A modern winter mixed climb on the south face of the Petites Jorasses in the Mont Blanc massif.

Quick Facts

  • Location: South Face of Petites Jorasses (3,658 m), Mont Blanc Massif, Western Alps
  • Grade: M8, 6c, AI4+
  • Length: 520 meters
  • First Ascent: Matteo Della Bordella, Mirco Grasso, and Giacomo Mauri (Italy)
  • Date of First Ascent: March 19–20, 2026

Route Description

"Mutante" is a highly varied and complete mixed alpine route that runs up the middle of the south face of the Petites Jorasses. The line follows an obvious black corner-couloir system that drops into an overhang. While this face is historically popular for summer alpine rock climbing (such as the classic Bonatti-Mazeud route located about 50 meters to the left), it is almost entirely ignored in winter due to its south-facing orientation.

During the summer, this specific gully is typically a dripping wet, uninviting feature. However, in winter conditions, the team discovered it holds excellent ice pitches, dry tooling, and technical rock climbing. Matteo Della Bordella described it as "not extreme but still demanding," noting that it is a "little gem" among Mont Blanc's winter lines due to its variety.

Logistics: Approach and Descent

Approach: The face is accessed via a ski approach. The proximity of the Gervasutti Bivouac makes it an ideal staging point for the climb.

Descent: The descent is made by abseiling directly down the route. During their first ascent, the team placed new pegs and added one bolt to facilitate the rappels.

First Ascent Details

The first ascent was carried out over two days. On March 19, 2026, Della Bordella, Grasso, and Mauri approached on skis, climbed the initial pitches, and then spent the night at the Gervasutti bivouac. The following day, March 20, they pushed through the remaining pitches to the top and safely rappelled the line.

Note: Interestingly, at the top of the very first pitch, the trio discovered an existing belay station with two bolts and some pegs, indicating that an unknown party had previously attempted the line.