Dent de Lys
2,014 m
Switzerland
Also known as დან-დე-ლიAlso known as
დან-დე-ლი
- Elevation
- 2,014 m
- Prominence
- 502 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jun–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The waymarked normal route: pasture paths from Les Joncs above Les Paccots to the Col de Lys, then the south-west ridge over Lys Derrey and a steep, partly chained rock step to an exposed but fairly broad summit crest. Short and popular, but several memorial crosses mark where people have slipped.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 5.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +872 m
- −90 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,014 m
- Time Up
- 3h 48m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 45m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Les Joncs (about 1,196 m) above Les Paccots, cross the ski runs east to the CAS chalet La Borbuintse (1,337 m), pass Grevalla-Dessus and climb the south side of Le Pralet to a saddle at about 1,525 m. Continue over the east shoulder of Le Barlattey, dip to a second saddle and climb to Paccot-Dessus (1,552 m), from where a grassy ridge leads to the Col de Lys (1,779 m), about 2 hours from the start. In places the path is faint where cattle have trampled it; keep to the highest trace. From the col follow the south-west ridge over Lys Derrey (1,863 m), a winter summit, along a short, airy crest with a few bolts. At the foot of the big rock step (Les Reilles) the path drops about 50 m to the right on steep, sandy ground to turn the rocks, then climbs back left up steep limestone with chains in the most awkward places (moves of about UIAA II if you climb the step directly by the bolts). An exposed but fairly broad ridge then leads to the summit cross (2,014 m), about 1 hour from the col. Not every delicate passage is protected, and the sandy ground is treacherous in descent. Return the same way, or descend from the Col de Lys by the alpine path past the En Lys alp to Teraula d'Avau (1,308 m) and the road to Les Sciernes-d'Albeuve station (SAC: 2 h 30 min from the summit). Avoid the route in rain.
Start
Les Joncs1,231 m
- Train to Châtel-St-Denis and a (sparse) bus to Les Paccots/Les Joncs; finish at Les Sciernes-d'Albeuve or Albeuve station on the MOB Montreux–Zweisimmen line.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Les Joncs → Dent de Lys | 5.7 | 872 | 90 | 3h 48m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Les Joncs1,231 m
Col des Joncs above Les Paccots; parking (Les Vérollys, Les Rosalys) nearby, a few buses from Châtel-St-Denis
- Feature: La Borbuintse1,294 m
Private chalet of the CAS Diablerets section
- Feature: Paccot-Dessus1,553 m
- Col: Col de Lys1,776 m
- Feature: Lys Derrey1,846 m
- Summit: Dent de Lys2,014 m
Key Passages
- Airy crest beyond Lys Derrey
- 50 m descent on sandy ground to turn the rock step
- Chained limestone climb back to the ridge (Les Reilles)
- Exposed summit ridge
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
A 2,014 m limestone tooth above Les Paccots and the Gruyère, the highest point of the hills between the Gruyère and the Fribourg plateau, with views over Lake Geneva. The waymarked T4 route ends with a chained rock step and an exposed ridge.
The Dent de Lys rises at the southern end of the Moléson chain, between Châtel-St-Denis and Albeuve, and with the Moléson is one of only two summits above 2,000 m in this outer range of the Fribourg Prealps. Its steep grass and limestone flanks drop on all sides, and the summit cross looks south over Lake Geneva and the Vaud Alps and north over the Fribourg plateau.
The normal route, waymarked as a mountain path, is short: about 950 m of ascent from Les Joncs or 800 m from Teraula d'Avau above Albeuve. The first part is easy pasture walking to the Col de Lys; the last hour, along the south-west ridge, has a rock step turned on steep, sandy ground and climbed with chains, followed by an exposed crest. The SAC grades it T4. Several memorial crosses along the ridge show that this is not the Sunday stroll it can look like from below.
In winter the south and south-east faces are classic ski tours from Les Sciernes-d'Albeuve, but they are steep (about 35° over 450 m) and avalanche-prone.
Climbing Notes
Fit hikers with a head for heights can do it in half a day: about 3 hours up from Les Joncs and 2–2.5 hours down. Go only in dry conditions; the sandy slope below the rock step and the chained limestone are slippery and dangerous in the wet, and the descent is where most slips happen. Children and nervous walkers can be clipped in with a harness and lanyard (there are bolts on the narrow sections). A traverse finishing at Les Sciernes-d'Albeuve station on the MOB railway makes a good public-transport day. The north-east ridge is a harder T4+/T5 alternative for experienced scramblers.
History
The mountain was formerly called the Vanil de Vuidèche; the name Lys probably comes from the local patois for a lake.
Season
Best Jun–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; ski tours on the S face for experienced ski-tourers only
- Feb
- Winter; ski touring in wildlife quiet zones only on authorised routes
- Mar
- Winter/spring snow
- Apr
- Snow on the ridge
- May
- Possible once the ridge is clear of snow; north side may still hold snow
- Jun
- Good; flowers on the ridge
- Jul
- Best season; avoid afternoon storms
- Aug
- Best season
- Sep
- Often dry and clear
- Oct
- Good in dry weather; frost makes the sandy ground slippery
- Nov
- Only if dry and snow-free
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Winter wildlife quiet zone: ski tours must follow the routes authorised on respecter-cest-proteger.ch
- Getting There
Châtel-St-Denis
Geneva (GVA)
- Train to Châtel-St-Denis, then a few buses daily to Les Paccots/Les Joncs (or walk from Les Paccots to Les Rosalys in about 30 minutes)
- Train on the MOB line (Montreux–Zweisimmen) to Les Sciernes-d'Albeuve or Albeuve for the southern approach and traverse finish
- By car: A12 exit Châtel-St-Denis to Les Paccots and the Les Joncs/Les Vérollys parking; or from Albeuve by the Sciernes road to the small car park at Teraula d'Avau
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather
- Avalanche