Pointe Ronde : Standard ascent - from La Caffe or Col de la Forclaz

Ascent

Two starting points:

1. From the Col de la Forclaz 1526m: Take the TMB (Tour de Mont Blanc) path which traverses upwards through the woods, crossing several couloirs, before turning right into a cwm with the chalets de la Giète 1884m, not visible from below. Recommended
2. From La Caffe 1260m: follow the forest road E for several hundred metres, then go up steeply by the summer path which joins the TMB shortly before La Giète (1884 m). Recommended only if you want to leave the car at La Caffe.

From the level area at the Giète chalets go up the obvious cwm, (NE) to reach a false col at 2259 m. Turn right (NW) to go up some bowls and then a broad ridge which narrows just before the summit 2700m. Wooden pole.

Descent

Initially by the same route.
From la Giète there are two options, depending on conditions:
Go along the path towards the col de la Forclaz and at 1738m, where the summer path leaves for La Caffe, ski down a couloir (Combe des Faces) directly to Le Mintset/La Caffe.
Continue along the TMB to the col de Forclaz.
To get back to the col from the first option, either hitchhike from the "Drapeau Swiss" cafe, or if enough snow skin up through the fields, (30mins), or walk up the back road to join the main road just before the col.

Interesting and varied route. The first 2/3 of the climb face NW, the last part NE.
For the descent, higher up gives good slopes, the last 400m in the forest back to the Col de la Forclaz is not so pleasant.
If conditions permit, there is a steep descent option (40-45º) from just before the summit down the couloir on the N face.
There is 275m less height gain if you start from the Col de la Forclaz.
Can often experience frozen avalanche debris.

In some years crampons are useful when the path from the Col de Forclaz is iced up.