The mountaineer, who left Chamonix (Haute-Savoie) on Thursday, reached the summit of the Grandes Jorasses (4208 m) after an ascent of 1100 meters via the Rolling Stones route, dry and known for its bad stones, open in the summer. 1979 by four Slovak mountaineers and which no one had yet tackled in winter and solo.
"It's the quintessence of mountaineering, of going solo and even more so in winter. I'm touching a dream," Dubouloz told AFP, contacted early Wednesday morning after descending in less than a day by the south face.
"When I got to the top, I cried a lot, I lay down. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment. To arrive on your own, on tough routes, is incredible. It's an extra dimension. In our generation of climbers, soloing is no longer very fashionable", continues the 32-year-old guide, "very experienced" after his performance in harsh conditions.
Dubouloz had to face an icy wind, blowing a lot at night, when he tried to sleep in a bivouac, sometimes hanging in a hammock.
"The wind is completely freezing. I have damaged fingers and hands, frostbitten toes and even a black toe."
This is the second solo and winter feat for the young alpine climber, who a year ago completed the north face of the Petits Drus in the Mont-Blanc Massif.
Last October, he opened a new route in duo with Benjamin Védrines on the north face of Chamlang (7319 meters, Nepal).
His ascent of the mythical face of the Grandes Jorasses was done in so-called "artificial" climbing with pitons, jammers and stirrups (small ladders).
In winter, only four ascents by way of the Rolling Stones had been successful so far, all in pairs.
© 2022 AFP