from the resort).

- From Lyon:
A42 Lyon-Pont d'Ain then A40 Mâcon-Geneva.
A43 Lyon - Chambéry - Annecy - Le Fayet

- From the south of France:
Marseille - Lyon A7 or Marseille - Valence A7, then Valence - Grenoble and A41 Grenoble - Passy A40.

2) FROM ITALY
Start point is Courmayeur.
To reach Courmayeur :
Courmayeur can be easily reached by using the A5 freeway Turin-Aosta-Morgex. From Switzerland and Northern Europe, we recommend the Gran San Bernardo Tunnel or, from June, the Piccolo San Bernardo Pass. The Monte Bianco Tunnel is temporarily closed for repairs.

Airports
At present the closest airports are Turin's Caselle and Milano's Malpensa and Linate. Courmayeur is approximately an hour's drive from Turin and a little more from Milan's airports. Geneva's Cointrin Airport can be reached by Autoroute Blanche freeway and Monte Bianco Tunnel.

Passenger flights to Aosta airport are limited at present to stopoffs from Rome and Paris. Airlines link these two capital cities with the Corrado Gex airport in St. Christophe.

Trains and buses
For those who prefer using public transport, Courmayeur can be reached by bus with one or more daily services from the main cities of northern Italy (Turin, Milan, Genoa). Travelling by train is recommended as far as Aosta, where a bus connection will take you to Courmayeur.

Routes Overview

1) French normal route (2 days)
Tresse (hamlet between Saint-Gervais and Les Contamines) - Plan Glacier Hut - Durier Hut ( Miage Collar) - S ridge. Diff PD 45°

2) Italian route (2 days)
Courmayeur - Combal Lake - Miage Glacier - Gonella Hut - Normal route to Mont Blanc to ppoint 4003 - Bionnassay Collar - E ridge. Diff AD Crevasses !

3) Traverse from Dômes de Miage (3 days + 1 day for Mont Blanc)
Nçotre Dame de la Gorge - Tré la Tête Hut - Conscrits Hut - Col des Dômes - Durier Hut - S ridge

4) Tricot Ridge (WNW ridge) 1O hours from Tricot Collar

5) NW face from Tête Rousse

When To Climb

Usually climbed from july to september

Mountain Conditions

Meteo Chamonix

Huts

- Durier Hut
Alt : 3358 m
Tél : 33 (0)4 09 42 49 74
Open end June to mid September
Places : 24
Reservation : Obligatory

- Plan Glacier Hut

- Gonella Hut

- Conscrits Hut
Alt : 2580 m
Open mid June to mid September
Tel : 33 (0)4 79 89 09 03
Beds : 84
Reservation :Obligatory

- Tête Rousse Hut
Alt : 3167 m
Tel : 33 (0)4 50 58 24 97
Open mid June to end September
Places : 57
Reservation : No

Climbing History

First ascent : 1865, Jean-Pierre Cachat, Michel-Clémùent Payot with the englishmen E.N. Buxton, F.X. Grove, R.J.S. MacDonald (NW face)

S ridge : 1888, Kaspar Maurer, Andreas Jaun and G. Gruber.

Descent with skis : Sylvain SAudan (NW face) in 1969.

Bionnassay, the hamlet

Bionnassay is a small hamlet, altitude1400 metres,
25 inhabitants, 15 minutes from St Gervais center (need of a 4WD vehicle in winter).
Traditionnal savoyard goat cheese made in the farm.
Wood craftman.
Alpine Inns.

External Links

• mountain guide
  traversee du Mont Blanc complète
  
• Aiguille de Bionnassay at www.4000er.de
  Images, routes, coordinates and more information about the highest peaks of the Alps
  
• Mountain Guide Adventure - Chamonix Mont-Blanc Mountain Guide - France
  A Mountain Guide team will help you to realize your mountain and adventure dreams . A Mountain Guide team in Chamonix propose : mountaineering, alpine rock climbing, ice climbing, heliskiing, ski touring, off piste skiing and expeditions all over the world.
  
  

Images

View Bionnassay (Aiguille de) Image Gallery - 206 Images