Léo Billon & Enzo Oddo establish 'Les Barbares 3' on Pré de Bar (Mont Blanc massif)

French alpinists Léo Billon and Enzo Oddo have established a difficult and serious new mixed climb on the Pointes supérieures de Pré de Bar, located between Pointe de Pré de Bar and Mont Dolent above the Argentière basin in the Mont Blanc massif.

Les Barbares 3 climbs a completely independent line to the right of Les Barbares (established by Stéphane Benoist and Patrick Pessi in February 2003 and repeated solo by David Lama in 2012) and tackles difficulties up to M10. The route was climbed entirely free and was established using only traditional protection (pitons, cams, and bird beaks); the pair did not carry a bolt kit with them.

The formidable duo set out on 18 February and, after taking the Grands Montets cable car and completing the approach, they began climbing in the early afternoon. They made their first portaledge bivouac below the crux of the route. The next day, as Billon described, "was the big day," when they climbed the main difficulties. A second portaledge bivouac was set up three pitches below the summit. They woke to snowfall in the morning but needed just 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach the summit before descending safely and returning to Chamonix by early afternoon.

The entire outing is a serious affair. Writing to planetmountain.com after the experience, Billon explained: "I would say that this is a really different route from anything I have done so far, especially because of the M10 crux pitch. We first climbed it using aid before being able to free climb it. This is a very difficult pitch, and we resorted to serious A4 aid while establishing it. Climbed free, it is by far the most difficult thing I have ever done in mixed climbing: not only is it far ahead of anything I have been able to do in terms of technical difficulty, but it also requires serious commitment, as we climbed on aid pro—essentially bad bird beaks—for the last 15 meters. As I said, this pitch is the hardest mixed climbing I have ever done in the mountains, and the hardest aid climbing I have ever done, too. But Les Barbares 3 is not just about this pitch. The whole route is serious and sustained: the other pitches are not to be underestimated."

It is worth noting that this is Billon's second new route on this rugged ridgeline in less than a month. From 4 - 6 February he teamed up with Amaury Fouillade to make the first ascent of Les Barbares 2 immediately to the left of Les Barbares on Pointe Raphel Borgis. Once again, two portaledge camps were needed to breach the 500m mixed climb with difficulties up to M8/+.