Description

##Approach: # 2h From the hut a little path with cairns takes you to the glacier under the E face of the Dent du Requin.

Go up this, climbing a rock band in the middle, (awkward in the dark, 3b).

The start is at a ledge to the right of the top of a tongue of snow (40º at the top,) white arrow painted on the rock, (2860m).

##Route: # 6h Follow the ledge upwards to the right, then follow your nose, to the left and right, but basically upwards in a zone of large ledges, (sections of 3b).

The cliff becomes much steeper at the level of an evident gap in the Chapeau à Cornes ridge.

Traverse to the left, go up a gully in the line of a high crack between two central spurs, then come back right to gain a good ledge at the foot of the actual spur.

This section can be done moving together at 3b/4b. Start the spur, easiest by some slabs with cracks, going from left than right for 3 pitches.

Climb another 4 or 5 pitches, following mainly cracks, trying to find the easiest line, (max 4c/5a, with not many pegs.) This leads to the base of an orange pinnacle in the form of a smooth triangle.

Traverse to the left to climb up a 25m crack with runnels, (5b/c, 4 pegs, crux pitch.) Continue obliquely to the right on the ridge above the pinnacle to a gap, clearly seen on the NE ridge, (4b).

From here get to the summit block by a magnificent narrow ridge, (4c); climb to the summit by first going to the right, (N side, a little loose) then the other side using a block covered in slings, (used for the first abseil.) A wonderful and exposed summit.

##Descent: # 3-4h The classic descent by the Fontaine chimneys and the Envers du Plan glacier, is no longer recommended due to stonefall risk and the bad state of the glacier in summer.

The hut warden has established an abseil line, (ask at the hut), which allows you to get back to the start, (where you can leave your ice axe, crampons etc.) The 1st abseil is from a spike 5m below the summit, down a 50m chimney, partially free-hanging.

From the belay go up a slab on the left, (3b), traverse 15m to the W to find the next abseil point on the SE ridge.

The next abseils point are marked with cairns and white paint marks , visible from above, some areas of slabs and terraces have loose rock and one needs to be careful, but rope jamming is rare.

From the start of the route, traverse the snow or the boulders, following 2 white painted arrows to find the last two abseils which bring you to the base of the rock island, (rognon inférieur, thus avoiding the glacier approach of the morning.) 16 abseils in total (!), 2 of the abseils are 50m, remember your ropes shrink with age! (55m is better), only use the « official » abseil points with two bolts and a yellow sling.

From the end of the last abseil, follow the cairns and climb down an area of slabs, (chains, fixed ropes, 3b) to reach the last snow slope which leads easily to the path and the hut This descent route is very well indicated.

<br/><br/>_This Adventure has been shared under the [Creative Commons Share Alike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/) licence._