Grandes Jorasses — Pointe Whymper

4,184 m

Named after Edward Whymper (1840–1911), who first reached this summit (then thought to be the high point of the Grandes Jorasses) on 24 June 1865 — three weeks before his fateful Matterhorn ascent.

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Coordinates45.8694° N · 6.9844° E

UIAA rank№ 37 / 82

CountriesFrance · Italy

Normal gradeAD · assez difficile

First ascent1865 · Edward Whymper with Christian Almer, Michel Croz & Franz Biner

Typical seasonJuly to August

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Photo of Grandes Jorasses — Pointe Whymper — Photo: No machine-readable author provided. RobinL~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY 2.5

Second-highest summit of the Grandes Jorasses, just west of Pointe Walker on the long summit ridge; first climbed by Whymper days before the Matterhorn tragedy.

History

The first summit of the Grandes Jorasses to be climbed — by Edward Whymper and his guides on 24 June 1865, three weeks before the Matterhorn — but for many years thought to be the high point. When Horace Walker proved otherwise in 1868, the previously-summited top was rechristened in Whymper's name.

Location & routes

Major routes

On the Grandes Jorasses summit-ridge traverse

AD · assez difficile

Vertical / summit day2,700 m gain · 7h 30m

Second-highest of the Jorasses summits, immediately west of Pointe Walker on the long summit ridge. Climbed by continuing the south-side normal route along the rocky/corniced summit crest from Walker (~30 min of exposed mixed scrambling, II–III). Often bagged together with Walker.

Huts on this route

Refuge Boccalatte2,803 m

Featured in tours

Rochefort–Jorasses Traverse2-3 daysD

Nearby huts

Refuge BoccalatteCAI · mid-June to mid-September2,803 m Refuge de LeschauxCAF · mid-June to mid-September2,431 m Rifugio TorinoCAI · year-round3,375 m Rifugio Boccalatte-PioltiCAI · mid-June to mid-September2,803 m Bivacco CanzioCAI · unstaffed (year-round access)3,818 m Bivacco GervasuttiCAI · unstaffed (year-round access)2,835 m

← Strahlhorn · 4,190 m · № 36

37 / 82

Combin de Valsorey · 4,184 m · № 38 →

On the Grandes Jorasses summit-ridge traverse

Route lines are approximate — drawn from guidebook waypoints, not GPS tracks. Don't navigate by them.