Madness très mince

Ascent

From the higher station of Grands Montets or Argentière refuge you reach the flat part of the glacier and the base of the basin of Argentière. At the end, under the corridor and the notch of Pré de Bar, the slope recovers, be careful of the stability of the snow, and you reach a snowy flat area under the bergschrund. It takes 2h30 (from the refuge) to 4h00 (from Grands Montets).

Pass the bergschrund and go up the right bank of the corridor (50/60°, 150 m). Take the first branch on the left. Go up this ice gully intersected with steep pitches (65/70°, 70° and 80° short). You come out under a steep and thin mixed gully, you top out via a snow slope. The following pitch is steep and poor in ice, key sequence (80/90°, mixed, pitons, 25 m). Make left bank belays (sometimes difficult to reach). Follow two less steep pitches (75° then 70°), the first towards the left then straight, in narrow ice sluffs. A last sequence, generally rocky leads to the summit notch. Splendid view of the Italian slope and Pré de Bar glacier. From the bergschrund to the summit of the gully takes 4h30 to 7h00.

Descent

The descent is entirely bolted for rappelling the ascent route. Make sure they are solid since this route is not much travelled. To cross the too open bergschrund, skirt the rocks on the right bank (rappels).

The return on Argentière is greatly shortened by using touring or approach skis, if not a night at the Argentière refuge is necessary on the return route.