Combin de Corbassière

3,716 m

Switzerland

Also known as კომბენ-დე-კორბასიერი

კომბენ-დე-კორბასიერი

Elevation: 3,716 m
Prominence: 312 m
Difficulty: 5/10; Easy alpine
Best Season: Jul–Aug
Routes: 1

Routes

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AlpinePDUIAAIIMixedNormal route

Sources differ: PD- (Camptocamp (S ridge)) · F (SAC guidebook Mont Dolent / Grand Combin / Pigne d'Arolla (2014/2016 editions), S ridge and W side)

Hut walk from Fionnay to the Cabane FXB Panossière (2,641 m), then across the Corbassière glacier and up a crevassed side glacier and a 40–45° snow couloir to the col at P. 3402, followed by about 300 m of easy, mostly solid rock (II) on the south ridge. Descent usually by the west side. About 1,100 m and 4½–5½ hours from the hut.

Elevation Profile

Distance: 11.4 km; one way
Ascent: +2,296 m; −72 m lost on the way up
High Point: 3,716 m
Time Up: 9h 13m; DIN 33466
Time Down: 6h 15m; DIN 33466 · same way back

From Fionnay (1,491 m) cross the Dranse and climb through steep forest to the pastures of Vers le Grenier de Corbassière (1,968 m), traverse to the chalets of Les Plans (2,234 m) and follow the moraine past La Tsessette to the Cabane FXB Panossière (2,641 m), about 4 hours (T2). In summer a shuttle bus runs from Fionnay to the Cabane Brunet, from where a path crosses the Col des Avouillons and the Passerelle de Corbassière footbridge to the hut. From the hut follow the moraine path south until a blue signpost (Combins, Valsorey) points down onto the Corbassière glacier. Cross it obliquely to its left bank, almost level but crevassed, and climb beside the icefall step. Above, either climb the steep snow slope on the east side towards the col, staying right of the crevasses and bergschrund (up to 40°), or take a gully of stones and old snow on the right near 2,940 m onto an upper glacier branch and then a 45° couloir at about 3,360 m to the col at P. 3402 at the foot of the south ridge. The ridge gives easy steps and a few moves of II on fairly solid rock; stay on the crest and turn obstacles on the east side. A fore-summit leads along a blocky or snowy crest to the top. The usual descent goes west from the summit to a snow saddle, down a steep couloir of rock and snow and the west side's glacier back to the ascent line, or reverse the south ridge. The SAC gives 4½–5½ hours up and 2½–3 hours back to the hut. The near-level glacier crossing adds time, and late in the season the glacier is heavily crevassed. The Petit Combin (3,663 m) is often added by traversing via the Col de Corbassière.

Start

Fionnay1,491 m

Train to Le Châble (Val de Bagnes), then the TMR bus to Fionnay; a summer shuttle also runs from Fionnay to the Cabane Brunet.
Parking at the trailhead

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
1	Fionnay → Cabane FXB Panossière	6.5	1,169	25	4h 46m
2	Cabane FXB Panossière → Combin de Corbassière	4.8	1,126	47	4h 27m

Waypoints

Trailhead:
Fionnay1,491 m
Hut:
Cabane FXB Panossière2,636 m
Summit:
Combin de Corbassière3,716 m

Key Passages

Crossing the Corbassière glacier to its left bank
Icefall step and side glacier
40–45° snow couloir to the col at P. 3402
South ridge, steps of II
West-side descent couloir (loose rock)

Equipment

0/10 packed

Downloads

Route confidence 75%

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Overview

A 3,716 m rock-and-ice summit on the north side of the Grand Combin massif, rising straight above the Cabane FXB Panossière. The normal route is a PD glacier approach and a short, easy rock ridge, with a front-row view of the Grand Combin's north face.

The Combin de Corbassière is the northernmost high summit of the Grand Combin massif, between the Val de Bagnes and the Val d'Entremont. It is essentially a rock wall running south to north, with a brittle north-east ridge and a broad west flank that links to the Col de Corbassière and the Aiguilles de Boveire. Branches of the Corbassière glacier and the Glacier des Follâts surround it, and the Petit Combin (3,663 m) stands only about 1.2 km away; the two are often climbed in a single day.

From the Cabane FXB Panossière the peak dominates the view, while the true Grand Combin stands further back across the Corbassière glacier. That makes it a good objective for parties staying at the hut who want a summit without the serac exposure of the Grand Combin. The normal route combines a crevassed glacier crossing, steep snow couloirs of 40–45° and about 300 m of easy rock ridge.

Expect two days: a long hut walk from Fionnay on day one, then 4½–5½ hours to the summit, the descent to the hut and the walk out. It is also climbed on ski in spring from Panossière, Valsorey or the Boveire glacier.

Climbing Notes

You need basic glacier skills, crampon technique on 40–45° snow, and the ability to move confidently on easy but exposed rock (II). Fitness for a 1,160 m hut walk on day one and 1,100 m of ascent plus a long descent on day two is the main requirement. Altitude is moderate; a night at 2,641 m is enough for most.

Typical itinerary: Fionnay to the Cabane FXB Panossière (about 4 hours), summit day by the south ridge with descent by the west side, then down to Fionnay. Strong parties add the Petit Combin. The near-level glacier crossing is slow and late in the season can be badly crevassed, so start early. Inexperienced parties should hire an IFMGA guide in Verbier or the Val de Bagnes.

The Panossière hut is private (no SAC discount), has no winter room and requires sheets or a liner. Ask the warden about the state of the glacier and couloirs, which change from year to year.

History

The first ascent was made on 14 August 1851 by Gottlieb Studer, the panorama artist, with Joseph-Benjamin Fellay and Johann von Weissenfluh, probably by the east face, which is now avoided because of stonefall. The summit was long called 'Grand Combin': in 1856 the Mathews brothers traversed it believing they were climbing the higher peak. The south ridge was first climbed on 20 July 1889. The name comes from the local word corbâ, raven, referring to the choughs of the area. The first Panossière shelter dates from 1881; the stone hut of 1969 was destroyed by an avalanche in 1988, and the present Cabane FXB Panossière opened in 1996, funded by the François-Xavier Bagnoud Foundation.

Season

Best Jul–Aug

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

Jan: Winter; hut closed and no winter room
Feb: Winter; hut closed
Mar: Ski touring; Panossière staffed from late March (28 March in 2026)
Apr: Main ski-touring month
May: Spring ski ascents; hut staffed until late May (30 May in 2026)
Jun: Hut closed until late June (27 June in 2026); much snow on the couloirs
Jul: Main season
Aug: Main season; glacier more crevassed late in the month
Sep: Hut staffed until late September (26 September in 2026); dry, loose couloirs
Oct: Hut closed; early snow
Nov: Winter conditions
Dec: Winter conditions

Access & Permits

Hut Booking

Cabane FXB Panossière: online booking on panossiere.ch, phone +41 27 771 33 22 or info@panossiere.ch; bookings for 2027 open on 1 January 2027.

Fees

Cabane FXB Panossière (2026): CHF 80 per adult per night with dinner and breakfast; private hut, no SAC discount

Rules

Sheets or a sleeping-bag liner compulsory at the Panossière hut
The Panossière hut has no winter room; outside the staffed periods there is no shelter at the hut

Getting There

Fionnay / Le Châble (Val de Bagnes)

Geneva (GVA)

Train via Martigny to Le Châble, then TMR bus to Fionnay (summer service)
Summer shuttle bus from Fionnay to the Cabane Brunet, for the approach via the Col des Avouillons and the Passerelle de Corbassière
By car: Martigny – Le Châble – Fionnay

Hazards

Glacier
Crevasses
Rockfall
Exposure
Weather
Avalanche

Huts & Shelters

Cabane FXB PanossièreHutStaffed
75 beds · 2026: spring 28 March – 30 May, summer 27 June – 26 September; no winter room
Book Cabane FXB Panossière Website of Cabane FXB Panossière
2,641 m