Couloir des Doigts et l'Éperon

Route #42 in `Les Prealpes du Nord’: Couloir des Doigts up to the Brèche des Doigts (3175m) followed by climbing the ridge of Haute Cime (80m).

Approach: Drive as far as possible towards Signal de Soi. Quite a nice road in late season; it is possible to park at 1920m. Follow a trail towards Lac de Soi and then continue to the base of the glacier/couloir (1h).

Ascent: 1) Follow Couloir des Doigts up to the Brèche des Doigts (3175m). This couloir splits in two before the col - the right path is steeper and slightly longer (can be icy) and it brings one to the base of the spur (it is possible to follow the left part and then to traverse right). 2) From the col climb the spur up to the summit of Haute Cime. Go directly up the spur (easy scrambling on loose rock) passing lonely abseil ring. Some 10m above it there is a short steep section of yellow loose rock. It is possible to go slightly left from it on a solid rock (5a move at the start) and then easy again. Traverse right (some 50m) to the proper ridge of Haute Cime crossing a thin gully (III and a move of IV to get to the easy section of the ridge). Scramble up to the top.

Descent: follow the hiking trail down to cabane Susanfe. Then follow Tour des Dents du Midi trail up to Signal de Soi: a very long (but extremely beautiful) hike with some aditional 700m of elevation. Consider leaving another car in Champery, or descending to Col de Paresseux then traversing far left towards Dent Jaune and descending couloir de la Dent Jaune.