Description

## Approach # 1h From[waypoints/104077|refuge de l'Envers des Aiguille]]s, take a foothold on the Trélaporte glacier and then cross towards the N by going around the Red Tower. Pass a first rimaye on the right, cross to the left to cross a second rimaye and get on the rock (don't drag). ## Route # 6-8h The bottom of the route is common with''[[routes/53905/en|Ice Sea Gateway]]''. Go in ascent to the left by going up terraces then straight above by some dihedrons and cracks, set of 3-4 (we can leave here the crabs). Go past the remains of the[[images/360634|old bivouac of the red tower (plates, characteristic)] on your right. At the top of the Red Tower, leave the Grépon itinerary on your left to go to the bottom of a circus at the foot of the immense slabs of the Grands Charmoz. Put together as well as possible a system of turns (3) to get out of the circus and discover the needle as a whole. Go down a few meters to find a big turn to cross then a series of athletic walls to find yourself about thirty meters under the breach of the Republic (we can leave the bags there). Start by turning in ascending direction on the right, pass an obelisk (or menhir at Obelix), climb up a small dihedral and by a step, take a foothold on the ridge (relay, 4c). Rise up the edge by the wire (about one and a half lengths), 4b/4c athletic, relay in place. After having bypassed a few boulders (locate on a terrace the relay of the great aerial recall of the obelisk), make relay at the foot of the summit block. Cross the 15 meters to reach the summit in A0 (historical expansion peaks or more recent spits) or in free, 6c+ slab.

The hardest part is right after the start of the relay. ## Descent # 3-4h By 2 small reminders, reach the platform near the blocks. Full throttle return (50 m), up to the obelisk. Small de-escalation in the direction of the rift, relay and small abseil to find yourself under the Great Charmoz, abseiling on 1 spit. Another reminder to join the big turn and the circus (relay on a large block surrounded by straps). In the circus, many relays rather left bank or de-escalation. From the Red Tower, many good relays (50 m) to get back on the glacier while avoiding the upper rimaye. CAUTION, last aerial recall with a crack in the axis, real rope trap, be careful when you call back.<br/><br/>_This Adventure has been shared under the [Creative Commons Share Alike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/) licence._