Rockfax Description
II, 80m. A rarely formed route but one which is well worth seeking out in good conditions. The icefall is impossible to spot until you are almost directly underneath it ,but it is easy enough to locate, being immediately left of the Éperon des Cosmiques in a deep-cut chimney. This is a difficult route to find in condition but a superb outing if you do manage it. It is south facing hence you would expect it to be in condition in the depths of winter and, whilst it sometimes is, May is often when the best ice is found. Climb the snow slope which is used to reach the Éperon des Cosmiques to where it narrows to a gully.
Follow the gully for 20m to a belay on the right. In thin conditions (as pictured) this can involve some mixed moves up to Scottish III.
1) 4. Head directly up the ice/mixed ground above the belay and then step right to a belay out of the gully on the right.
2) 4+. Climb the steep icy wall above which finishes with a tenuous low-angled slabby section and then straightforward snow plodding to another belay on the right wall.
3) 5. Climb the 10m vertical ice step above to reach an easy snow gully which leads up to join the Arête des Cosmiques just before its abseils. If the 10m ice step is short on ice, it becomes an exercise in thrutching around a chockstone, which will provide even the strongest teams with a challenge.
Descent - Continue along the Arête des Cosmiques to the Aiguille du Midi lift station. It is possible to abseil the route and walk back but this takes as long as the ever enjoyable Cosmiques. © Rockfax
UKC Logbook Description
Steep gully to the left of the Eperon des Cosmiques, Rated III 5 according to Daminlano grading system.
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Grade: TD+ 6b ***
(Aiguille du Peigne)