Mont Chétif – east face (Pré de Pascal, Courmayeur) · Aosta Valley · Italy
Read the cautionsBail with caveatsBolting confidence: medium
The easiest route on the big east face of Mont Chétif, the rocky pyramid that stands over Courmayeur. Twelve short pitches of well-featured rock, mostly 4b, lead to a steep little corner on pitch 10 that is the one hard passage. You finish a few minutes below a summit with one of the great views of the south side of Mont Blanc.
Fully bolted with two-bolt belays and no gear needed, but the bolts are spaced on the easy pitches and the belay cords are old, so it needs a leader with a margin.
The route
Mont Chétif (2343 m) separates Courmayeur from the Val Veny, and its east to south-east face rises straight above the town. This route, opened by Arnaud Clavel, takes a long leftward-trending line up the upper face in twelve pitches of 15 to 30 m. The climbing is on sculpted rock with plenty of holds, interrupted by earthy ledges and juniper, and never harder than 4c until the last third. Pitches 9 and 10 are the crux: a steeper spur and then a short layback corner at 5b that several parties rate 5c. It is a mountain setting at over 2000 m with a short approach, and suits a first long route for a leader who is steady on spaced bolts.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 4c | 25 m | The first bolt is high. A slab with a delicate move before you reach it, then a steeper section to grassy ledges. |
| P2 | 4b | 30 m | Diagonally left on good holds. |
| P3 | 4b | 15 m | Continue up to a good stance. Often linked with pitch 2. |
| P4 | 3b | 25 m | Diagonally left for 5 m between grass and stones to a first bolt, then a horizontal traverse left past two more to a belay on two bolts that you must link yourself. Ignore a sling higher up. |
| P5 | 4b | 25 m | Trend up and left to a stance under a small overhang. |
| P6 | 4c | 25 m | Pass the overhang on the right and go straight up to a broad ledge. The first bolt is straight above the belay and slightly right: do not be drawn left. |
| P7 | 5a | 25 m | Straight on up. |
| P8 | 4b | 25 m | Diagonally left on rock that is friable in places, to a stance on an earthy ledge. |
| P9 | 5a | 25 m | Easily left to a short slab with a bolt, up it, then a steeper spur to a grassy ledge. Broken at the start. |
| P10 | 5b | 25 m | The key pitch. Easily up left to the foot of an obvious corner, then about 5 m of steep laybacking on good holds, the only strenuous climbing on the route, and an awkward exit. Finish easily leftwards for about 7 m. The second bolt in the corner is a long way above the first for a leader at their limit. |
| P11 | 5a | 20 m | Continue upwards, trending left. |
| P12 | 4b | 20 m | A short steep section on the left, then easy ground to the last belay. Often linked with pitch 11. |
Getting there
From Courmayeur drive into the Val Veny and take the first left, signed for the Rifugio Monte Bianco. Continue past the hut up the small tarmac road to Pré de Pascal (about 1900 m), where there is an inn and the top station of the gondola from Courmayeur. The road has a barrier: in August 2026 it was closed between 05:00 and 17:30 and opened on request at the intercom, and a September 2026 party had it opened by phoning the inn at Pré de Pascal to say they would eat there. In the summer season you can instead take the gondola from Courmayeur; it had stopped running by 30 August in 2026. Park at the far car park, just right of the gondola station, or at the roadside just before Pré de Pascal.
30 to 40 min. From Pré de Pascal walk up the broad, steep grassy ski piste on the right, opposite the gondola station (signs for the via ferrata). Where the slope eases, take the path that traverses left around the mountain towards the Courmayeur side. After about ten minutes it follows new via ferrata cables and rungs (installed in summer 2025). At the junction with the path coming up from Courmayeur, continue towards Mont Chétif. About ten minutes later more cables lead downhill. The route starts about 10 to 15 m beyond the end of this equipment, at the lowest point of the cliff and 2 m from the path. There is a plaque on the rock and three bolts are visible on the slab.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from camptocamp waypoint 132156 (summit of Mont Chétif; the route finishes about 10 min below it)
Contains the route point. 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: 45.79994, 6.95026 (crag)
Getting down
On foot. A few metres above the last belay there is a bolt and a flat area where you can unrope and change shoes. Faint tracks lead up grassy steps for about 150 m to the ridge left of the statue and the hiking path between the Madonna and the highest point of Mont Chétif: 10 to 20 min. From the summit follow the main path down the west (Val Veny) side until a signpost points right to Pré de Pascal, pass the top of the Zerotta chairlift and follow the 4×4 track and ski piste back down. Allow 40 min to an hour from the summit. Gulliver.it advises against abseiling the route because the line slants and there is a lot of vegetation.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
Retreat by abseil is possible but awkward. The belays are two bolts, most with an abseil ring, and the pitches are short. Gulliver.it advises against abseiling the route because the line slants left throughout and crosses a lot of vegetation, so expect diagonal abseils and snagging ropes.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South-east facing, from about 2050 m to just below the 2343 m summit, and in full sun all day. June to October in a normal year. Gulliver.it advises against the hottest spells, and a party in August 2025 started at 08:00 to avoid the heat. The route finishes on an open summit ridge, so keep an eye on the afternoon thunderstorm forecast in summer. Climbing time is 2 to 3 hours for a competent pair.
Sun on the wall · SE-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 (usual season) | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | −2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 3 | −1 |
| Mean daily low °C | −8 | −8 | −5 | −1 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 2 | −4 | −8 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 1489 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
8 to 10 quickdraws, with some long ones or slings because the line wanders. A single rope of 40 to 50 m is enough: pitches are at most 30 m and you walk off. Hervé Thivierge's topo suggests 2×35 m and a 2025 party found two 40 m strands ideal. Take cord or slings to link the belay bolts. A small cam can be placed in the corner of pitch 10 if you want one, but all sources treat it as optional. Helmet.
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 Alisée e gli Amici Canterini.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
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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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