Six Great North Faces of the Alps

Six Great North Faces of the Alps
Name	Six Great North Faces of the Alps
Country	Switzerland; France; Italy; Austria
Highest	Matterhorn north face
Elevation m	4478
Range	Alps

Six Great North Faces of the Alps are a canonical group of steep, icy, and rock-dominated north-facing walls in the Alps celebrated in mountaineering history for their technical difficulty, objective hazards, and iconic status. The grouping unites faces on peaks that have been central to the development of alpinism, attracting climbers associated with institutions such as the Alpine Club (UK), the Société des Alpinistes Français, and the Austrian Alpine Club. Their reputations were cemented during the golden age of mountaineering, the interwar period, and the postwar era through seminal ascents by figures linked to Hermann Buhl, Walter Bonatti, Enzo Ferrari (patronage and publicity links), and other prominent alpinists.

Overview

The Six North Faces consist of the north faces of the Matterhorn, the Eiger, the Cima Grande di Lavaredo, the Petit Dru, the Piz Badile, and the Grandes Jorasses. Each face is situated in regions administered by states including Switzerland, Italy, France, and Austria, and lies within or adjacent to famous subranges such as the Pennine Alps, the Bernese Alps, the Dolomites, and the Mont Blanc Massif. These walls share features of steepness, exposure to winter storms originating over the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and histories that involve climbers from organizations like the German Alpine Club, the Club Alpino Italiano, and the Swiss Alpine Club.

The Six Faces: Individual Summaries

- Matterhorn north face: Located on the Matterhorn (Cervino/Cervin) above Zermatt, the face overlooks routes linking to passes such as the Theodul Pass and approaches from the Valais. Prominent figures associated include Edward Whymper (first ascent of the mountain) and later technical pioneers from the UK and Italy.

- Eiger north face: The north face of the Eiger in the Bernese Alps overlooks the Reichenbach Falls-adjacent valleys and the Jungfrau region; it is famous for the Eigerwand mythology and ascents by climbers from the German Democratic Republic and Switzerland.

- Cima Grande north face: The north face of the Cima Grande di Lavaredo in the Dolomites is emblematic of via ferrata-era and free-climbing development tied to Italian alpinists associated with the Club Alpino Italiano and the artistic circles of Venice and Trieste.

- Petit Dru north face: The north face of the Aiguille du Dru (Petit Dru) in the Mont Blanc Massif stands above the Chamonix valley and routes linked to the Mer de Glace and the Vallée Blanche.

- Piz Badile north face: The Piz Badile in the Bernina Range features a granite north face approached from the Bregaglia valley, with historical climbers from the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

- Grandes Jorasses north face: The north face of the Grandes Jorasses in the Mont Blanc Massif includes the famed Walker Spur and approaches from the Vallée de Chamonix, with associations to figures from France, Italy, and Britain.

Historical Significance and First Ascents

Each face's first ascent narrative intersects with expeditions organized by bodies such as the Alpine Club (UK), the Club Alpino Italiano, and the French Alpine Club. The Matterhorn's early history involves Edward Whymper and the tragic 1865 descent; the Eiger north face became a theater for climbers during the 1930s linked to Heinrich Harrer-era stories and episodes tied to World War II-era mountaineering. The Grandes Jorasses saw pioneering routes established by Franco-Italian teams in the early 20th century. Postwar innovation by climbers including Walter Bonatti and Riccardo Cassin advanced mixed ice-and-rock techniques used on the Cima Grande and Piz Badile. Clubs such as the Swiss Alpine Club and the German Alpine Club documented early narratives in guidebooks and periodicals.

Climbing Routes and Difficulty

Routes on these faces range from long, sustained ice pitches to technically demanding rock sequences. The Eiger's north face routes involve long abseils and alpine rock protection traditions cultivated by climbers from the UK, Germany, and Austria. The Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses is graded among the most committing north-face free climbs in Alps literature circulated by mountaineering publishers like Alpine Journal and La Gazette des Alpes. Ascents on the Petit Dru require mixed-rock skills honed by practitioners associated with the Chamonix Guides Company and mountaineering schools in Chamonix. Piz Badile's Cassin route is a test-piece of granite techniques compared in guidebooks produced by the UIAA-affiliated authors. Seasonal weather windows influenced by the Mistral and Föhn winds determine objective hazard management strategies promoted by alpine rescue groups such as PGHM and regional mountain rescue services.

Notable Climbs, Accidents, and Controversies

High-profile ascents and tragedies on these faces have involved notable personalities and organizations: the Matterhorn incidents connected to climbers from Great Britain and Italy; the Eiger north face tragedies of the 1930s were followed by rescue narratives involving Swiss authorities and media outlets like Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Debates over bolting ethics on the Cima Grande and Petit Dru engaged figures from the European climbing community and institutions including the UIAA and national alpine clubs. Controversial free-solo climbs and speed ascents invoked responses from rescuers and media in outlets such as Le Monde and The Times, while accidents prompted procedural changes in Swiss and French mountain rescue protocols.

Geology, Weather, and Environmental Considerations

The faces expose diverse lithologies: the Matterhorn's gneiss and schist, the Eiger's limestone and shale sequences within the Helvetic nappes, the Dolomitic composition of the Cima Grande, and the granite mass of Piz Badile in the Bregaglia. Glacial retreat in regions such as the Mer de Glace, the Aletsch Glacier, and valley glaciers near Zermatt has altered approach conditions and buttressing ice, noted by researchers affiliated with ETH Zurich, the University of Innsbruck, and the European Geosciences Union. Climate patterns influenced by the North Atlantic Oscillation and regional wind regimes like the Föhn affect icing, serac fall frequencies, and rockfall hazard, prompting collaboration among environmental scientists at institutions such as the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research and alpine park administrations.

Category:Mountaineering in the Alps