Pointe Percée – north-west face · Aravis · France
Read the cautionsBail not documentedBolting confidence: medium
A ten-pitch line to the summit of the Pointe Percée, the high point of the Aravis, following green hangers up the cool north-west face. Seven long pitches, mostly easy with a 6a+ wall, reach the notch of the Arête du Doigt; three independent pitches finish it, including a memorable slab traverse of 6b+ that can be aided on the bolts.
Closely bolted, but an alpine face with friable sections, stonefall, crossing routes, unlinked belays and a scrambling descent that can hold snow.
The route
Heididoune was opened in 2018 by Patrick Gabarrou and friends as the most accessible bolted line on the north-west face of the Pointe Percée. The lower limestone is very good, with huge runnels on pitch 2; several pitches are very easy; the top has some friable passages and one outstanding pitch, a slab traverse on the feet. The difficulty is uneven: most of the route is grade 4 and 5, with a 6a+ finish to pitch 6 (5c+ just left of the bolts) and a 6b+ pitch near the top that goes at A0 and can also be avoided. You finish on a 2750 m summit with a scrambling descent, so this is a mountain day.
In pictures
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 4c | 50 m | Slab; 50 to 55 m depending on whether you belay below or above the snow patch. Easily confused with the first pitch of Lagopède (3c) on the same slab. |
| P2 | 5c | 45 m | Mostly grade 5 with two moves of 5c on superb grippy limestone with enormous runnels. Bolts are close on a slightly overhanging move. |
| P3 | 4 | 55 m | Easy-angled slabs, graded 'lower 4'. The route crosses Lagopède halfway up; Heididoune goes left. |
| P4 | 4 | 55 m | Easy, with some fragile rock. A party saw a large natural rockfall cross this traverse in August 2024. |
| P5 | 5b+ | 55 m | Steepens and weaves through steep ground: a few steps, otherwise easy, on good rock. |
| P6 | 6a+ | 55 m | Stony ledges (grade 3), then a steeper compact wall below the knife-edge of the Arête du Doigt: straight up, then a traverse right with a harder move at the end. It is 5c+ if you pass slightly left of the bolts and you can pull on them. Hanging belay in the traverse. Some parties split the pitch to reduce rope drag. |
| P7 | 4 | 30 m | Traverse below the knife-edge to the notch. A 2020 party wondered whether a fall here would reach the ledge. |
| P8 | 5c | 30 m | Right of the classic exit, from the same belay: round a pillar on good holds over 5 to 6 m of doubtful rock with close bolts, then a pleasant corner. |
| P9 | 6b+ | 30 m | Graded 6b+/6c, or A0. Move right, mantel and traverse a fine slab on your feet, slightly above the bolts at first and slightly below at the end, then straight up through more featured rock. Small edges may be fragile; several have broken. Belay 9 is uncomfortable, in an overhanging hollow. Opinions on the grade range from 6a to 6b+. |
| P10 | 5b | 35 m | Easy on mediocre rock to the summit: steps and ledges with loose stones, then a gently overhanging, juggy but sometimes fragile finish. Green hangers, then plain metal ones, lead to the last belay. |
Getting there
The usual start is the Col des Annes (1710 m) above Le Grand-Bornand, reached by road from Annecy via Thônes. Parking is very limited and fills early in summer; Le Grand-Bornand runs a summer shuttle bus to the col, and Les Troncs is the alternative start. The Gramusset (Pointe Percée) hut at 2164 m is 1 h to 1 h 30 min from either and must be booked for a night.
About 1 h from the Gramusset hut, or 2 h to 2 h 30 min from the Col des Annes. From the hut take the path of the Pointe Percée normal route; at the foot of the big cirque keep traversing left across the limestone pavement (cairns) to a small shoulder, pass below it and reach the foot of the north-west face, which you follow up the scree. Heididoune starts right of the Voie du Trou (a red painted 'T') and right of Lagopède, the second multipitch right of the Voie du Trou according to a 2020 party. A yellow cord marks the start once the snow patch has melted enough; you can avoid the snow by starting halfway up pitch 1.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Col des Annes (camptocamp waypoint 135396)
Point from camptocamp route 1231023
Contains the route point and parking. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 45.95578, 6.55467 (crag) · Parking: 45.97038, 6.52317
Getting down
Not described on the route page; the neighbouring Arête du Doigt page gives the options from the summit. Either go down the normal route, marked with red paint, where late snow patches can call for an ice axe and crampons, or take the Cheminées de Sallanches, longer but with less snow: start down the normal ridge and stony gully, then go left at a painted stone column with a glue-in ring to reach the Col des Verts and the hut. Allow about 1 h 30 min to Gramusset. Both are scrambles with stonefall from other parties.
Retreat
Bail not documented
Retreat is not documented. The route is climbed on a single 60 m rope with pitches of up to 55 m and most belays are two unlinked bolts, so abseiling the line as equipped is not practical without a second rope and gear to leave. The route crosses the easier Lagopède on pitch 3, and from the notch at the top of pitch 7 the classic exit of the Arête du Doigt offers an easier way to the summit.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
North-west facing between about 2350 and 2750 m: cold and shady, pleasant in a heatwave, and damp after storms. A snow patch lies at the foot well into summer (reported in July and on 1 August). Trip reports run from mid July to late August.
Sun on the wall · NW-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Central European time), for the 15th of each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −7 | −5 | −2 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 5 | −2 | −6 |
| Mean daily low °C | −16 | −15 | −12 | −8 | −4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | −1 | −5 | −11 | −15 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 13 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 2371 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis. Temperatures are adjusted to the height of the crag; rain comes from a grid cell of about 10 to 25 km, and summer highs on sea cliffs can read a few degrees low. The wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
What to carry
16 quickdraws, a 60 m rope, and slings to join the belay bolts (only belays 2, 8, 9 and 10 are linked). Helmet. Early in the season, what you need for snow at the foot of the face and on the descent.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Heididoune.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
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Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.
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