Combin de Grafeneire : NW side (normal Route)

Henry Bruchez, Hilaire Dumoulin, Louis Maret and René Michaud, 8 September 1958.

Approach See approach for the Panossière Hut (François-Xavier Bagnoud) (2645m)

Route 7hr

From the hut go up the moraine towards the old hut. Then at the level of a blue sign post "Grand-Combin" descend onto the glacier. Traverse this towards the Combin de Corbassière Point 2840, at the foot of its E face.
Go up the W bank of the glacier, avoiding crevasses, passing near Point 3007 and immediately to the N of Point 3155.5, to arrive at Point 3310, at the foot of Combin de Boveire on the Maisons Blanches plateau (3h).
Cross this plateau by going to the S and reach the Plateau du Déjeuner near Point 3406.2, (1/2 h).
From here identify the rocks near to Point 3665. Continue either by the rocky rib (II/III), or by the snow/ice to its right until about 3900m. (Danger of ice falling from the right.)
Look for a way through the final serac barrier, about 80m high, to reach the upper plateau near to Point 3987, (2 1/2h).
From this plateau you reach, without difficulty, the summit of the Combin de Grafeneire (4314m., 1h) The Combin de Valsorey (4184.4m.) or the Aiguille du Croissant (4243m.) are also easily reached from Point 3987 (About an hour each.)

Descent

By the same route

3-4 ice screws for the serac band.