Aiguille d'Orny – south-west face · Orny (Champex, Mont Blanc massif) · Switzerland
Bail not documentedBolting confidence: high
The popular 6a on the Aiguille d'Orny: nine pitches of corners, slabs, layback flakes and a steep cracked wall, finishing on the airy summit arête at 3150 m. Three pitches reach 6a, all closely bolted. The upper pitches are vertical on big holds and are the highlight.
The route
Gérémiade climbs the south-west face of the Aiguille d'Orny, left of the south spur taken by La Moquette, and finishes on the summit. It was opened in 1987 and completely re-equipped in 2015, since when it has become one of the most climbed routes at Orny: camptocamp logged seven ascents in summer 2026 alone. The difficulties are spread out, with a walking traverse in the middle and an easy ridge pitch before the summit tower. Allow three to four hours for a competent pair. SummitPost lists it at TD to TD+.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5a | A corner-crack to a small terrace. |
| P2 | 5c | Traverse left into a corner, climb it and exit left on fractured rock. A slab and a last short step lead to the belay. |
| P3 | 6a | A few metres of slab, then a layback to easier ground. Another slab and flakes lead to a comfortable terrace; the belay is on the right. |
| P4 | 3 | Up a little, then walk right to an obvious belay at the foot of a vertical wall streaked with cracks. Several bolted lines start from this wall within a few metres of each other. |
| P5 | 6a | The steep cracked wall. A 2026 party drifted too far left here, so check the topo before setting off. |
| P6 | 5c | A corner leads to the foot of a slab; climb it, then layback an obvious flake on the right. Test the flake. |
| P7 | 4a | Diagonally left to the crest of the ridge, pass the gendarme on the right and continue easily to the foot of the summit tower. |
| P8 | 6a | Follow the bolts up the easy-angled slab under the big roof and exit right, in an exposed position. Climb a few metres trending right, then a vertical crack to a ledge and a slab to a small terrace. Extend the quickdraw before the roof to limit drag. A June 2026 party found this pitch a little exposed and hard. |
| P9 | 5c | Straight up the crest, following obvious bolts, to the fore-summit and the top. |
Getting there
From Martigny take the train to Orsières and the bus (or drive) to Champex-Lac (1498 m). The La Breya chairlift carries you to Grands Plans at about 2190 m, from where a mountain path leads to the Cabane d'Orny (2811 m) in roughly two hours. The chairlift runs in summer only and stops for a midday break, so check the timetable and the last ride down. Without the lift the walk from Champex takes about four and a half hours; there is also a longer path from Praz-de-Fort. Most parties sleep at the hut, which should be booked ahead.
From the Cabane d'Orny follow the path towards the Cabane du Trient, then climb the scree and earthy moraine as best you can to the foot of the face, directly below the route: 30 to 45 minutes. The name is written at the start. A 2026 party describes the moraine as loose and unpleasant underfoot.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Parking
Top station of the La Breya chairlift at Grands Plans (camptocamp access waypoint 1205077); the trailhead for the hut path. The lift starts in Champex-Lac.
Point from camptocamp summit waypoint 39004 (Aiguille d'Orny)
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: 46.00303, 7.05441 (crag) · Parking: 46.02158, 7.10303
Getting down
From the summit make a short abseil; a 2026 party did it as 25 m on a single 50 m rope and landed at an anchor with a cord. Then descend on foot, first over easy rock and then on tracks, following the cairns carefully in the gully. About an hour back to the hut.
Retreat
Bail not documented
No source describes retreating from this route. The belays are bolted, some chained and some simply two bolts, so abseiling is plausible low down but would mean leaving gear. Once past the middle traverse, with the ridge and summit tower above, finishing and using the normal descent is likely to be simpler.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South-west facing between about 2840 m and 3150 m. The season runs roughly from late June to mid-September, tied to the hut and chairlift. The face is in the shade first thing and it is cold out of the sun; a July 2026 party needed no crampons, only crossing a small soft snow patch on the way down. A June 2026 party climbed in great heat.
Sun on the wall · SW-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 | −11 | −9 | −5 | −2 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 2 | −5 | −10 |
| Mean daily low °C | −18 | −17 | −14 | −10 | −6 | −2 | 1 | 1 | −3 | −7 | −13 | −17 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 2847 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
Quickdraws (no source gives a number; bring some long ones for the roof on pitch 8), a single 50 m rope and a helmet. Cams are optional: recent parties placed one or two only to direct the rope on easy ground. An ice axe is useful if snow lingers on the approach or in the descent gully.
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 Gérémiade.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Switzerland · Orny (Champex, Mont Blanc massif)
Nine pitches up a granite spur and the final tower of the Aiguille d'Orny to a 3150 m summit, on rough, cracked rock with superb friction. Two moves of 5b, the rest 4b and 4c, closely bolted since 2016 and easy enough to climb in boots. The three steep pitches on the summit tower are the highlight.
5b9 pitches250 m
Switzerland · Orny (Champex, Mont Blanc massif)
The friendliest long route at the Cabane d'Orny: four short pitches up the lower spur, a walk right along a ledge, then two steeper pitches up the red summit bastion. The first pitch is the crux, a physical corner that many find hard for 5b, and it can be avoided by an easier bolted start. Fine rough granite and a summit at almost 3000 m.
5b6 pitches130 m
Switzerland · Orny (Champex, Mont Blanc massif)
Slab and flake climbing on superb granite ten minutes from the hut, finishing with a 35 m pitch of cracks and knobs on the orange summit bastion. The 6a is the last pitch and is steady rather than cruxy. The lower pitches are easier and a little more spaced.
6a6 pitches180 m
Switzerland · Orny (Champex, Mont Blanc massif)
A short, easy outing on beautifully sculpted granite half an hour from the Cabane d'Orny. Pitches 2 and 3 are the good ones, steep for the grade; the last two are more broken. Mind the first few metres, where the first bolt is high.
5a5 pitches160 m
Read the cautions
Around 6a · about 9 pitches
Spain · El Chorro
The absolute El Chorro classic: a physical, sustained line that feels tough for the grade, with a 6a traverse right under the roof. Polished in places from heavy traffic.
6a9 pitches182 m
Greece · Kalymnos & Telendos
A sustained, varied line on sculpted limestone. It starts with an easy slab and builds to slightly overhanging jugs with huge exposure on the top pitch. Mountain Project and camptocamp grade the crux 6a+ (Rockfax says 6a). With a 70 m rope you can link several pairs of pitches.
6a9 pitches265 m
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
An airy spur with sustained 5b–5c climbing, a single 6a step on pitch 7, and big views over the Mallos de Riglos and the Pyrenees.
6a9 pitches230 m
Austria · Karwendel (Innsbruck Nordkette)
A plaisir line straight above Innsbruck, reached by cable car. Two pitches are UIAA 6-/6 (5+/A0) and the rest is mostly grade 4–5. The upper pitches are grassy, so avoid it when wet.
6a9 pitches300 m
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.