Cime du Gélas

3,143 m

France, Italy

Also known as Monte Gelàs, Monte Gelas, +2

Monte Gelàs · Monte Gelas · Cime du Gélas / Monte Gelàs · Жела

Elevation: 3,143 m
Prominence: 669 m
Difficulty: 5/10; Easy alpine
Best Season: Jun–Jul
Routes: 1

Hut closedReported 6 Jul 2026
The RM94 road between Saint-Martin-Vésubie and the Madone de Fenestre remains closed to traffic for an indefinite period after Storm Alex (status as updated by the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur on 6 July 2026). The FFCAM hut can be reached only on foot from the Boréon or Gordolasque valleys.
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Routes

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AlpineFSACT5ScrambleNormal route

Sources differ: F+ (Altituderando / Visorando summary, when the couloir is dry (moves of about 2c/3a))

The highest summit of the Alpes-Maritimes by its summer normal route: from the Madone de Fenestre (1,903 m) past the Balaour, Mort and Blanc lakes to the terraces south-east of the summit, then a 40° couloir (snow early in the season, loose rock later) to a notch and a short ridge. About 1,250 m and 4 hours from the hut. The road to the hut has been closed since Storm Alex.

Elevation Profile

Distance: 13.8 km; one way
Ascent: +2,054 m; −589 m lost on the way up
High Point: 3,143 m
Time Up: 9h 45m; DIN 33466
Time Down: 7h 47m; DIN 33466 · same way back

Since Storm Alex (October 2020) the road from Saint-Martin-Vésubie to the Madone de Fenestre has been closed to traffic, and the FFCAM hut can be reached only on foot — most directly from the Vacherie du Boréon over the Pas des Ladres (2,448 m), or from the Gordolasque valley. Most parties therefore spend a night at the Refuge de la Madone de Fenestre (1,903 m) before the climb. From the hut, follow the path towards the Col de Fenestre for about 50 minutes. Where it bends left at a huge boulder, leave it for a faint track heading north-east, with yellow marks and cairns that are hard to follow in the dark. Zigzag up to a grassy flat above the Lacs Balaour (about 2,480 m), continue to a second plateau beside the Lac Mort (2,527 m) and climb more steeply north-east to the Lac Blanc (2,665 m). Go round the foot of the Gélas ridge on the right to reach the hanging terraces east of the summit. Head north towards the Balcon du Gélas and, about halfway up, turn left into the east couloir: about 200 m at up to 40°, on snow in early summer and on loose rock later, with good-quality rock and two bolts on the sides. Climb to the notch at the top right and follow the short, exposed ridge to the summit (3,143 m), which carries a cross and a statue of the Virgin. Descend the same way. Rockfall from other parties is the main hazard; when the couloir is dry the route is often discouraged, and the alternative east ridge via the Balcon du Gélas requires a rope.

Start

Vacherie du Boréon1,678 m

Lignes d'Azur buses run from Nice to Saint-Martin-Vésubie; no public transport to the Boréon road end was confirmed.
Parking at the trailhead

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
1	Vacherie du Boréon → Refuge de la Madone de Fenestre	8.0	774	543	4h 40m
2	Refuge de la Madone de Fenestre → Cime du Gélas	5.8	1,280	46	5h 05m

Waypoints

Parking:
Vacherie du Boréon1,678 m
Col:
Pas des Ladres2,440 m
Hut:
Refuge de la Madone de Fenestre1,907 m
Feature:
Lac Mort2,524 m
Feature:
Lac Blanc2,661 m
Summit:
Cime du Gélas3,143 m

Key Passages

Pas des Ladres (approach to the hut)
Faint cairned line past the Lacs Balaour, Lac Mort and Lac Blanc
East couloir (about 40°, rockfall)
Exposed final ridge from the notch

Equipment

0/6 packed

Technical

Crampons and ice axewhen the couloir holds snow (typically until July) and on icy snow in the afternoonRequired
Rope, slings and a few quickdrawsrequired for the east ridge to the Balcon du Gélas; useful for less experienced parties in the couloirRecommended

Safety

Helmetrockfall in the east couloirRequired
Headlampearly start; cairns hard to follow in the darkRequired

Footwear

Mountain bootsRequired

Hut & Camping

Hut sleeping-bag linerRecommended

Downloads

Route confidence 70%

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Overview

The highest summit of the Alpes-Maritimes (3,143 m), on the French–Italian border above the Madone de Fenestre in the Mercantour. The normal route is a short alpine climb up a 40° couloir, best done on early-summer snow; the access road has been closed since Storm Alex.

Cime du Gélas (Monte Gelas in Italian) stands on the main ridge of the Maritime Alps between the Vésubie valley in France and the Valle Gesso in Italy, inside the core of the Mercantour National Park and next to Italy's Alpi Marittime Natural Park. It is the highest point of the Alpes-Maritimes département, a dark gneiss and granite peak with small glacier remnants on its north side and a summit cross and statue of the Virgin. The Madone de Fenestre sanctuary and FFCAM hut lie at its southern foot.

The summer normal route from the Madone de Fenestre is short — about 1,250 m — but it is a mountaineering route, not a hike: a faint cairned approach past high lakes, then a 40° couloir with rockfall from parties above and an exposed final ridge. It is far safer when the couloir is snow-filled in June and early July. Other lines include the WSW and NE ridges, the south ridge and the full traverse of the Saint-Robert ridges (PD to AD+), the west couloir, and spring ski routes.

Since Storm Alex in October 2020 the road from Saint-Martin-Vésubie to the Madone de Fenestre has been closed indefinitely, so the hut must be reached on foot — most directly from the Vacherie du Boréon over the Pas des Ladres — and the climb is now usually a two-day trip.

Climbing Notes

You need to be comfortable on steep, loose ground and, early in the season, on 40° snow with crampons and an ice axe; a helmet is essential because of rockfall in the couloir. Inexperienced parties should go with a guide. The best time is June to mid-July while the couloir holds snow; start very early, as the snow softens and then refreezes to ice in the afternoon shade. When the couloir is dry, consider the roped east ridge or another objective. Plan two days: walk in to the Refuge de la Madone de Fenestre (book online in summer), climb the next morning (about 4 hours up, 2½ down from the hut) and walk out. Dogs are banned in the national park core.

History

The first ascent was made on 17 July 1864 by Giovanni Battista Abba, Antonio Audisio, Giacomo and Paolo di Saint-Robert and Carlo Meynardi. The first winter ascent, on 11 February 1896, was led by Victor de Cessole, the pioneer of mountaineering in the Maritime Alps, with Augustin Ciais, H. Helbing, Paul de Pas, Jean and Jean-Baptiste Plent and Arthur de la Tour. On 2 October 2020 Storm Alex devastated the Vésubie valley, destroying much of the road to the Madone de Fenestre.

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: Possible
September: Possible
October: Possible
November: Not advisable
December: Not advisable

Jan: Winter; hut winter room only; road closed
Feb: Winter mountaineering only
Mar: Ski-mountaineering for experienced parties
Apr: Spring ski-mountaineering
May: Much snow on the approach and cols
Jun: Hut staffed from 1 June; snow in the couloir reduces rockfall; cols still snowy early in the month
Jul: Couloir drying out from mid-July
Aug: Dry couloir with rockfall; route often discouraged
Sep: Dry couloir; possible after an early snowfall
Oct: Early snow; hut unstaffed
Nov: Winter conditions
Dec: Winter conditions

Access & Permits

Hut Booking

Refuge de la Madone de Fenestre (FFCAM): staffed 1 June – 30 September, booking online only via the FFCAM central system; at other times by phone, with staffing on weekends and school holidays on request.

Rules

Mercantour National Park core zone: dogs are banned (even on a lead or carried); bivouac only from 19:00 to 09:00 and more than one hour's walk from the park boundary or road access; no camping, fires or drones; no collecting plants or minerals
The RM94 road from Saint-Martin-Vésubie to the Madone de Fenestre is closed to traffic for an indefinite period (since Storm Alex); access to the hut is on foot from the Boréon or Gordolasque valleys

Getting There

Saint-Martin-Vésubie

Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE)

Car: from Nice up the Vésubie valley to Saint-Martin-Vésubie, then the D89 to Le Boréon and the road end at the Vacherie du Boréon
On foot from the Vacherie du Boréon over the Pas des Ladres to the Madone de Fenestre hut
Bus: regional buses from Nice to Saint-Martin-Vésubie (check Lignes d'Azur timetables)

Hazards

Rockfall
Exposure
Avalanche
Weather

Huts & Shelters

Refuge de la Madone de FenestreRefugeStaffedBooking required
62 beds · Staffed 1 June – 30 September; unstaffed winter room with 22 places, stove and blankets the rest of the year
Book Refuge de la Madone de Fenestre Website of Refuge de la Madone de Fenestre
1,903 m