S ridge classical

Approach

Go up to the Orny hut (2840m, much quieter and more friendly than the Trient hut), 2h from the top of the Breya chairlift.
From the Orny hut, follow the path to the Trient hut, go onto the Trient glacier and go up easily to the Col des Plines (Col Droit on the IGN map.) Go obliquely rightwards down the little Plines glacier, (not very crevassed,) or the moraine on the right, (faint path,) then traverse to the right through boulders to reach the bivouac “l’Envers des Dorées” (2980m). From the bivouac de l’Envers des Dorées, climb the moraine and go to the foot of the ridge at the top of the cwm.

Route

Climb up the snow slope, (ice and rock debris at the end of the season) and reach an obvious slanting ledge which comes up against the middle of the first pinnacle of the S ridge, fairly characteristic (the section below the 1st pinnacle is very broken and is not climbed.) Climb as best you can the broken rocks in the gully to reach the foot of the ridge behind the characteristic pinnacle. Climb the right side of the gully for five pitches until an area of terraces. From there go up to the left. Regain the ridge to the left of a flake leaning against a steep wall. Climb the wall with the help of a detached (5b strenuous, 4c oblig.) and then climb a slab which follows by a crack on the left until a belay, (2 bolts). Reach the summit by climbing the runnels to the left of the belay, (one delicate move) then the large boulders and cracks.

Descent

A 10m abseil reaches a gap, then a system of flakes and traversing ledges to the right to reach the top of the Copt couloir. Follow the ridge to the E towards a large rock outcrop and continue easily until an abseil point above Copt col. Make the 35m abseil then gain the base of Trident by staying near the crest of the ridge on the S side, going around an orange pinnacle by a descending ledge on the N side then climbing back up to a gap. Follow a system of wide ledges leading to an abseil at the foot of the Trident. 4 abseils on the N face end on the Trient glacier. Go due N to reach the approach route and continue down to the Breva.