Aiguille de Scolette
3,506 m
France, Italy
Also known as Pierre Menue, Aiguille de Scolette / Pierre MenueAlso known as
Pierre Menue · Aiguille de Scolette / Pierre Menue
- Elevation
- 3,506 m
- Prominence
- 1,069 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: PD+ (Camptocamp) · PD- (Gulliver.it)
The usual summer route: about 1,530 m from the Rochemolles reservoir (1,980 m) above Bardonecchia, by a steep path to the Colle della Pelouse (2,793 m), up the cairned SW ridge, across unstable scree on the west face and up a short equipped gully to the NW ridge and an exposed ledge to the summit.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 6.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,564 m
- −56 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,506 m
- Time Up
- 6h 11m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 11m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Bardonecchia drive up to the village of Rochemolles and on along the gravel road to the Rochemolles reservoir; park on the orographic right side about halfway along the lake, where a signpost marks the path. A steep, well-made path climbs directly to the Colle della Pelouse (about 2,795 m) in roughly 1½ hours. From the col turn right (north) and follow the long, stony SW ridge on a cairned path. At about 3,250–3,300 m, no more than about 40 m below the obvious yellowish wall that blocks the SW ridge, leave the ridge and traverse left across the huge, very unstable scree of the west face to the NW ridge. The trace is barely visible; ignore a cairned line that leaves the ridge much lower down. Climb a few tens of metres up the NW ridge, then bear right onto the west face on a cairned trace that rises diagonally around rock ribs to a narrow gully about 20 m high, equipped with an old peg, an old fixed rope of doubtful condition and two bolted belays. Climb it back to the NW ridge, cross the ridge and follow an oblique, very exposed ledge on the north side to the summit in about 15 minutes. Descend the same way; many parties abseil the gully. Several inviting gullies on the west face are not part of the route, and route-finding is hard in mist. Camptocamp describes the finish as not obvious, often done by instinct, with a short strenuous wall on loose ground.
Start
Lago di Rochemolles1,998 m
- Train to Bardonecchia (Turin–Modane line); summer shuttles have run to the hamlet of Rochemolles, from where the reservoir is a long walk along the road or the old Decauville track.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lago di Rochemolles → Aiguille de Scolette | 6.9 | 1,564 | 56 | 6h 11m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Lago di Rochemolles1,998 m
Park on the orographic right side of the reservoir, about halfway along
- Col: Colle della Pelouse2,792 m
- Summit: Aiguille de Scolette3,506 m
Key Passages
- Steep path to the Colle della Pelouse
- Scree traverse across the west face at about 3,250–3,300 m
- Equipped gully back to the NW ridge
- Exposed oblique ledge on the north side below the summit
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
A 3,506 m rock pyramid on the French–Italian border between Modane and Bardonecchia, the second-highest summit of the Cottian Alps after the Monviso group, climbed by a long PD scramble with loose scree, a short equipped gully and an exposed finish.
The Aiguille de Scolette, Pierre Menue to the Italians, stands on the frontier between the Maurienne and the upper Susa valley. From Bardonecchia it appears as an elegant rock pyramid; from the French side its north slopes hold snow late and are better known to ski-mountaineers, who usually stop on the north-west fore-summit (3,345 m). Between the Col du Mont-Cenis and Grenoble only the Aiguilles d'Arves are higher.
The usual summer ascent is from the Italian side, starting at the Rochemolles reservoir (1,980 m). A steep path reaches the Colle della Pelouse, and a cairned path follows the SW ridge to about 3,300 m. The final 200 m are the real climb: a traverse across very unstable scree, a short equipped gully and an exposed ledge on the north side. None of it is hard, but the rock is loose, the line is not obvious and few people go there.
The summit gives a wide view from Mont Blanc to the Barre des Écrins. Solitude is part of the appeal.
Climbing Notes
Expect about 1,530 m of ascent in a day, with the last 250 m on loose scree and broken rock. You should be comfortable moving unroped on exposed, loose terrain at grade II, able to belay and abseil, and good at route-finding. Bring a 40 m half rope, a harness and a few slings for the equipped gully and the exposed ledge; the fixed gear (an old peg, an old rope and two bolted belays) should not be trusted on its own. A helmet is essential.
Go between July and September, when the ridge is usually free of snow. Drive to the reservoir early: the gravel road is tolled and closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays in summer. Avoid the route in poor visibility: the scree traverse and the correct gully are easy to miss, and several parties have gone wrong in fog.
The north side from the Vallée Étroite and Longe Côte is mainly a spring ski ascent to the fore-summit; reaching the true summit from there involves a short, poorly protected III step.
History
The first ascent of the highest point was made on 3 August 1875 by Martino Baretti with the guides Pietro Medail and Augusto Sibille, up the NW ridge and down the NW and SW ridges, after two attempts earlier that summer stopped on the south-western points. Baretti described the climb in the Bollettino del CAI the same year. W. A. B. Coolidge wrote about his own ascent in the Alpine Journal in 1882.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; Rochemolles road closed to motor vehicles
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Ski ascents of the north-west fore-summit from the French side for experienced parties
- Apr
- Spring ski-mountaineering on the north side
- May
- Late spring ski ascents; Rochemolles road open if the surface allows
- Jun
- Snow lingers on the ridge and in the gully
- Jul
- Main summer season; road tolled, closed Tuesdays and Thursdays
- Aug
- Main summer season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Often stable and quiet
- Oct
- Possible in dry autumns; early snow and ice
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter; road closed to motor vehicles
Access & Permits
- Fees
- Rochemolles–Colle del Sommeiller road: EUR 10 per motor vehicle, cash only, paid at the hut just above Rochemolles village (1 July – 30 September, 08:30–18:00; 2026 rules)
- Rules
- The gravel road from Rochemolles is closed to motor vehicles every Tuesday and Thursday from 1 July to 30 September, and otherwise open from 1 May to 30 June and 1 October to 30 November if the surface permits (2026 rules)
- The summit is on the France–Italy border; no border formalities apply within the Schengen area
- Getting There
Bardonecchia (Italy); Modane (France)
Turin (TRN)
- Car: from Bardonecchia on the paved road to Rochemolles village, then about 5 km of rough gravel road to the reservoir
- Train: Bardonecchia station on the Turin–Modane line; seasonal shuttles have run to Rochemolles village
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather