Dôme de Neige des Écrins
4,015 m
France
Also known as Дом-де-неж-дез-ЭкренAlso known as
Дом-де-неж-дез-Экрен
- Elevation
- 4,015 m
- Prominence
- 41 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- May–Jul
- Routes
- 1
Road closedReported 2 Sep 2026
Floods on 27–28 August 2026 destroyed sections of the road (RD204T) from Ailefroide to the Pré de Madame Carle. On 2 September 2026 the authorities said it will not be rebuilt in its previous form; a walking route, a new car park lower down and shuttles are being studied. Allow about 2 extra hours on foot from Ailefroide.
pistehors.comAdvisoryReported 2 Sep 2026
After the 28 August 2026 storms the Refuge des Écrins and Refuge du Glacier Blanc stayed staffed and accessible, but the usual approach has changed and several alternatives are in use; contact the hut keepers for the current route.
refugedesecrins.ffcam.frRegulationReported 16 Jun 2026
Écrins National Park decree of 16 June 2026 on bivouacking: pitch after 19:00 and strike before 09:00, one night per site, more than one hour's walk from the core-zone boundary or car parks.
ecrins-parcnational.fr
Routes
1Sources differ: PD (Camptocamp: felt grade late in summer or in poor conditions) · F (French Wikipedia and several guiding sites)
The easiest 4,000 m summit in the Écrins: a two-day glacier climb up the Glacier Blanc to the Refuge des Écrins, then about 850 m of snow slopes (to 35°) on the north face, threading between crevasses and serac bands to the bergschrund below the Brèche Lory. Technically simple, but exposed to serac fall and wind slabs.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 18.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,700 m
- −174 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 4,015 m
- Time Up
- 11h 40m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 8h 18m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Day one: since the floods of 27–28 August 2026 destroyed the road to the Pré de Madame Carle, the approach starts at Ailefroide (about 1,500 m), roughly 2 hours on foot below the old car park. From the Pré de Madame Carle (1,874 m) the path climbs to the Refuge du Glacier Blanc (2,542 m), then onto the Glacier Blanc, which is followed on its left bank past a crevassed step to the foot of the rock bar below the Refuge des Écrins (3,170 m). Allow about 4–4½ hours from the Pré to the hut; glacier kit is needed for the upper part. Day two: from the hut drop about 120 m back to the glacier and follow it west towards the Col des Écrins, leaving the col on the right at about 3,300 m. Take the north face by its easiest snow slopes on the right, crossing the debris path below the large serac quickly (or, in good conditions, by the steeper but less exposed ice tongue in the centre). Weave between large crevasses to a shelf at about 3,600 m, climb the steeper slope that turns the upper serac zone on the left, cross more big crevasses near 3,760 m and trend right onto the upper plateau. Follow the foot of the Barre des Écrins north face to below the Brèche Lory (3,974 m), cross the bergschrund where it is easiest (sometimes well right, below the Dôme) and go up to the rounded summit. Camptocamp allows about 4 hours from the hut; French Wikipedia 3–4 hours for fit parties. Descend by the same line, about 2 hours back to the hut, and keep moving: the lower slopes face north-east and soften early, and the glacier flat is a sun trap. Many parties continue down to the valley the same day. The Barre des Écrins (4,102 m) shares the whole route as far as the Brèche Lory and is often combined with the Dôme; the Dôme is the usual objective for parties not climbing the Barre's exposed rock ridge. In spring the route is a classic ski ascent from the same hut.
Start
Ailefroide1,489 m
- Train to L'Argentière-les-Écrins (Briançon line), then the summer bus towards Vallouise-Pelvoux and Ailefroide; on foot from Ailefroide since the road to the Pré de Madame Carle was destroyed in August 2026.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ailefroide → Refuge des Écrins | 13.8 | 1,736 | 50 | 7h 37m |
| 2 | Refuge des Écrins → Dôme de Neige des Écrins | 4.8 | 964 | 123 | 4h 04m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Ailefroide1,489 m
Road end since the August 2026 floods
- Feature: Pré de Madame Carle1,871 m
Former road end and car park; road destroyed August 2026
- Hut: Refuge du Glacier Blanc2,546 m
- Hut: Refuge des Écrins3,175 m
- Feature: Glacier Blanc3,274 m
Leave the glacier flat below the Col des Écrins for the north face (not on route line)
- Col: Brèche Lory3,974 m
Bergschrund below the brèche
- Summit: Dôme de Neige des Écrins4,015 m
Key Passages
- Glacier Blanc below the Refuge des Écrins
- Debris path below the large serac at the foot of the north face (X3 serac risk)
- Crevasse zone around 3,600–3,760 m
- Steeper slope turning the upper serac band on the left
- Bergschrund below the Brèche Lory
Equipment
0/12 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
A rounded snow summit of 4,015 m beside the Barre des Écrins, and the most westerly 4,000 m peak in the Alps. Its glacier normal route is technically easy, which makes it one of the most popular first 4,000ers in France, but the north face is threatened by seracs and wind slabs.
The Dôme de Neige des Écrins is the snow cap at the western end of the Barre des Écrins summit ridge, separated from the Barre (4,102 m) by the Brèche Lory. It rises above the head of the Glacier Blanc in the Écrins National Park, on the border between the Hautes-Alpes and Isère departments, and is the westernmost summit over 4,000 m in the Alps. With only about 40 m of prominence it is a subsidiary top, but it is a separate objective in its own right: the Barre requires an exposed rock and snow ridge, while the Dôme is a pure snow climb.
The normal route is two days from the Vallouise valley: up the Glacier Blanc to the Refuge des Écrins (3,170 m), then about 850 m of glacier and snow slopes up the north face to the summit. It is graded F+ in good conditions, but as the summer goes on the crevasses open, the bergschrund below the Brèche Lory becomes awkward and the route commonly feels like PD. The view takes in most of the French Alps, from the Barre's west ridge close by to Mont Blanc and, on clear days, the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa.
The objective dangers are real. The lower north face is crossed by the debris path of a large serac, and avalanches from wind slab have caused multiple deaths, most notably on 15 September 2015, when seven climbers were killed near the top of the route. Since the floods of late August 2026 destroyed the road to the Pré de Madame Carle, the approach is also about 2 hours longer on foot from Ailefroide.
Climbing Notes
This is a glacier climb for fit walkers who know how to move roped on a glacier, use crampons and an ice axe, and do a crevasse rescue; anyone without that experience should go with an IFMGA guide, which is common here. Expect about 1,300 m of ascent on day one (more now that the walk starts at Ailefroide) and 850 m on day two, with roughly 2,500 m of descent if you go down to the valley the same day. Acclimatise first: a night at the Refuge du Glacier Blanc and a smaller peak such as the Pic du Glacier d'Arsine or Roche Faurio from the Refuge des Écrins are the usual preparation.
Typical itinerary: Ailefroide or the Pré de Madame Carle to the Refuge des Écrins (about 4–6 hours), an early start, 3–4 hours to the summit and back to the hut by late morning before the north-east-facing slopes soften. Move quickly and without stopping under the big serac on the lower face. Do not go after significant fresh snow or strong wind, which load the upper slopes. Late spring and early summer give the easiest glacier and bergschrund; in late August and September the crevasses can force long detours. Spring ski ascents from the same hut are very popular.
Check with the hut keepers before setting off: after the August 2026 storms they advised that the usual approach had changed and several alternatives were in use.
History
The first ascent was made on 21 July 1877 by Emmanuel Boileau de Castelnau with the guides Pierre Gaspard father and son, by the south side; they descended the north face that is now the normal route. The first winter ascent, partly on ski, was made by R. Michelet and Albert Plossu on 6 February 1925. On 15 September 2015 a wind-slab avalanche released between about 3,900 and 4,000 m on the normal route and swept away three rope teams, killing seven climbers (four German, three Czech).
Season
Best May–Jul- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Possible
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; huts unstaffed (winter rooms only)
- Feb
- Winter; long ski approach, avalanche risk
- Mar
- Ski-mountaineering season starts; Refuge des Écrins staffed from mid-March
- Apr
- Popular ski ascent; check avalanche conditions
- May
- Best for ski ascents; glacier well covered
- Jun
- Good snow cover; crevasses and bergschrund still well bridged
- Jul
- Main summer season; start early, the lower face softens quickly
- Aug
- Crevasses open and the bergschrund gets harder; often feels PD
- Sep
- Huts close about 20 September; dry glacier, wind slabs after early snowfalls
- Oct
- Huts unstaffed; early-winter snow
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Refuge des Écrins (FFCAM): online via refugedesecrins.ffcam.fr or +33 9 82 12 70 85 / +33 6 07 79 89 96, refugedesecrins@ffcam.fr; booking required in the staffed season. Refuge du Glacier Blanc: refugeduglacierblanc.ffcam.fr, +33 4 92 23 50 24.
- Fees
- Refuge des Écrins: about EUR 62 per night with half board (FFCAM; members' discount)
- Refuge du Glacier Blanc: about EUR 55 per night with half board (FFCAM)
- Rules
- Écrins National Park core zone: no dogs, no camping; bivouac only between 19:00 and 09:00, one night per site and more than one hour's walk from the core-zone boundary or car parks (decree of 16 June 2026)
- Since 28 August 2026 the road from Ailefroide to the Pré de Madame Carle is closed and will not be rebuilt in its previous form; access is on foot from Ailefroide
- Getting There
Vallouise-Pelvoux (Ailefroide); Briançon is the nearest larger town
Turin (TRN), Grenoble-Isère (GNB) or Lyon (LYS)
- Train to L'Argentière-les-Écrins on the Briançon line, then the summer bus towards Vallouise-Pelvoux and Ailefroide
- By car to Ailefroide; since August 2026 there is no road beyond to the Pré de Madame Carle (about 2 hours on foot)
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Avalanche
- Altitude
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
2- 2,542 m
Refuge du Glacier BlancRefugeStaffedBooking required
131 beds · Staffed from late March to about 20 September; 35 places outside the staffed season
- 3,170 m
Refuge des ÉcrinsRefugeStaffedBooking required
116 beds · Staffed 14 March – 20 September (2026); 40 places in the unstaffed winter room