Ailefroide

3,954 m

France

Also known as L’Ailefroide, L'Ailefroide, +1

L’Ailefroide · L'Ailefroide · L'Ailefroide Occidentale

Elevation: 3,954 m
Prominence: 762 m
Difficulty: 5/10; Easy alpine
Best Season: Jul–Aug
Routes: 2

Routes

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AlpinePDUIAAIIIRock ridgeNormal route

The usual and recommended way up the Ailefroide Occidentale, the highest point of the Ailefroide: from the Refuge du Sélé (2,511 m) across moraines and an ascending ledge to a 900 m spur of steps and gullies (mostly II–II+, a few III/III+), past a snow hump at 3,649 m to the summit. PD, engagement III; a 12–13 hour summit day.

About 27% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.

Why? 7 check notes

danger scan: Refuge du Sélé → Ailefroide Occidentale: DEM line 708 m off the straight axis
ascent 3243 m vs net gain 2462 m (+32%)
DIN time up 14.55 h vs published 8.5 h (+71%)
DIN time down 11.26 h vs published 6.0 h (+88%)
Junction with the Refuge du Pelvoux path → Refuge du Sélé: detour (detour; DEM rejected: DEM path 4439 m > 1.8× straight 1590 m + slack, 5.5 km)
Refuge du Sélé → Ailefroide Occidentale: dem (snap_failed, 4.6 km)
unresolved waypoints: Barre du Sélé, Snow hump

Elevation Profile

approximate line

Distance: 17.4 km; one way
Ascent: +3,243 m; −781 m lost on the way up
High Point: 3,954 m
Time Up: 14h 33m; DIN 33466
Time Down: 11h 16m; DIN 33466 · same way back

From the end of the road at Ailefroide (1,514 m) follow the Celse Nière valley towards the Pelvoux hut, turn right at the junction at about 1,993 m and climb by long traverses to the foot of the Barre du Sélé, a steep cliff climbed on cables (exposed and slippery when wet), to the Refuge du Sélé (2,511 m), 2¼–3¾ hours. Leave the hut at about 04:30 and follow cairns towards the Col du Sélé for about 45 minutes, crossing a stream at about 2,620 m, then head north-east through moraine, past a band of slabs at about 2,800 m, into the combe below the south face. Keep left towards orange rocks and a waterfall to find a good, gently inclined ledge that crosses the base of the face (passing under several waterfalls) to the spur; it is hard to find in the dark, so recce it the day before. Climb rounded rocks (II), then trend right to the crest at about 3,306 m and follow gullies and steps (II/II+) to scree at 3,450–3,500 m. Slabs (II) and a steeper step (III/III+) right of the crest lead to a notch with an abseil anchor and a near-vertical step (III) back to the crest; an airy but easier crest leads to the snow hump at 3,649 m. Above, a chimney-gully (II), a narrow ledge into a loose gully and slabs and a dihedral (II+) lead to the summit, 6–6½ hours from the hut. Descend the same way (better rock than the south face), with one abseil of about 10 m, about 4 hours to the hut and 2 more to the car park. There are no tracks once you leave the Col du Sélé path, the spur is long, and the terrain is sometimes crumbling.

Start

Ailefroide1,495 m

Train to L'Argentière-la-Bessée, then bus up the Vallouise; summer services to Ailefroide were not confirmed.
Parking at the trailhead

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
1	Ailefroide → Refuge du Sélé	12.8	1,673	662	8h 30m
2	Refuge du Sélé → Ailefroide Occidentale	4.6	1,570	123	6h 04m

Waypoints

Parking:
Ailefroide1,495 m
Car park at the end of the left-hand road beyond the Ailefroide campsite
Feature:
Junction with the Refuge du Pelvoux path2,688 m
Hut:
Refuge du Sélé2,507 m
Summit:
Ailefroide Occidentale3,954 m

Key Passages

Cabled Barre du Sélé below the hut
Ascending ledge across the base of the south face
III/III+ step and notch with abseil anchor on the spur
Snow hump at 3,649 m and the final loose gully

Equipment

0/7 packed

Technical

Rope (at least 30 m), harness, slings and a few nutsmany II–III steps; a 10–20 m abseil on descentRequired
Crampons and ice axesnow patches and the 3,649 m snow hump, which can be hard ice late in the seasonRequired

Safety

Helmetfrequent stonefall on the face, the access ledge and the spurRequired
Headlampapproach to the face in the darkRequired

Footwear

Mountaineering bootsRequired

Clothing

Warm layers and sun protectionRequired

Hut & Camping

Hut sleeping-bag linerRecommended

Downloads

Route confidence 75%

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Overview

The Ailefroide (3,954 m at its western summit) is a huge, many-topped crystalline massif in the heart of the Écrins, just short of 4,000 m. Its easiest routes from the remote Refuge du Sélé are long PD climbs on loose rock with a 12–13 hour summit day; its north-west face holds some of the great classic climbs of the range.

The Ailefroide forms the western end of the long ridge from Mont Pelvoux over the Pic Sans Nom, rising between the Vallouise to the east, the Vénéon (La Bérarde) to the west and the Glacier Noir to the north. It has four main tops, the Occidentale (3,954 m, the highest), the Centrale (3,927 m), the Pointe Fourastier (about 3,907 m) and the Orientale (3,847 m), and its sheer north-west face above the Coste Rouge glacier carries the Devies-Gervasutti, often called the 'Walker of the Oisans'.

The highest summit is far from any lift or road and sees few ascents. From the Vallouise side, the Refuge du Sélé (2,511 m) is the base for the original south-east spur, a long PD rock route with many grade II–III steps, and for the loose south face named as the voie normale. The lower Ailefroide Orientale, by its mostly snowy south ridge, is the easier and much more popular objective, but it is a different summit.

The mountain is crystalline gneiss and granite, but the easy routes cross much broken, shattered ground; route-finding, stonefall and the length of the day are the main challenges. It lies in the core of the Écrins National Park.

Climbing Notes

This is a serious, committing outing despite the PD grade: about 1,450 m of ascent from the hut, a 900 m spur with many II–III steps, no tracks, loose rock and altitude close to 4,000 m. Parties need to move quickly and efficiently together on easy rock, abseil and handle snow or ice patches with crampons. Plan two days: walk up to the Refuge du Sélé (booking advised) and recce the start of the ledge in daylight, then leave around 04:30; a rope of two should expect 12–13 hours hut–summit–car park. Choose dry, stable weather in July to early September; late in the season snow patches turn to hard ice. A guide is recommended for anyone without solid experience of long, loose alpine terrain.

History

The first ascent of the highest (western) summit was made on 7 July 1870 by W. A. B. Coolidge with Christian Almer senior, Ulrich Almer and Christian Gertsch, via the Glacier de l'Ailefroide and the south-east spur. Pierre Gaspard father and son with Charles Rabot made the second ascent in 1879. Miss C. A. Barnicoat with Jean-Baptiste Rodier father and son opened the ledge approach to the spur in 1905. The first winter ascent was on 9 March 1929 by Valentine Bally-Leirens, Laurent Delachat, Arthur Ravanel and Pierre Turc.

Season

Best Jul–Aug

January: Not advisable
February: Not advisable
March: Not advisable
April: Not advisable
May: Not advisable
June: Possible
July: Best (best window)
August: Best (best window)
September: Good
October: Possible
November: Not advisable
December: Not advisable

Jan: Winter; serious expeditions only
Feb: Winter
Mar: Winter; old hut usable as winter room
Apr: Spring snow; avalanche risk
May: Snow on the approach
Jun: Hut opens mid June; snow on the ledge and spur
Jul: Main season; hut staffed
Aug: Main season; snow patches below the ledge may persist to mid August
Sep: Hut staffing ends early September; ice on the snow hump
Oct: Unstaffed; short days and early snow
Nov: Winter
Dec: Winter

Access & Permits

Hut Booking

The Refuge du Sélé (CAF) is staffed from mid June to early September; book in advance. Outside the season the old wooden hut serves as an unstaffed winter room.

Rules

The route lies in the core zone of the Écrins National Park; park regulations apply (check current rules on dogs, bivouacking and drones with the park)
Golden eagle nesting sensitivity January–August in the Sélé area, mainly affecting aerial and event activities

Getting There

Vallouise-Pelvoux; L'Argentière-la-Bessée; Briançon

Turin (TRN); Grenoble Alpes-Isère (GNB)

Train to L'Argentière-la-Bessée (Briançon line), then bus up the Vallouise; summer services as far as Ailefroide were not confirmed
Car: L'Argentière-la-Bessée – Vallouise – Ailefroide; beyond the campsite take the left-hand road to the car park at its end (1,514 m)

Hazards

Rockfall
Exposure
Altitude
Glacier
Crevasses
Weather
Remoteness

Huts & Shelters

Refuge du SéléRefugeStaffed
76 beds · Staffed mid June to early September; old wooden hut open as an unstaffed winter room from mid September
2,511 m