Climbers' Story in the Upper Val de Bagnes
It was on the crest of the Mauvoisin Dam in the Upper Val de Bagnes that Besson Immobilier encountered two mountain guides from the Verbier guides' office. It was a late July evening, and it was raining heavily. We found ourselves in a sea of fog, unable to appreciate the latest project they wanted to share with us. The atmosphere was chilly, damp, and the power of the fog quickly drove us to seek warmth in the Mauvoisin restaurant a little further down.
As soon as we arrived in the cozy interior, some locals approached our two mountaineers and inquired about their somewhat crazy project. The snippets of conversation that reached us immediately conveyed a mix of passion and excitement, the kind that radiates from people when they have just experienced something profound.
Two Men and a Project
The two men returned to our table. The first, Michael Kimber, a young certified guide and seasoned climber, had a particular passion for equipping climbing routes in the Val de Bagnes. For him, this activity was a journey, a long-term adventure. He lived in the tiny village of Fionnay. His climbing partner, also a mountain guide, Joseph or Jo Morelli, several decades his senior, excelled in the core disciplines of skiing, mountaineering, and climbing. Their eyes filled with stars as they recounted their story.
A Climbing Route Dating Back to the Early 80s
While leafing through old climbing guidebooks from the alpine club, Jo discovered the existence of an old climbing route called "la voie du barrage." It intrigued him, and he immediately rode his motorcycle to the top of the Mauvoisin Dam wall to locate and find its starting point. From a distance, the wall appeared crumbly, austere, with few possible routes. However, as he explored the base of the towering Pierre à Vire cliffs, which rose over 400 meters, he discovered incredibly high-quality rock, abrasive and magnificent. He saw potential and called Michael.
After climbing the first three pitches together, the two enthusiastic and motivated guides had a clear idea. They wanted to "revisit" this beautiful line and bring it up to date with more modern equipment. Questions arose. What is the history of this route? Who was the original developer at the time, and how did they manage to open a route here with the equipment available at the time?
"La voie du barrage," a link between three generations
It was Daniel Bruchez, a mountain guide and former keeper of the Mont-Fort hut, who, in the 1980s, conceived and equipped this route on his own, using a hammer drill and steel plates he cut, bent, and drilled himself. It was one of the first major routes opened in the valley—a real pioneering adventure for its time.
In the world of climbing, re-equipping a route typically requires the approval of its developer. Daniel, surprised that anyone would want to revive this relic, was nonetheless enthusiastic about the idea of revisiting his route. Some local climbers who had dared to venture on it had vowed never to set foot on it again due to its rudimentary equipment and the difficulty of reading the sections.
Jo and Michael, with immense respect for their elder, understood that this route was a remarkable legacy that needed to be approached with great humility.
The Dream of a Beautiful Line
With the link established between these three generations, it was time to realize their project: to re-equip this old route and turn it into a climb more suitable for today's "pleasure climbing."
This involved long hours of labor, progressing along the massive cliff, sometimes from the bottom, sometimes from the top. They had to search for and find the best route, redesign the line to enhance its beauty and make it consistent. They envisioned the movements and optimally placed the bolts. Finally, they did a lot of cleaning to remove any loose rocks, followed by clearing the ledges overgrown with vegetation and stones.
A Titanic effort
Equipping routes is far more exhausting than climbing itself. They described the challenges of reaching the top of the pitches, the stress of opening from the bottom, heavy backpacks, burns from the drill sparks, dust in their faces, and hours spent hanging in the void, in both cold and sweltering heat. The motivation of the two guides knew no bounds, and they loved it. They reminisced about the good times of laughter, sharing, and exchanges, especially those when they imagined Daniel, alone in the most complicated sections. This camaraderie led to a genuine friendship between these two men who barely knew each other.
A New Lease of Life for “the Dam Route”
After more than 500 hours spent restoring this route, the two guides confessed to being very proud of their achievement. It is now one of the longest routes in the valley, with 430 meters of development and 12 pitches. A true gem with remarkable, grippy, and often abrasive rock. Ascending it is a real journey that not only reveals a succession of different rock types but also offers varied climbing, with technical slab sections, steep walls, cracks, and some athletic moves. The equipment is excellent, with well-protected sections, comfortable belay stances, and clear route finding. A few pleasant rappels await after the 5th and 7th pitches, and the "Daniel's Museum" at the 10th belay gathers all the old pitons placed by the original developer. To top it off, the summit of the journey offers beautiful ledges adorned with the finest alpine flowers and a spectacular view of the dam.
Track equipment is a completely voluntary activity. Support climbing in Valais and enjoy a beautiful online guidebook of the area by making a donation to 8a bloc, which kindly provided us with the route guide. Also, support the Plan Vertical association, which assists in the maintenance and development of climbing sites and provides advice and equipment to route setters.
To explore this route with a professional guide, please contact the Verbier Guide Office: Les guides de verbier.
If you need accommodation in the area, don't hesitate to contact our agency by phone at +41 27 775 30 60 or by email at info@besson.ch. More information is available on our website.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Difficulty: TD+, 430 meters, 6b+ A1 / 6a+ mandatory, 6c+ / A0 1 piton, 13 quickdraws, 1 aid sling useful for pitch 11.
Start: At the end of the dam on the left bank, a path with a cairn leads directly to the base of the route. Allow 20 minutes.
Descent: On foot via the hiking path, which takes about 1 hour. Offset belay stations (marked in red) and an escape route allow for an easy descent.
