Le Brévent (2,525m)
Le Brévent is a major summit of the Aiguilles Rouges massif and one of the most famous viewpoints in the Chamonix valley. Situated across from the Mont Blanc range, it offers a panoramic view of the massif, the Bossons Glacier, and the Chamonix Needles.
For climbers, the Brévent offers high-quality gneiss. Its primary appeal is its accessibility; the Brévent cable car drops you minutes away from the routes, making it a convenient destination for lift-accessed climbing. The climbing remains alpine in character, with routes often topping out directly onto the summit terrace.
The south-facing orientation ensures that the rock warms up quickly.
Beyond climbing, the Brévent is a hub for paragliders, trail runners, and hikers. It marks a section of the Grand Balcon Sud trek. Whether for a multi-pitch climb or to watch the evening light on the Brenva face, the Brévent remains a classic Chamonix location.
Approach: From the top station of the Brévent cable car, descend the Charles Bozon ski run, pass the Brèche du Brévent, and turn right into the scree to reach a steep path (includes a few steps of down-climbing). Cross the Bellin couloir that leads to the base of the face.
Exit: Once at the top of the routes, hike back up to the cable car station or walk down to Planpraz.
Here is my selection of routes
- Voie Frison-Roche: TD- / 6a+ / 200m
- Catyoucha man: TD / 6a+ / 200m
- La Piste Oubliée: TD / 6b / 170m
- Ex Libris: TD+ / 6b / II / 160m
- Poème à Lou: TD+ / 6c / 220m
- La Fin de Babylone: ED- / 6c / 220m
Voie Frison-Roche: TD- / 6a+
Opened in July 1906 by H. Beujard and J. Simond, “La Frison-Roche” is a classic and very enjoyable route. It consists of 6 pitches, fairly sustained between 5c and 6a+, for a total of approximately 200m. The climbing is varied—featuring slabs, walls, and a final pitch in a magnificent dihedral; one only wishes there were 3 or 4 more pitches of this quality.
Due to the rapid access, the beauty of the line, the good bolting, and a 5-minute exit, you should expect very high traffic. It is common to see parties racing from the first cable car of the morning to reach the base of the route first. Do not hesitate to climb it when the cable car is closed; although it involves a long approach march, it guarantees a much more peaceful experience.
Catyoucha man: TD / 6a+
Note that Catyoucha Man (and Bodinausore) are not located on the face directly under the cable car, but slightly lower down on the South Face of the Jumeaux.
Approach: From Planpraz, hike up the ski run toward Le Brévent. Leave the track to traverse left and reach the summit of the Jumeaux. From there, abseil (rappel) down the face to reach the start of the route, around 30 minutes.
The route was opened in 1989 by Manu Méot and Renaud Menager and is now fully equipped with glue-in bolts (scellements). It is approximately 200m long with 6 pitches ranging from 5b to 6a+. Once at the summit, simply hike back down toward Planpraz.
La Piste Oubliée: TD / 6b
La Piste Oubliée starts next to La Frison-Roche and follows the pillar above, staying to the right of the Frison. It is an excellent alternative if the Frison is too crowded, or as part of a link-up before or after it.
The route is 170m long with 5 pitches, sustained in the 6a/b range, and is fully equipped. The climbing consists mainly of wall climbing on crimps (reglettes), on rock that occasionally requires some attention.
The route tops out at the summit of Le Brévent; from there, you can either return to the cable car station or hike down to Planpraz.
Ex Libris: TD+ / 6b
Ex Libris is the only route in this selection that requires a full rack of cams up to #4 (double up for extra comfort). Only the first pitch on the slab is equipped with bolts; after that, only the anchors are in place.
Access: The route is located to the left of the Frison-Roche. Climb onto the terrace and traverse left until you reach a dihedral.
The route consists of 5 pitches, fairly sustained in the 6a+/6b range. Exit on top of Brévent. It was opened by François Pallandre in 2006.
Poème à Lou: TD+ / 6c
Poème à Lou is the leftmost route on the south face of Le Brévent. Access is similar to the previous routes, but continues further to the left. You must ascend a short fixed rope and continue a few meters leftward to reach the start.
Opened by Karen and François Pallandre in 2003, the route features 5 pitches ranging from 5c to 6c+. The crux is a short 6c+ traverse in the 4th pitch, located in a gully/dihedral with small holds (this section can be avoided if a rope is already in place).
Exit: From the top, simply walk back to the summit platform of Le Brévent.
La Fin de Babylone: ED- / 6c
La Fin de Babylone is another gem of this face, opened by Muriel and Michel Piola, and Benoît Robert in 2007. The route is 220m long with 8 pitches ranging from 6a to 6c.
The 6c traverse under the overhang is particularly beautiful. Like Poème à Lou, it is fully equipped with bolts, but they are not closely spaced; you need to be good at reading the rock and confident in your climbing.
Comments
Poème à Lou and La Fin de Babylone are my two favorite routes at Le Brévent. Generally less crowded than the Frison-Roche and other routes to the right, they offer beautiful, more demanding climbing. The style is technical on crimps (reglettes) on superb gneiss.
These routes are excellent preparation for longer or harder objectives in the massif. With this in mind, a great strategy is to climb one of these two, have a quick bite to eat, and then head onto the Frison-Roche or La Piste Oubliée once most of the other parties have finished for the day.
Another option is to start from Planpraz to climb Catyoucha Man, and from its exit, walk about 20 minutes to reach the base of one of the South Face routes. If you choose to climb from the valley floor without using the lifts, expect a 6.5 km approach with 1,200m of elevation gain, and a 7 km descent with 1,400m of elevation loss.
Information
Getting There, Accomodation and Climate
Please see the Mont Blanc page for detailed information.
Access: Reaching the Brévent from Chamonix
The journey begins in Chamonix at the Planpraz gondola station, located a short, steep walk uphill from the town center or the parking lot. This first gondola takes you up to the Planpraz plateau (2,000m), a popular take-off spot for paragliders.
From the Planpraz station, transfer to the Le Brévent cable car. This second stage is a dramatic aerial ride that ascends the steep cliffs to arrive directly at the summit station at 2,525m. You can see the approach and the routes from the cabin.
Guidebooks - Mont Blanc Massif & Aiguilles Rouges
- Aiguilles Rouges & Envers – Michel Piola:
- Aiguilles Rouges 1 & 2
- Envers des Aiguilles
- Mont-Blanc Granite Series – JMEditions (Damilano, Désécures, Laurent)
- Mont Blanc: The Finest Routes – Philippe Batoux (Éditions Guérin)
- Mont Blanc Plaisir & Classique – Marco Romelli (Idea Montagna)
- Sommets du Mont-Blanc – J.L. Laroche & F. Labaeye (Glénat)
