When browsing climbing guides of the Écrins massif, a name repeatedly appears. Jean-Michel Cambon was probably the most prolific opener of the sector. Since his sudden disappearance in 2020, the association Oisans Nouveau, Oisans Sauvage, which shares the same name as his famous guides, has taken over and tries to continue his work. Dozens of volunteers equip and re-equip the routes of the massif, carrying out a discreet and titanic work for the benefit of the entire climbing and mountaineering community. Reportage at the Aiguille de Sialouze, with a perforator in hand. Find this article in Montagnes Magazine n°553: Special Écrins. "I like to go ahead with the perforator and do as during the opening: you climb, you drill, you clip." In the warm noise of the Sélé refuge, while a windstorm beats curtains of rain against the windows, Ludovic Giambiasi explains calmly his method for re-equipping climbing routes. A volunteer and a member of the board of directors of the association Oisans Nouveau, Oisans Sauvage (ONOS), it is almost an understatement to describe him as a simple enthusiast. A frenzied re-equiper based in Gap, he dedicates himself body and soul to renewing the equipment that allows climbers and climbers to ascend vertically and descend safely. If he travels to Nepal or Corsica to hammer bolts, the Écrins remain his preferred terrain. Like him, dozens of volunteers dedicate their free time (vacations, weekends and other days off) to work for ONOS in the massif. To present their work, one must first go back in time. The association does not bear this name by chance. Once upon a time, in the last century, a man with a bent helmet opened routes in the Écrins massif. This man is Jean-Michel Cambon. His hair has turned white, we have changed centuries and he continued to draw, inaugurate and equip routes on all the rocks around. With a perforator in hand, a backpack filled with hardware, energy seemed to never be lacking. In 2020, he disappeared suddenly, a victim of a fall on the rock of the Trident, near Ponsonnas (Isère): it was exactly March 12, he was 68 years old. We remain from him a considerable heritage, hundreds (yes, hundreds) of itineraries to walk, carefully recorded in guides titled Oisans nouveau, Oisans sauvage (but also Bérarde and Haut-Vénéon and Ailefroide). If the association has the same name, ONOS, it is because it was created after his death. It was natural to pay homage to him. "Jean-Michel, I don't know how he managed to find so much time, it was incredible. We wanted to continue this," explains Ludovic Giambiasi. The Topos Cambon association was created, driven by his son Sylvain and his wife Babeth Rambaud, and in parallel, ONOS was born in May 2021. The first finances the second at 69%, in the same way that the sale of his guides allowed Jean-Michel Cambon to buy equipment to equip. The rest comes from donations and relies on the generosity of enthusiasts who revolve around: the refuge wardens who accept to share their helicopter transports and store the equipment, FFME and FFCAM clubs that participate in group purchases of equipment, etc. "If there are no guides, we do not equip," summarizes Ludovic. Drilling, screwing, tapping. In fragile balance on my feet, suspended on my left arm, I apply myself to unscrew a nut with a flat wrench. The points are sparsely spaced, so it is necessary to renew the operation every two meters: unscrew, replace the nut with a Nylstop, self-locking, and tighten everything while making sure the plate is straight. I am only an ant in the operation. At the head of the rope, Ludovic drills the holes and places the points: an expansion bolt (that is to say, a stainless steel rod) driven into the granite with a hammer, on which is screwed a plate locked by a nut. Grégoire, in the rear, removes, twists or drives the old points (bolts, plates and rusted pitons) in a cloud of acidic dust, in order to reduce the traces of human passage. "At the death of Jean-Michel Cambon, we took over his notes to know what needed to be done." In this month of July 2026, the plan was agreed in advance. The equipment of the easiest route on the Aiguille de Sialouze (3,576 m), Super Pilou (TD-, 6a max, 5b mandatory), needs to be renewed. Because if Jean-Michel Cambon opened and equipped at will, he also took charge of a re-equipment mission, as the equipment wore out. "At the death of Jean-Michel, we took over his notes to know what needed to be done. We have a huge table that we have shared between Oisans-Est, Oisans-Ouest, Ailefroide..., reiterates Ludovic Giambiasi. We enrich all this with the knowledge of each and the feedback from people who write to us to say 'there is a problem here, in such a route.' So, someone will do a reconnaissance and we classify according to the degree of urgency." When the project is validated, it remains to request the authorizations. In this case, the Aiguille de Sialouze is located at the heart of the Écrins National Park, a protected territory subject to regulations. Ludovic Giambiasi therefore went to the Sélé refuge (2,511 m) with a permit in his pocket, to go drill, screw and tap at high altitude, in respect of the original route and its history. He took along a friend, a climber but inexperienced in this matter. Leni is Norwegian, she will leave France in a few days and proves to be tireless for walking, carrying, climbing, tightening nuts and repeating. We complete the team, volunteers novices, and Grégoire joins the group unexpectedly. It is just after 6 a.m. and his climbing partner has just abandoned him for health reasons: neither one nor two, we assess his solid shoulders, he unloads us of two ropes and embarks on the adventure. A few hundred meters from Sialouze, on the southern foothills of the Pic du Coup de Sabre (3,699 m), a rocky tongue to the east of the Glacier Noir pass, presents a strong potential to open new routes. Sophie and Stefano, who have opened accessible routes near the refuge, want to continue this approach. "There are jams in the easy routes of Sialouze, testifies Sophie, because the ascent routes are also the descent routes. Many rope parties return late [to the refuge], so we wondered if we could find solutions." As they discuss, in parallel to their personal explorations, they have charged Ludovic to go a bit closer to see what treasures this surprisingly virgin face, which splits the Coup de Sabre glacier in two, holds. Again, the approach is subject to regulation: the Écrins National Park has issued an exploration permit. "There are three conventions that govern outdoor activities in the heart of the Park," presents Julien Charron. Charged with the mission "Glaciers and Outdoor Activities" at the Écrins National Park, he is also a high mountain guide. The climbing convention was signed by many partners who form a governing body. Each request for equipment or re-equipment is therefore submitted to its members: the guides company, the FFCAM, the FFME, the DDT, the Hautes-Alpes department, a representative of the Park's communes and another of the openers-equippers. Sophie Loos, she sits on the board to represent the refuge wardens. All together, they study each project and issue (or not) an authorization. "We take into account the impact on the environment but also the historical and economic aspects," continues Julien Charron. And since 2021, we have also put in place a permit to explore because we realized that the Écrins rock does not necessarily lend itself to the placement of camming devices!" The foothills of the Pic du Coup de Sabre do not contradict him. Leaving at 4:30 from the refuge, we reach the foot of the face, which rises gently, some 1h30 later. Julien Charron has joined us: if he walks the massif long, wide and across, he has never accompanied openers on the ground. It is therefore under his benevolent and enthusiastic supervision that Ludovic sets off into the unknown, attracted by vertical grooves in which the shoes easily get stuck. The cold is sharp and we look with envy at the edges of the neighboring eastern Ailefroide, already bathed in light. Ludovic places friends when he can: only one, in this case, so that we can hook our big ones dry, at the foot of the route, while we climb. He drills and places a Pulse where he does not fear the fall, then some points when he has no other choice. This time, the equipment is not provided by ONOS. We will not be able to find out how many hundreds (thousands?) of euros he spends on this devouring passion, in parallel to his professional activity, but there is no doubt that the bill is steep. When you love, it seems that you do not count... And it must be said that we, weekend climbers, are very happy and grateful to enjoy it. We explore four lengths. The clouds come and go at high speed, the thunderstorm announced at noon seems to move away and return immediately, unpredictable. Placing both hands on a ridge, we discover the carcass of a small bird, which we imagine as a victim of lightning. It is an Alpine accentor. "Sometimes, the name of a route imposes itself," smiles Ludovic. In the guide, he specifies that "only the three lengths are exploitable for the continuation." The Alpine Accentors remain a route to explore and equip. Ludovic is already looking forward to it. We finish the descent rappels when thunder begins to rumble and a torrential rain falls on us. The handholds that bring us back to the refuge have transformed into an altitude canyon. We walk briskly, tired but eager to return. Leni, imperturbable, has a smile. Ludovic, happy, is eager to return.