S Ridge Classic

Approach # 45mins

From the Orny cabin, take the path towards the Trient hut that passes underneath the “école d’escalade”, then a shoulder and continues by traversing above the Orny glacier. At the level of the SW face, climb up towards an obvious large gully which borders the left side of the Aiguille d’Orny, (to the W). In the lower part, the gully is divided in two by a small buttress. The classic start bypasses this buttress by ramp in the left hand branch of the gully. Climb this ramp, (commerative plaque at its foot) until some small steps, (peg belay). However, it is more interesting to climb the buttress by an extra pitch (P0).

Route # 2-3h

L#0 | Start at the lowest point of the buttress, going up to the right, (nuts), 4b/4c.

L# | Climb up to an obvious corner straight above. Belay 30m higher, under the corner. L# | Climb the corner then obliquely to the right, (many pegs and bolts), 40m. L# | Climb a beige slab by its left hand edge (pitons + bolts), 40m. L# | Superb, steep slab, again beige coloured (3 bolts), 5b, 30m. L# | Exit by a ridge (rope sling), 40m. L# | Follow the ridge, traversing to the final buttress. . L# | Climb a broken wall to a sloping crack, to the left of an obvious corner, 30m. L# | Climb the corner, keeping to the right hand face, (1 bolt), 4c, 30m. L# | Straight up the last wall, 15m.

Pitches 8 et 9 can be done in one.

Descent # 1h

Firstly an abseil on the E side. A choice:

• either a 40m abseil from the summit (closed ring and a bolt),
• or a 20m abseil, starting 10m below the summit, in an obvious gully. Follow a ledge to the NE to arrive at a vast triangle of boulders looking to the SE.

Then a choice again:

• To go directly to the Orny cabin, gain the dominant ridge and follow it towards a gully (cairns). Descend this gully and reach the cabin, passing to the left of the lake.
• To go to the foot of the SW face (practical if going to the Trient hut or Trient plateau,) descend the boulder triangle in the line of the main slope, following the faint paths and cairns to the furthest right. A key ledge (cairns) to the right leads to the top of a gully, which brings one to the boulders at the base of the SW face.