The Dents du Midi (; French: "teeth of south") are a three-kilometre-long mountain range in the Chablais Alps in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. Overlooking the Val d'Illiez and the Rhône valley to the south, they face the Lac de Salanfe, an artificial reservoir, and are part of the geological ensemble of the Giffre massif. Their seven peaks are, from north-east to south-west: the Cime de l'Est, the Forteresse, the Cathédrale, the Éperon, the Dent Jaune, the Doigts and the Haute Cime. They are mainly composed of limestone rock, with gritty limestone rock in the upper parts.
The Dents du Midi are accessible from Champéry, les Cerniers, Mex, Salvan and Vérossaz, but they have only been climbed since the end of the 18th century. A footpath around the Dents du Midi has existed since 1975. The mountain range represents a local symbol and is often used to promote the Val d'Illiez and various brands and associations in the region.
Names
The first name of the Dents du Midi was "" ("alpine pasture of Chalen"), dating from 1342. It was later transformed into Chalin and which gave its name to a glacier, a hamlet and a mountain refuge. The term "" was first mentioned in 1656 in the book by pastor Jean-Baptiste Plantin. During the 19th century several names were used. In writing, the most common were "" or ", but the inhabitants of the Val d'Illiez used "" or "", from the Tsalin patois word meaning "high bare pasture". The name "" ("teeth of south") seems to come from the fact that during the 20th century, the inhabitants of the Val d'Illiez used the massif to tell the time. This theory is supported by the old name of the Dent de Bonavau, to the south-east, which was called "" ("tooth of one o'clock") on maps published in 1928.
The Cime de l'Est (eastern peak) was called "" before 1636, then, after a landslide, "" in honour of the Archangel Michael and finally "" ("black tooth") until the first maps. Five of the summits had no names at the time. At the end of the 19th century, the names Forteresse (Fortress), Cathédrale (Cathedral), Éperon (Spur) and Dent Jaune (Yellow Tooth) appeared after the first ascents, although the Éperon and the Dent Jaune still bore the names "" (ruined tooth) and "" (red tooth) on several maps until around 1915. In that year, the "" (Champéry's finger) and the "" (Salanfe's finger) were grouped together under a common name and became Les Doigts ("the fingers"). The Haute Cime also had several names: "" (west peak), "" (tooth of south), "" (tooth of Tsallen) and "" (tooth of Challent).
Geography
Location
The Dents du Midi are situated on the border between the communes of Val-d'Illiez and Evionnaz. The north face rises above the Val d'Illiez while the south face overlooks the , an artificial reservoir. The ridge of the chain is situated at an altitude varying between ; it is visible from Montreux, to the north, as well as from the whole of the Rhône plain of the . The Dents du Midi are oriented along an axis running from north-east to south-east over a length of .
Topography
The main summits of the Dents du Midi are, from north-east to south-west: (), (), (), (), (), () and (, highest point). The chain is part of the Giffre massif, of which it is the northern limit and which continues south to the Mont Blanc massif.
There are three passes between the different summits: the Cime de l'Est pass (), the (Soi window) between the Forteresse and the La Cathédrale () and the (Dents du Midi pass) between the Dent Jaune and the Doigts (). A fourth, the (the lazy ones' pass), is situated below the Haute Cime (). The Dents du Midi are linked to the Tour Sallière by a ridge to the south. It is on this ridge that the (Susanfe pass) is located, which allows one to pass from the valley of Susanfe to that of Salanfe.