Pointe de Chombas

(S/E) Start from the Col des Annes car park. Take the 4x4 track and you’ll reach the Tête des Annes (the top of the Annes chairlift) fairly quickly.

(1) Continue straight on (the path on your left is a shortcut off the 4x4 track that leads back to the car park) towards the Col de l’Oulettaz. Be careful: at the pass, the path is a bit steep and slippery. A chain makes the passage easier.

(3) The path, which is not difficult, climbs to the Refuge de Gramusset. Just past the refuge (heading south), a blue-painted arrow points towards ‘Chombas’. The route through the sharp limestone pavement is exceptionally well marked. Follow the arrows and the blue paint markings, often accompanied by cairns, through the sharp limestone pavement (these are sometimes as frequent as every 10 m). You’ll reach the foot of the rocky ridge where the route is marked by a blue arrow (at around 2,350 m). There is currently a snowfield about 10 m above and another a few metres below.

(4) You’ll soon reach a small cliff face about 4 to 5 metres high, equipped with two knotted ropes, which you can cross without much difficulty. After that, apart from one or two sections where you’ll need to use your hands – though these are not at all difficult – it’s a classic mountain path all the way to the summit. Blue markings are present right up to the point where the path emerges onto the dome known as ‘Les Prés aux Chèvres’. From there, the path is clearly marked all the way to the summit.

(5) For the return journey, take the same route back to the Col des Annes (S/E).

There are no water sources, but the Gramusset Refuge is located roughly two-thirds of the way along the route.

Precautions to take:
- At the Col de l’Oulettaz, the path is a little steep and slippery. A chain makes the passage easier.
- Crossing the sharp limestone pavement is tricky due to the numerous crevasses and their very sharp ridges.

Please note: on the descent, a path branches off towards the Combe de Chombas, situated between the Pointe de Chombas and Mont Charvet (shown as a dotted line on the map), on your left: I’m not familiar with this section, but I saw two mountaineers coming from that direction.

At the summit, a 360° panorama awaits you (Jalouvre, Pointe Blanche, Pointe de Balafrasse, Bargy, Pointe de 2 h, etc.); part of the Aravis range; the Mont Blanc massif; the Arve valley; the Bouchet valley; etc.

The new Gramusset refuge is nearing completion.