Arête S

Approach

From the parking follow the Belvedere track. This climbs a bit, traverses the hillside towards the north and then zigzags upwards. After a hairpin and a bench, when the path turns towards the south, locate a cairn and a little path, which climbs, steeply up the hillside. Follow the path, (cairns and blue paint marks,) which ascends the slopes and then traverses the upper part of the large ravine that separates you from the Li Blanche ridge, now clearly visible.

Route

Start climbing from a gap, identifiable by the belay point (2 bolts with a sling) 3a, 25m, traversing. From there 14 pitches, mostly 50m, either on the crest of the ridge or on the NE face.

L# | 4a | | L# | 4c | | L# | 5a | | L# | 5b | | L# | 4a | | L# | 6a | | Pitch 6 is the crux, the only pitch with real and sustained difficulties. L# | 5b | | L# | 5a | | L# | 4b | | L# | 5a | | L# | 5b | | L# | 5b | | L# | 5a | | L# | 4b | |

Very heterogeneous climbing. Basically a 3c route with sections of 5a, 5b, 5c. 5c avoidable (A0).

Descent

Directly from the summit make three abseils to the ravine, going slightly NW of the falline. From there one can down climb the ravine or use 2-3 other abseil rings placed at the base of the cliff. Then follow a faint path back to the start.