SW Ridge

The SW ridge is one of many variations departing from the Voie Normale. As is typical, there are numerous subtle variations to the SW Ridge route too. Follow your nose/least lichened path. 

At a distinct notch perhaps a few hundred meters below and south of the summit (many leave a pack and eat here), the Normal Route transitions back from a scramble to a climb. After a 30 m pitch above the notch with a brief 5.8ish finger crack, reach a sling belay. Here, the routes diverge: the normal route heads down and right before doing an ascending traverse. The SW ridge angles up and right via slabby moves to jugs and crack which lead to the ridge.

Starting at the junction:

P1 (5.8, 35 m). Slabs up and right. Head left up jugs, clip a piton, climb the crack system until reaching the knife ridge. Belay from a number of horns with possible rap stations.

P2 (5.7-5.10, 25 m). Two options. Ride the ridge with 5.10 moves by a couple pitons OR step right to a crack and merge back with the ridge. In either case, head up the ridge and step right on a ledge to a corner.

P3 (5.9, 30 m). Follow the corner to big flakes. Grunt your way right, through, or left. Doesn't matter. Your choice of awkward. Drag will likely stop you after the squeeze at horns and slings.

P4 (5.7-5.8, 25 m). Two options. Head up a groove, step right along a ledge and go up chimney flakes OR head up the groove and the awkward offwidth crack. The crack isn't hard enough to warrant big gear and you can get bomber gear 20 ft up. For either, pass the rap station bolts and head left on an easy ledge until the base of left angling twin cracks.

P5 (5.10-, 30 m). The Lepiney crack. Or cracks; there are two. The left crack is wide hands to fists. The right crack is fingers to locks and has an old iron ring in it. Climb the cracks however you like before jogging right wards at another chimney. The chimney can be lie backed or grovelled. From the top of the chimney (bolt) note an improbable looking slab plastered with lichen above. Don't worry. This isn't the way. A subtle "cheeky" hand/finger traverse goes left before stepping up and left. Difficult to see. Very secure. Heinous drag. Especially since there's 20 ft/7 m of easy jamming straight up at the end to the summit. Half ropes are nice.

DESCENT:
25 m rappel from the summit to base of Lepiney crack last pitch. Step climber's right on easy ground to the bolted anchors. 
3x25 m rappels off bolted anchors down to the Voie Normal ledge. Simul or lead a descending traverse (20 m, 5.0) to another bolted anchor.
2x 25 m raps, angling climber's left, to a scramble point below Breche 3043 lunch spot. Scramble up. Descend the rest of Voie Normale. Note 2x25 m rappels bypass the technical lower cruxes and descend straight into Pappilon's couloir. 

Take either the Voie Normale (mostly scrambling with the occasional pitches) or Pappilon's Arete and merge with the Voie Normal for a lengthy scramble section.  The routes diverge a pitch above breche 3043 m. This is a distinct break point before difficulty on the normal route ramps up. 

Single rack to BD no. 3. A no. 4 is useful if you prefer crack over face climbing.