The Rochefort Arete is a famous and highly photogenic snow arete, often seen on postcards around Chamonix. The climb requires good balance and excellent footwork in crampons.

Taking the same approach from the Torino hut as for the Dent du Geant, the real difficulties begin at the foot of the Geant – where a narrow snow crest switchbacks along the frontier ridge for several hundred metres. The traverse of this is narrow and exposed, with several ups and downs. At the end, a steeper wall of less solid rock leads to the summit.