Epic Steep skiing on the Grandes Jorasses’ North Face

G. Pierrel, Grandes Jorasses ©B. Langenstein

On the 11th of November, Guillaume Pierrel and Boris Langestein skied the Linceul on the Grandes Jorasses. If the north face is a long awaited quest for many climbers, the skiers of this suspended slope in the north face can be counted on the fingers of two hands, barely. Exclusive report by Guillaume Pierrel.

It is the kind of route which, despite its fame, has only attracted very rare skiers. Located on the edge of the north face of the Grandes Jorasses, the Linceul is a slide on the void, that of the three hundred and fifty metres of ice gullies which allow access to it. This Friday, the 11th of November, Boris Langenstein and Guillaume Pierrel climbed the gullies in delicate conditions, then slalomed along the snow patches stuck to the glass of the Linceul. At 3pm, they put on their skis under the Hirondelles ridge. They join