Approach
Upper station of the "Les Grand Montets" cable car. Better if you take the last one (16:45), for waiting till 23:00 or 24:00 to go out for the mountain. It's better to be early at the top to avoid avalanches during the descent by the whymper couloir. From this place go down the glacier leaving the mountain in your right hand. Be carefull when you pass bellow the Cordier Couloir, It use to happen avalanches. 45 minutes after you are at the rimaye.
Route Description
Awesome route, put up in 1932 by the great A.Charlet with J. Simond.
Cross the rimaye, sometimes very wide, sometimes easy to cross. Climb the slope directly to the ridge. You may find some 60º sections at the top. Once on the ridge, you are very close to the top.
The summit is incredible. Climbing this mountain is no easy by any route, so the descent is always difficult and dangerous.
Descent by the Whymper Couloir rapelling eventually following the Grand Rocheuse Spur.
Essential Gear
High mountain stuff, two ropes, some ice screw, ice axe and ice hummer, helmet. Don't forget to check the conditions of the mountain at "La Maison de la Montagne" in Chamonix. It´s very different to climb this snow route in good conditions than if you do it in bad ones.