Pointe Percée · Aravis · France
Easy to bailBolting confidence: high
An introduction to mountain multipitch that tops out right under the summit cross of the highest Aravis peak. Grippy fluted limestone is linked by cairned walking sections, and the last pitches are the best.
The route
Le sirop pour machin is an eleven-pitch introduction to mountain multipitch on the north-west side of Pointe Percée (2,750 m), the highest summit of the Aravis. It links steps of very grippy fluted limestone with two cairned walking sections, crosses the normal route, and finishes right under the summit cross. No pitch is harder than 5b+ and the bolting is good, close where it is hard. The first four pitches are broken; the last four are short, continuous and the highlight. The difficulties are in the scale of the day and in route-finding between the sections, not in the climbing.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5b | Follow the green hangers; there are several bolt lines here. Straight up, then right. R1 is hidden on a terrace to the right of the gully, with a green hanger on the ground, and is not chained. Do not stop at the big chained belay on the left or at the belay directly above; go further right along the gully. |
| P2 | 5a | A small step with two close bolts (about 1.8 m apart), then easy ground and a few metres of walking. The belay is about 20 m further, just before the next step. |
| P3 | 5b+ | One hard move at the start over the step, with two close bolts to pull on if needed. |
| P4 | 3c | One step to climb, then easy. Can be done in approach shoes. Then walk about 15 m towards the normal route path and leave it leftwards at a cairn, towards a second cairn and a fine grooved slab. Several parties could not see the cairns from the normal route; look for the slab and the bolts. |
| P5 | 5a | Superb slab of sculpted rock, then the crest to a huge cairn; belay on a block. Optional: it can be skipped to save time, but it helps you find the next section. Then 2–5 minutes of level walking to the right following cairns (not towards the left ridge) to the start of L6, marked by a cord. |
| P6 | 4c | Water grooves. Belay on two unlinked bolts. |
| P7 | 3c | Easy, to a belay on two unlinked bolts at the foot of the wall. L6 and L7 are often done in approach shoes or moving together. |
| P8 | 5b+ | Short steep wall or fine slab, then a traverse right above the bolt. One 2026 party thought it worth 5c+. Well bolted. |
| P9 | 5b+ | A move off the belay, then lovely grooves. |
| P10 | 5b | Follow the rising ramp or corner: airy but with good holds. |
| P11 | 5b | Rock is poorer and there are stony ledges to cross; take care not to knock stones onto the belayer, who is sheltered under a rock. Finishes just below the summit cross. |
Getting there
From Le Grand-Bornand take the Bouchet valley road and after about 4 km turn left up to the Col des Annes (1,710 m). gulliver.it warns against the alternative via Le Chinaillon that satnavs propose. Parking at the col is small and full early (by 7:20–8:00 on August days in 2026); there is another parking spot lower down, a summer shuttle bus from Le Grand-Bornand, or you can start from Les Troncs instead. The Refuge de la Pointe Percée / Gramusset (2,164 m, FFCAM) is 1 h to 1 h 30 from the col and is a good place to spend the night before.
About 2 h from the Col des Annes; 15–30 minutes from the refuge. From the refuge follow the normal route of Pointe Percée. Where it heads up into the scree, spot a cave to the left of the normal route; the Grand-Amusette single-pitch sector is there, a little further left again. The route starts just left of the cave. It is identified by a cord on the first bolt that differs from the neighbouring lines (red in 2024, reported orange in 2026) and by green hangers, which are fading. There is no water after the refuge.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
GPS line: one party's recorded GPS track of the whole day, including the climb and the descent. One party's recorded day on 28 June 2026: Col des Annes, the Gramusset hut, the route, the summit of the Pointe Percée and back down to the col. Do not follow it blindly.
GPS line: oscarl · CC BY-NC-ND 3.0Parking
Col des Annes (camptocamp access point)
Point from camptocamp route 914964
Contains the route point, parking and a GPS line. 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: 45.95675, 6.55166 (route base) · Parking: 45.97038, 6.52317
Getting down
From the summit cross walk down the normal route of Pointe Percée to the Refuge de Gramusset and on to the Col des Annes. Stay on the small ridge to the right when facing Mont Blanc; the line is well marked with paint dots. It is graded F / experienced walkers: slippery rock in places and some exposure near the top. Parties take 2 h to 2 h 20 from the summit to the col.
Retreat
Easy to bail
Yes, for most of the route. It crosses the Pointe Percée normal route half-way and has two walking sections, and a 2026 party notes that escape is possible at several points. The exception is the final four-pitch wall, where the belays are two unlinked bolts and you would have to abseil back to its foot, leaving gear.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
North-west facing at 2,400–2,750 m. Cool and shaded in the morning even in a heatwave, with sun on the face in the afternoon. The trip reports read run from 28 June to 2 September; snow patches can remain on the normal route early in the season. The rock is very grippy with no polish, and the route is quiet compared with the Arête du Doigt. Three to four hours of climbing for a competent pair.
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 |
| Sunshine hours a day | 5.9 | 7.1 | 8.7 | 10.0 | 10.6 | 11.5 | 12.0 | 11.0 | 9.4 | 7.8 | 6.2 | 5.5 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 2371 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis (about 10 km grid): the wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
What to carry
13 quickdraws and a 50 m single rope. Slings or cord to link the belay bolts. Helmet. Approach shoes for the walking links and the long descent, and enough water for the day.
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 Le sirop pour machin.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
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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.
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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.