Petit Combin 3668m

From Hotel Mauvoisin below the dam wall of Lac de Mauvoisin follow the road briefly west to the first sharp left bend. Here also branches the path to the Alm La Tseulmette and Cabanne FXB Panossiere. Follow the path steeply uphill to the Alm (1 1/4 hours). Here the path forks. Follow the left fork uphill and reach a small plateau at point 2524 (45 minutes). Here a path again branches downwards, which you do not follow but continue uphill and after about 1 hour reach Col de Otanes, 2845m. From the col cross a scree field at the same height towards a small saddle at the southern end. From there climb steeply down to the eastern lateral moraine of the large Glacier de Corbassiere, which you reach at the foundation of the old hut. Now descend slightly on the lateral moraine to Cabanne FXB Panossiere (approx. 3 3/4 hours from Hotel Mauvoisin).

Overnight here.

From the hut on the lateral moraine to the foundation of the old hut and further on the lateral moraine to the end of the trail marks. Here descend the moraine over very unstable terrain to the glacier (attention! - this was the previous route and is no longer used due to glacier retreat and is also not recommended. Today the path goes directly from the hut down to the glacier). Cross the glacier towards the western start of the striking icefall. Stay close to the glacier edge and moderately ascend to about 2920m, constantly bypassing large crevasses. Here opens on the right a snow couloir at a large waterfall. With good snow conditions, one can climb about 100 meters high on the left edge of the couloir to a glacier plateau (if not possible continue ascending the glacier edge, circumventing the rock nose at point 3157, and then northwards over rock steps and scree to the south end of the glacier plateau - this variant I did in 2003 and is crevasse-rich and time-consuming).

From the exit of the snow couloir ascend over the glacier plateau in a southwest direction to a steep glacier ramp between 3200 and 3300 m. Further along the northern glacier edge below the Combin de Corbassiere into the innermost corner of this side arm of the Glacier de Corbassiere, below the saddle at point 3563. Climb up the steep scree slope to the saddle. From the saddle head north over the Glacier de Follats to a firn shoulder west of the Petit Combin. Now over the firn ridge to the summit.

Descent is on the same route back to the lateral moraine of the Glacier de Corbassiere. Now do not climb up the moraine but descend on the glacier to about 2570. Then over the end of the moraine to a path (you have to search a bit!) and ascend this to the hut.