Report

On the ascent of the CSKA team named after Demchenko to the summit of Ciarforon (3640 m) via the 3rd wall, 2B cat. diff., Graian Alps (Italy). Gran Paradiso area.

Leader: D. I. Trynin Senior coach: E. V. Kuznetsova

Moscow 2012

Ascent Passport

Graian Alps (Italy). Gran Paradiso area. No. 10.3 (according to KGVB 2011)
Mt. Ciarforon (3640 m) via the 3rd wall (F. Gonella, G. Blanc, F. Daynè, 1885).
Proposed category: 2B cat. diff.
Route type: combined.
Route elevation gain: 600 m.

Route length: 1000 m. Section lengths:

V cat. diff. — 0 m
VI cat. diff. — 0 m.

Average steepness:

main part of the route — 45°
entire route — 30°

Number of pitons left on the route: total; including bolted pitons.
Team's total climbing hours: 6 hours, 1 day.
Leader: Trynin D.I. 1st sports category

Team members: Cherny S. 1st sports category, Andrianov M.V. 1st sports category Svyatitsky A. 2nd sports category

Coach: Kuznetsova E. V.
Access to the route from the base camp:

Route started: July 26, 2012 at 6:00 AM Reached the summit: July 26, 2012 at 12:00 PM Returned to the base camp: July 26, 2012 at 4:00 PM Descent from the summit: via the ascent route.

Organization: Training camp CSKA named after Demchenko (Moscow)
Responsible for the report: Trynin D.I., Yurkin A.V.

Email and phone: hobbit_den@mail.ru

General photo of the summit

General view of Ciarforon summit from the west. Photo taken from the NE ridge of Becca di Monciair peak. Numbers denote routes:

Route 1
Route 2
Route 3

route via the NW ridge, 3B cat. diff. (AD um). (D. Escoffier, O. De Falkner, 1894)
team's route
route via the SW ridge. 2B cat. diff. (PD+) (F. Vallino, A. Blanchetti, 1871).

Route profile photo

Area photopanorama

Gran Paradiso area overview

Peak designations (with elevations) on the map:
1 — Punta Galicia 3346 m	28 — Punta Rossa della Grivola 3630 m
2 — Punta Basei 3338 m	29 — La Grivola 3969 m
3 — Punta Gran Vaudala 3272 m	30 — Grivoletta 3514 m
4 — Taou Blanc 3438 m	31 — Gran Nomenon 3488 m
5 — Aouillé 3440 м	32 — Mont Favret 3173 м
6 — Cima di Entrelor 3430 м	33 — Punta Valletta 2793 м
7 — Punta Percià 3227 м	34 — Becca Piana 2271 м
8 — La Roletta 3384 м	35 — Punta Ceresole 3777 м
9 — Punta Bianca 3427 м	36 — Testa della Tribolazione 3642 м
10 — Punta Bioula 3414 м	37 — Testa di Valnontey 3562 м
11 — Punta del Ran 3272 м	38 — Becca di Gay 3621 м
12 — Punta Chamoussière 2942 м	39 — Becco Meridionale della Tribolazione 3360 м
13 — Monte Paillasse 2414 м	40 — Roccia Viva 3650 м
14 — Cima dell'Arolley 2996 м	41 — Torre del Gran San Pietro 3692 м
15 — Cima di Seiva 3075 м	42 — Punte Patri 3581 м
16 — Punta Fourà 3411 м	43 — Punta Valletta 3356 м
17 — Mare Périca 3385 м	44 — Punta di Valmiana 3244 м
18 — Denti del Breuil 3454 м	45 — Punta Fenilia 3053 м
19 — Becca di Monciair 3544 м	46 — Punta d'Ondezana 3452 м
20 — Ciarforon 3642 м	47 — Becco di Valsoera 3369 м
21 — La Tresenta 3609 м	48 — Punta delle Sengie 3408 м
22 — Becca di Moncorvè 3875 м	49 — Monveso di Forzo 3322 м
23 — Gran Paradiso 4061 м	50 — Grande Arolla 3246 м
24 — Piccolo Paradiso 3923 м	51 — Punta della Tsesère 3117 м
25 — Becca di Montandayné 3838 м	52 — Torre di Lavina 3308 м
26 — Herbetet 3778 м	53 — Punta di Acque Rosse 2952 м
27 — La Gran Serra 3552 м	54 — Punta Nera 3064 м

Ciarforon peak (3640 m), the target of the ascent, is located in the Gran Paradiso national park area. The park is situated within the Graian Alps mountain range in the autonomous region of Valle d'Aosta in northern Italy.

The highest point in the Gran Paradiso area is 4061 m, making it the seventh highest peak in the Alps (Mont Blanc being the first).

The Valle d'Aosta region is heavily mountainous, featuring some of the most iconic Italian and Alpine peaks such as Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc), Grand Jorasses, Cervino (Matterhorn), and Gran Paradiso.

Most mountaineering routes of interest are found in the Gran Paradiso ridge. With peak elevations ranging from 3500 to 4000 m, the area offers a variety of terrain including rocks, ice, and snow. Many combined routes are available, predominantly categorized as 1st to 4th difficulty level, with some routes classified as 5th category.

The ascent to Ciarforon was part of the CSKA training camp named after Demchenko (Moscow) held in June and early July 2012. The base camp was set up at the Pont campsite, the highest and last settlement in the Valsavaranche valley, at an elevation of 1950–2000 m.

The route was accessed from the Vittorio Emanuele II refuge, located at the foot of Gran Paradiso peak at an elevation of 2732 m. The approach from Pont village takes approximately 2 hours via a comfortable trail.

Ciarforon is situated in the ridge between the Tresenta (3609 m) and Becca di Monciair (3544 m) peaks. The geographical coordinates of the summit are 45°29′35.09″ N, 7°14′53.47″ E. In the Italian classification, the route via the 3rd wall is categorized as PD.

Approach route from the base camp (Pont campsite) to the Vittorio Emanuele II refuge

Technical photo of the route

Section	Length, m	Steepness, °	Terrain type	Difficulty category	Number of pitons
R0–R1	150	25	snow	1
R1–R2	100	30–45	Rocks-snow	2
R2–R3	150	50	Rocks-snow	2
R3–R4	100	30	Snow	2
R4–R5	150	50	Rocks-snow-ice	3	full set
R5–R6	300	25	Rocks-snow	2
R6–R7	50	20	Rocks	1

Brief description of the route passage by sections

Approach

It's advisable to review the approach to the route from the refuge in the evening, as the glacier under Ciarforon can be crossed at multiple points. The objective is to reach 2 control cairns on the moraine extending from the NW ridge, which are visible directly from the refuge. The most straightforward approach appears to be traversing the upper part of the glacier and then moving along the ridge. However, this route involves crossing melting snowfields with numerous streams and small puddles, posing a risk of falling through and wetting one's feet at the beginning of the ascent.

A better alternative is:

traversing the glacier in its lower part via rocky outcrops to the moraine of the NW ridge
then ascending along the moraine

From the control cairns, descend to the glacier separating Ciarforon and Moncorvè peaks. Staying close to the western wall of Ciarforon, ascend to the pass into the upper part of the glacier. The journey from Vittorio Emanuele II refuge takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.

The route begins from the last ledge on the western wall.

R0–R1 100–150 m, 20–25°, I cat. diff. Ascend a snowy-icy slope to reach a ledge. R1–R2 100 m traverse along the ledge, at the boundary between snow and rocks (or on a snowfield, depending on the route conditions) to reach the talus slopes of the western wall.

R2–R3 along the talus slopes 100–150 m, moving left and upwards, approach the rock belt dividing the wall into two parts. Then ascend simple rocks of II category to reach the upper wall's cirque (50 m, 40–50°). There are multiple options for this section; we found the left part to be simpler and less rockfall-prone.

R3–R4 150 m, II cat. diff. The upper western wall's cirque is a snowfield where small avalanches can occur from the above couloirs. In our case, we observed the runout of two wet avalanches. Ascend directly up the center of the snowfield, avoiding avalanche runouts, until the two snowy-icy couloirs on the summit plateau become visible on the left.

R4–R5 150 m, 40–50°, III cat. diff. The most logical ascent is via the left couloir straight up (using crampons and securing with an ice axe or pitons!!). However, due to avalanche runouts from the left couloir, we initially traversed via the right couloir and then moved to simple and moderately difficult rocks into the left couloir, continuing straight up to the summit plateau. (Later in the summer, the couloir is likely to be entirely icy. The ascent is also possible entirely via the rocks separating the two couloirs.)

R5–R6. Then turn right and move along the edge of the southern wall for 300 m on a snowy ridge. Reach a large snowy depression with a lake. Bypass the lake on the right. Approximately 4 hours from the start of the route.

R6–R7. 50 m, 20°, I cat. diff. Ascend gentle rocks to reach the summit plateau.

Descent follows the ascent route. The first two ropes from the descent point into the couloir involve rappelling.

Time: