Description

When viewed from the Argentiere Glacier the upper hanging slopes of the north-east side of the Col Armand Charlet offer a dramatic and tantalising setting in which to make turns.

However, the upper slope is guarded by three pitches of technical ice and mixed terrain.

The line is very steep and sustained and rarely in condition.

There have been three known descents, first by Emanuel Ballot in 1993, then Davide Capozzi, Julian Herry and Luca Rolli in 2013 and most recently Ben Briggs, Jesper Peterson and Mikko Heimonen in 2016. From the top of the Grand Montets cable car, ski down the very start of the Point du Vue piste before quickly ducking the rope and heading skier's right.

Take the high traverse across the Glacier des Rognons and around the lowest toe of rock coming down from the Aiguille Verte.

Skin up towards the bottom of the Col Armand Charlet.

The maximum difficulty of the climbing was reported to be grade 4+ ice or M4-5 depending on the line taken.

This normally requires three abseils on the descent.