Dents du Midi
3,257 m
Switzerland
Also known as Дан дю Миди, Haute Cime des Dents du Midi, +2Also known as
Дан дю Миди · Haute Cime des Dents du Midi · დან-დიუ-მიდი · Haute Cime
- Elevation
- 3,257 m
- Prominence
- 1,797 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2The standard way up the highest of the Dents du Midi: a marked path past the Salanfe reservoir to the Col de Susanfe (2,494 m), then an unmarked but well-trodden trail up dark scree and rock steps to the Col des Paresseux and the summit cross. SAC T4, about 1,865 m of ascent; done in one long day or with a night at the Auberge de Salanfe.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 11.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,892 m
- −61 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,257 m
- Time Up
- 7h 52m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 26m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park above the campsite at Van d'en Haut (1,395 m) a path with steep steps joins the old road and reaches the Auberge de Salanfe (1,942 m) at the Salanfe reservoir in 1½–2 hours. Follow the north shore of the lake westwards, then the signed path towards the Col de Susanfe. The old upper path below the cliffs is closed; follow the new waymarks that turn the cliff on the left. The Col de Susanfe (2,494 m), on the Tour des Dents du Midi, is the end of the waymarking. From the col turn right (north-north-east) on a path through black scree and broken rock, visible in summer but unmarked apart from cairns. It passes above several gullies, turns a rocky spur on the right, climbs some steps back to the broad ridge and zigzags up; just below 3,000 m it turns another spur on the left to reach the Col des Paresseux (about 3,056 m). The last 200 m mix scree and rock, steep but not technical in dry conditions, to the summit cross, which stands on a slab above the drop towards Lake Geneva. The SAC gives 6–7 hours up and 3½–4 hours down for the whole route. Descend the same way; with stiff boots the scree below the Col des Paresseux can be run, but stay off the direct line on the way up. Fresh or old snow on the final slope makes it slippery and calls for crampons and an axe; ask the hut keepers about conditions early in the season.
Start
Van d'en Haut1,426 m
- Train Martigny–Salvan (Mont-Blanc Express), then the Vallon de Van bus to Van d'en Haut (daily 29 June–30 August 2026, weekends in June and September and the first weekend of October)
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Van d'en Haut → Haute Cime | 11.5 | 1,892 | 61 | 7h 52m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Van d'en Haut1,426 m
Car park above the campsite; summer bus from Salvan
- Hut: Auberge de Salanfe1,943 m
- Col: Col de Susanfe2,497 m
- Col: Col des Paresseux3,054 m
- Summit: Haute Cime3,257 m
Key Passages
- Re-routed path below the cliffs between Lac de Salanfe and the Col de Susanfe
- Unmarked scree and rock steps from the Col de Susanfe to the Col des Paresseux
- Steep final 200 m from the Col des Paresseux to the summit
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
A jagged 3 km wall of seven limestone summits above the Val d'Illiez and the Rhône valley; its highest point, the Haute Cime (3,257 m), is the only one reachable without climbing gear, by an unmarked T4 path from the Col de Susanfe.
The Dents du Midi are the defining skyline of the Swiss Chablais, seen from Lake Geneva, Champéry and the Rhône valley as a row of teeth: from west to east the Haute Cime, the Doigts, the Dent Jaune, the Éperon, the Cathédrale, the Forteresse and the Cime de l'Est. With nearly 1,800 m of prominence the Haute Cime is one of the Alps' ultra-prominent peaks.
The other summits need rock or mixed climbing, but the Haute Cime can be climbed on foot from the south. Waymarked paths from Champéry (via the Cabane de Susanfe) or from Van d'en Haut above Salvan (via the Salanfe reservoir) lead to the Col de Susanfe on the Tour des Dents du Midi. From there an unmarked path climbs 760 m of dark scree and broken rock to the Col des Paresseux and the summit cross.
The summit view takes in the Mont Blanc massif across the Tour Sallière, the Valais 4000ers and Lake Geneva directly below. It is a big day (about 1,800–2,200 m of ascent depending on the start) on loose ground rather than a technical climb, and a popular first 3,000 m summit for fit, sure-footed hikers.
Climbing Notes
Technically a T4 mountain hike, but long: 6–7 hours up from Van d'en Haut, or two days from Champéry with a night at the Cabane de Susanfe. You need sure footing on steep, loose scree and easy rock steps without waymarks, a track or map for the upper section, and the fitness for 1,800–2,200 m of ascent. Early in the season (June) or after summer snowfall the final slope above the Col des Paresseux is slippery and calls for crampons, an ice axe and experience; ask the hut keepers at Susanfe or Salanfe. Those uneasy with exposure or route-finding should go with a guide or someone who knows the route. Popular itineraries: train to Salvan, bus to Van d'en Haut, summit and back in a day; or Champéry–Susanfe on day one, summit and descent to Salanfe or Champéry on day two.
History
The Haute Cime, then called the Dent de l'Ouest, was first climbed in 1784 by Jean-Maurice Clément, vicar of Val-d'Illiez; a plaque on the summit marks the bicentenary. Gottlieb Studer and Johann Jakob Weilenmann climbed the south ridge in summer 1856. The Tour des Dents du Midi, a multi-day trail around the massif, was inaugurated in 1972 and long hosted a mountain marathon.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Ski-mountaineering only, for experienced parties
- Mar
- Spring ski tours from Susanfe (AD); hut briefly staffed in March
- Jun
- Snow often remains above the Col de Susanfe; crampons and axe likely needed
- Jul
- Huts staffed; Vallon de Van bus runs daily from late June
- Sep
- Stable weather; buses at weekends only
- Oct
- Huts close early October; early snow possible
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Book the Cabane de Susanfe (CAS Yverdon) through susanfe.ch and the Auberge de Salanfe online at salanfe.ch; huts on the Tour des Dents du Midi recommend booking ahead (dentsdumidi.ch).
- Fees
- Hut overnight fees with discounts for SAC members (Cabane de Susanfe)
- Parking at Van d'en Haut and Grand Paradis may be charged
- Getting There
Champéry (west side); Salvan and Les Marécottes (east side)
Geneva (GVA), about 100 km
- East side: train Martigny–Salvan (Mont-Blanc Express), then the Vallon de Van bus to Van d'en Haut (daily 29 June–30 August 2026, weekends in June and September and the first weekend of October)
- West side: AOMC train Aigle–Monthey–Champéry, then the Grand Paradis shuttle bus
- By car: A9 exit Martigny, then via Salvan to the car park above the Van d'en Haut campsite; or A9 exit Monthey, then up the Val d'Illiez to Champéry (Grand Paradis)
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Exposure
Huts & Shelters
3- 1,550 m
Buvette-Refuge de BonavauHut
- 1,942 m
Auberge de SalanfeHutStaffed
120 beds · Summer; 2026 season ended 4 October. Small unguarded winter room below the inn
- 2,102 m
Cabane de SusanfeHutStaffed
71 beds · Staffed June–September and partly October (also open in March); winter room with 20 places