The Cosmiques Hut is most easily reached from the Aiguille du Midi, which itself is most easily reached via the telepherique (an aerial tramway) from Chamonix. The initial descent for skiers and mountaineers leaving the Midi cable-car station can be very intimidating on account of its considerable exposure. It has been described as one of the most crowded and infamous passages of snow arête in the Alps, much feared by off-piste skiers and novice alpinists alike. The descent from the Midi station and glacier path to reach the Cosmiques Hut takes approximately 45 minutes, and is graded at PD-.