Aiguille du Chardonnet
3,824 m
Switzerland, France
Also known as Aiguille de ChardonnetAlso known as
Aiguille de Chardonnet
- Elevation
- 3,824 m
- Prominence
- 503 m
- Difficulty
- 6/10
- Alpine climb
- Best Season
- Jun–Jul
- Routes
- 2
RegulationReported 13 Aug 2026
Chamonix municipal order 2026-00719, issued 13 August 2026, regulates bivouacking around the Refuge Albert 1er; contact the warden for details or bookings.
refugealbert1er.ffcam.fr
Routes
2Sources differ: PD+ (Camptocamp (arête NW, voie normale)) · AD (SAC route portal (from the Cabane du Trient by the W ridge))
The traditional normal route, now mainly used as the descent from the Forbes Arête: from the Refuge Albert 1er across the crevassed Glacier du Tour to the Glacier de l'Épaule, up an enclosed couloir (rappels on descent) to the snow saddle by the Aiguille Adams Reilly, then mixed ground, a snow slope to the fore-summit (3,800 m) and a narrow, corniced ridge to the top.
About 50% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 3 check notes
- danger scan: Refuge Albert 1er → Aiguille du Chardonnet: DEM line 1158 m off the straight axis
- Refuge Albert 1er → Aiguille du Chardonnet: glacier (snap_failed, 4.7 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Glacier du Tour, Chardonnet – Adams Reilly saddle, Fore-summit, Glacier de l'Épaule (OSM match off-route)
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 9.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,095 m
- −130 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,824 m
- Time Up
- 8h 25m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 48m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Le Tour (1,480 m) above Argentière, walk or take the gondola to Charamillon (1,854 m) and follow the easy path to the Refuge Albert 1er (2,707 m) on the north bank of the Glacier du Tour: about 3 hours from the village (FFCAM) or 2¼ hours from the top of the lifts (SAC). From the hut follow the route towards the Col du Tour and, just below the col, traverse the Glacier du Tour level towards the Aiguille du Chardonnet to reach the Glacier de l'Épaule (about 2 hours; many large crevasses). Climb the Glacier de l'Épaule towards the Col Supérieur Adams Reilly, leaving the Épaule (3,587 m) on the right, and go up the enclosed couloir that is used for the rappels on descent (stonefall if parties are above). Exit onto the snowy saddle between the Chardonnet and the Aiguille Adams Reilly, climb it on the right to the mixed ridge, then the snow slope to the fore-summit (3,800 m). Follow the fine summit ridge east to the top, watching for cornices. Allow 5–6 hours from the start of the climb. Descend the same way in 2–3 hours: down-climb a short steeper step between rocks to two 20 m rappels in and below the couloir, then the Glacier de l'Épaule and the Glacier du Tour. If the bergschrunds are too open, a newer line of rappels on the spur between the Charlet-Bettembourg gully and the normal route is used. The SAC warns that even the easiest descent on this mountain can be problematic.
Start
Charamillon1,859 m
- Le Tour – Charamillon gondola (summer; check dates)
- Train to Montroc (Saint-Gervais – Martigny line), then the Chamonix bus or 1 km on foot to Le Tour
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charamillon → Refuge Albert 1er | 4.7 | 886 | 43 | 3h 38m |
| 2 | Refuge Albert 1er → Aiguille du Chardonnet | 4.7 | 1,209 | 87 | 4h 47m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Charamillon1,859 m
Top of the Le Tour – Charamillon gondola
- Hut: Refuge Albert 1er2,701 m
- Summit: Aiguille du Chardonnet3,824 m
Key Passages
- Crevassed Glacier du Tour
- Bergschrund and enclosed couloir (rappels on descent)
- Mixed ground above the Adams Reilly saddle
- Corniced summit ridge from the fore-summit
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
A 3,824 m granite and ice peak dominating the Glacier du Tour basin above Le Tour, near the Swiss border. Best known for the Forbes Arête (AD), one of the classic mixed ridges of the Alps; the old normal route (AD-) is now mainly the descent.
The Aiguille du Chardonnet is the highest point of the long ridge separating the Le Tour and Argentière glacier basins, with the Swiss border running just east of the summit. Its summit ridge is about 800 m long, jagged and gently inclined: from Pt. 3680 in the east (the Forbes Arête) over the main summit to the Épaule (3,587 m) in the west. The north side is snow and ice with a range of gullies and buttresses; the south side is an 800 m wall of spires and towers above the Argentière glacier.
The SAC describes it as one of the most imposing summits of the Alps and warns that every approach is difficult, and that even the easiest descent can be problematic. Most climbers come for the Forbes Arête, a long mixed ridge climb from the Refuge Albert 1er that is busy on fine weekends; the traditional normal route by the west ridge is used to descend.
There is no easy way up: all routes involve crevassed glaciers, steep snow or ice, and rappels in descent.
Climbing Notes
You need sound glacier and crevasse-rescue skills, confidence on 45–55° snow and ice, competence on exposed mixed ridges to about III, and fluent rappelling; plus fitness for a 10–12 hour day from the hut. Many parties climb with a guide from Chamonix, Argentière or Trient.
Typical itinerary: day one, Le Tour to the Refuge Albert 1er (about 3 hours on foot, less with the Charamillon gondola); day two, the Forbes Arête or the normal route and descent to the hut or valley. From Switzerland, the Cabane du Trient is the base, reached via the Col du Tour. The Forbes Arête faces east: start early, and leave enough time for the descent before afternoon stonefall. Late in the season La Bosse and the descent couloir become icy and the bergschrunds open; a newer rappel line exists for that case.
Bivouacking near the Refuge Albert 1er is regulated by a Chamonix municipal order (2026); contact the warden.
History
The first ascent was on 20 September 1865 by Robert Fowler with Michel Balmat and Michel Ducroz, by the north side of the west ridge. Percy W. Thomas with Josef Imboden and Josef Marie Lochmatter made the second ascent on 1 August 1879 by the north side and north-west ridge, the line of today's normal route. The Forbes Arête was first climbed in summer 1899. The first ski ascent was on 26 March 1907 by Maurice Crettex, Marcel Kurz and François Frédéric Roget. The name derives from 'chardon' (thistle).
Season
Best Jun–Jul- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Good
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; hut unstaffed
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Hut staffed from mid-March (2026); ski ascents for experts
- Apr
- Spring ski-mountaineering
- May
- Hut reopens late May (23 May in 2026); snowy ridges
- Jun
- Good snow cover on La Bosse and the descent couloir
- Jul
- Main season; busy at weekends
- Aug
- Icier slopes, open bergschrunds, more stonefall
- Sep
- Hut staffed until mid-September (13 September in 2026)
- Oct
- Hut unstaffed; early winter
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Refuge Albert 1er (FFCAM, 140 places when staffed, 30 in the winter refuge): book via refugealbert1er.ffcam.fr or +33 4 50 54 06 20; booking also advised for the winter refuge.
- Fees
- Refuge Albert 1er overnight fees
- Le Tour – Charamillon gondola ticket
- Rules
- Bivouacking near the Refuge Albert 1er is regulated by Chamonix municipal order 2026-00719 (13 August 2026); contact the warden
- Getting There
Argentière / Le Tour (Chamonix valley); Trient (Switzerland)
Geneva (GVA)
- Train on the Saint-Gervais – Martigny line to Montroc, then the Chamonix bus or 1 km on foot to Le Tour
- By car to the car park at Le Tour
- Le Tour – Charamillon gondola to 1,854 m in season
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Altitude
- Cornices
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,707 m
Refuge Albert 1erRefugeStaffedBooking required
140 beds · Staffed in spring (14 March – 3 May 2026) and summer (23 May – 13 September 2026); winter refuge with 30 places otherwise