Even in a hyper-popular area like the Alps near Chamonix, new, difficult routes are possible, as Leo Billon and Amaury Fouillade demonstrated earlier this month. Their new mixed line on the Pointe Raphaël Borgis (3,683m), in the Mont Blanc area above the village of Argentière.
For those familiar with Chamonix but not the peak, Pointe Raphaël Borgis is not visible from the valley and has thus become a secret treasure for skilled climbers searching for lonely spots in the otherwise crowded French Alps.
Topo of the new route. Photo: GMHM Chamonix
Hard and beautiful
Both belong to the French Military High Mountain Group (GMHM) based in Chamonix. The climbers spent two nights on portaledges from February 6-8, working on the 500m line up the north face. It combined extreme dry-tooling sections and hard mixed passages.
It took them 16 pitches, including two with a difficulty of M8/+. They freed both on-sight on the second day of the climb. The first featured two consecutive roofs while the second was a smooth slab, difficult to protect but with some nice ledges and cracks, Billon told Montagnes magazine. He also said that it was one of the most beautiful mixed pitches he had ever climbed.
During the climb, with the Argentiere basin in the background. Photo: GMHM Chamonix
The climbers were unsure of the difficulty (hence the slash between M8 and the + sign). They encouraged other teams to repeat the route and contribute their opinions.
A tribute
This is the second line ever opened on that part of the peak, after Stephane Benoist and Patrick Pessi opened Les Barbares in 2003. Billon and Fouillarde’s recent climb is a tribute to those pioneers and a long-time dream of Billon’s after he climbed Les Barbares in 2016 with regular partner Benjamin Vendrines.
Not surprisingly, Billon and Fouillarde called their new line, which runs a little east of the 2003 route, Les Barbares 2.
The climbers during one of their bivvies. Photo: Leo Billon
Billon admits that with a precedent like Les Barbares, graded as ED, V, M7/A2, 500m, he knew he would need portaledges and bivouacs on any proper sequel, since the route would be too vertical for anything else.
A new generation of alpinists
Amaury Fouillade, a young member of the GMHM, climbed Les Barbares a couple of years ago. During the climb, he saw the possibility of a new route to the left of it. Knowing of Billon’s project, he suggested that they pair up and give it a try. They had never climbed together before.
At a belay during the climb. Photo: GMHM Chamonix
Leo Billon belongs to a group of remarkable French climbers who are setting a high level in the European panorama. In the fall of 2024, he was part of a group that attempted the north face of Jannu East in Nepal in alpine style. He regularly climbs with K2 speedster Benjamin Vedrines, who was also in that Jannu group. Together, they made several other impressive climbs and speed ski traverses.
Amaury Fouillade is also building an impressive resumé in the Alps. He was part of the team that kicked off 2025 by opening a new route on the legendary West Face of the Dru.
