Grand Cornier
3,962 m
Switzerland
Also known as გრან-კორნიეAlso known as
გრან-კორნიე
- Elevation
- 3,962 m
- Prominence
- 430 m
- Difficulty
- 6/10
- Alpine climb
- Best Season
- Jul
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: AD (SAC 'AD/3a') (SAC route portal) · AD, rock 3c (crux), 3b obligatory, engagement III (Camptocamp) · ZS to ZS+, III (some passages III–IV if towers are climbed direct) (hikr.org reports (2008, 2015))
The normal route on the 3,962 m neighbour of the Dent Blanche: from the Cabane de Moiry up the crevassed Glacier de Moiry to the plateau below the peak, a steep (up to 50 degrees) snow or ice slope to the fore-summit Pt. 3845, then an exposed rock ridge over about five gendarmes (III) to the summit. Long, serious and little frequented.
About 65% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 5 check notes
- danger scan: Cabane de Moiry → Glacier de Moiry: DEM line 515 m off the straight axis
- 64% approximate geometry
- Cabane de Moiry → Glacier de Moiry: glacier (snap_failed, 2.3 km)
- Glacier de Moiry → Grand Cornier: glacier (snap_failed, 2.9 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Pt. 3289, Plateau below the Grand Cornier, Fore-summit Pt. 3845
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 8.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,646 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,962 m
- Time Up
- 6h 35m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 26m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the Lac de Châteaupré car park and PostBus stop at the head of the Moiry reservoir (2,349 m) a marked path (T3) follows the crest of the right-bank moraine of the Glacier de Moiry and zigzags up to the Cabane de Moiry (2,825 m) in about 1½ hours. From the hut a path crosses scree south-east towards the Pigne de la Lé to the snowfields at about 3,000 m (30 minutes). Climb gradually over the glacier plateau west of the Pigne, close to the rocks coming down from it, towards Pt. 3289, then continue south parallel to the Bouquetins ridge to the plateau at about 3,600 m below the Grand Cornier (2 hours); the glacier is heavily crevassed, and the steeper central section is turned clockwise around large crevasses. From the plateau traverse right onto the triangular snowfield that leads north-west to the fore-summit (Pt. 3845) and the ridge; it reaches about 50 degrees and may be icy, and many parties move right onto the rocks just above the bergschrund. If the snowfield is dry, traverse flat from the plateau to the WNW ridge instead and climb easy, shattered rock to the fore-summit (3 pegs), about 1 hour. The ridge to the summit gains only 130 m but takes about 2 hours: follow it south-east in a curve over about five gendarmes, usually on their crests (slings on one halfway along, a single bolt where the last big gendarme is passed on the left); some towers can be bypassed on the left flank. Descend the same way, with short abseils (10–15 m) at the steepest points and an abseil from the last stance onto the glacier.
Start
Lac de Châteaupré2,352 m
- Train to Sierre, bus to Vissoie, summer PostBus via Grimentz to the Moiry glacier car park (Lac de Châteaupré)
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lac de Châteaupré → Cabane de Moiry | 3.0 | 484 | 9 | 2h |
| 2 | Cabane de Moiry → Grand Cornier | 5.2 | 1,163 | 27 | 4h 35m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Lac de Châteaupré2,352 m
Summer car park and PostBus terminus above the Lac de Moiry
- Hut: Cabane de Moiry2,824 m
- Feature: Glacier de Moiry3,176 m
- Summit: Grand Cornier3,962 m
Key Passages
- Crevasse zones on the Glacier de Moiry
- Snowfield up to 50 degrees to Pt. 3845
- Shattered rock at the fore-summit
- Five gendarmes on the NW ridge (III)
- Abseils in descent
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 67%Overview
A wild, heavily glaciated 3,962 m peak just 2 km north of the Dent Blanche, 40 m short of the 4000ers and overshadowed by its giant neighbours. Every route is demanding; the normal route from the Cabane de Moiry is an AD glacier and rock-ridge climb.
The Grand Cornier stands at the head of the Val de Moiry, where the ridge from the Dent Blanche splits into the two chains enclosing that valley; the Val de Zinal lies to the east and the Val d'Hérens to the west. Seen from Zinal or Arolla it is swallowed by the Dent Blanche, Ober Gabelhorn, Zinalrothorn and Weisshorn, but close up it is an impressive mountain with a large ice cap, a steep north face and a three-pronged rock bastion on its east side known as the Patte d'oie.
The Cabane de Moiry, the Cabane du Grand Mountet and the bivouac at the Col de la Dent Blanche all give relatively easy access, but the SAC warns that the routes to the summit are demanding and not to be taken lightly; old face routes are no longer described because of rockfall. The normal route climbs the crevassed Glacier de Moiry, a 50-degree slope to the fore-summit and an exposed ridge of gendarmes on largely sound rock (III). The south-west ridge from the Col de la Dent Blanche bivouac and the east ridge from the Mountet are AD alternatives, and a traverse SW–NW is a fine expedition.
It is a quiet, committing peak with superb views of the Dent Blanche north ridge and the Zinal giants, and few people on it.
Climbing Notes
This is a route for experienced alpinists: you need sound glacier skills on a badly crevassed glacier, the ability to climb a 50-degree snow or ice slope (often icy late in the season), and to move efficiently, often roped together, over exposed grade III rock with little fixed protection, plus abseiling on the way down. Many parties hire a guide from Grimentz, Zinal or Evolène.
Typical itinerary: drive or take the summer PostBus to the Moiry glacier car park, walk 1½ hours to the Cabane de Moiry, and leave around 04:30–05:00 the next morning; allow 4½–5½ hours to the summit and a similar time back, as the ridge is slow in descent. Early summer, with good snow on the glacier and the slope to Pt. 3845, generally gives the safest conditions.
History
On 8 July 1864 Christian Almer, Jean Martin and A. W. Moore reached the south summit of the Bouquetins during an attempt on the Grand Cornier. The first ascent was made on 16 June 1865 by Edward Whymper with Christian Almer, Franz Biner and Michel Croz, a few weeks before Whymper's ascent of the Matterhorn. The NW ridge (today's normal route) was first climbed by Th. Bornand with the guide Elias Peter on 18 July 1873, the SW ridge on 18 August 1879, and the west face in 1884. The north face was first climbed by Lucien Devies and Jacques Lagarde on 8 August 1932.
Season
Best Jul- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Possible
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; winter room only
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Ski tours to the Épaule du Grand Cornier; summit for experts only
- Apr
- Spring ski-mountaineering
- May
- Road and car park access limited before summer
- Jun
- Hut opens mid-June; good snow on the glacier
- Jul
- Best conditions
- Aug
- Icy slope to Pt. 3845 and open crevasses later in the month
- Sep
- Hut closes at the end of September; glacier dry and icy
- Oct
- Hut closed; summer PostBus and car park not available
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Cabane de Moiry CAS (CAS Montreux; 72 places in the old hut plus eight four-bed rooms in the 2010 annex): book online via the hut website. Staffed mid-June to the end of September; winter room with 23 mattresses (sleeping bag required, melt snow for water).
- Fees
- Paid parking at the Moiry dam and at Lac de Châteaupré in summer
- Rules
- The Moiry glacier car park and the PostBus to it are available only in summer
- The winter room at the Cabane de Moiry is unstaffed; sleeping bag compulsory and no running water
- Getting There
Grimentz (Val d'Anniviers)
Geneva (GVA)
- Train to Sierre, bus to Vissoie, summer PostBus via Grimentz and the Moiry dam to the glacier car park at Lac de Châteaupré
- By car: Sierre–Vissoie–Grimentz, then the Moiry dam road to the end of the tarmac at Lac de Châteaupré (2,349 m)
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Altitude
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,825 m
Cabane de MoiryHutStaffed
104 beds · Staffed mid-June to end of September; winter room with 23 mattresses, no reservation