Grand Roc Noir
3,582 m
France
- Elevation
- 3,582 m
- Prominence
- 818 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1From the hamlet of La Madeleine above Lanslevillard to the Refuge de Vallonbrun (2,272 m), then past the Neolithic carvings of the Pierre aux Pieds and up the combe to the remnant Pisselerand glacier, a 30–35° snow couloir to the crest and about 50 m of loose grade III rock to the summit. About 6 hours up from the car park.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 9.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,868 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,582 m
- Time Up
- 7h 31m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 05m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the Collet de la Madeleine (about 1,760 m) or the Grattais car park above Lanslevillard, walk up to the Refuge de Vallonbrun (2,272 m) on the GR5 in 1½–2 hours. From the hut follow the GR5 west, then the signposted path right to the Pierre aux Pieds, a schist block with Neolithic footprint carvings. Continue towards the ridge separating two combes, follow it for a while and then enter the right-hand combe, which leads straight up towards the summit and ends at the small remnant of the Pisselerand glacier. Above it, a snow couloir at 30–35° for about 100 m reaches the crest. On the crest go left to the base of the summit block. Traverse right on ledges, then climb steps of loose, broken rock (III, a fixed cord in place) for about 50 m to the summit and its radio antenna. A couple of slings and one or two small cams can be placed low down. It is easy to stray onto harder variants (closer to IV); the correct line has fixed pegs and bolts. Descend the same way, by downclimbing or abseiling: as of 2016 there were bolted anchors below the summit allowing three abseils of up to 20 m (2 × 20 m ropes minimum). The rock is very loose; with several parties in the block, stonefall is a real danger. The remaining glacier is small and surrounded by scree, and the couloir may be bare and loose late in the season.
Start
Le Collet / Col de la Madeleine1,755 m
- Train to Modane, then the bus to Val-Cenis (Lanslevillard); walk up to La Madeleine and the hut.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Le Collet / Col de la Madeleine → Refuge de Vallonbrun | 3.2 | 538 | 24 | 2h 14m |
| 2 | Refuge de Vallonbrun → Grand Roc Noir | 6.5 | 1,329 | 18 | 5h 17m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Le Collet / Col de la Madeleine1,755 m
Summer car parks at the Collet de la Madeleine or the Grattais (track); in winter Pré Clos (1,678 m)
- Hut: Refuge de Vallonbrun2,271 m
- Feature: La Pierre aux Pieds2,739 m
Engraved schist block (Neolithic footprint carvings)
- Summit: Grand Roc Noir3,582 m
Key Passages
- La Pierre aux Pieds
- Combe and Pisselerand glacier remnant
- 30–35° snow couloir to the crest
- Loose grade III summit block (east side)
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
A dark 3,582 m schist peak above Lanslevillard and Bessans in the Haute-Maurienne, climbed from the Refuge de Vallonbrun by a PD+ route over a glacier remnant, a snow couloir and a short, very loose grade III summit block.
The Grand Roc Noir rises north of the Arc valley between Lanslevillard and Bessans, on the southern edge of the Vanoise massif. Seen from the valley it is a dark, broken pyramid above high pastures, with the Pointe de Pisselerand and Méan Martin as neighbours. The summit carries a radio antenna and gives a wide view over the Haute-Maurienne, the Vanoise glaciers and the frontier peaks.
Most of the ascent is walking: from La Madeleine to the Refuge de Vallonbrun on the GR5, past the Neolithic carvings of the Pierre aux Pieds, and up a long combe to the small remnant of the Pisselerand glacier. Then the character changes: a 30–35° snow couloir to the crest and about 50 m of loose rock at grade III to the summit, usually descended by abseil. The rock is notoriously poor, and stonefall from other parties in the summit block is the main objective danger.
In winter and spring the Grand Roc Noir is also a popular ski-mountaineering objective from Vallonbrun, with the summit block climbed on foot.
Climbing Notes
Expect about 1,800 m of ascent from the valley, normally split with a night at the Refuge de Vallonbrun (2 hours up from the car park). You need to be confident on 30–35° snow with crampons and ice axe, able to climb grade III on loose rock with a helmet, and able to set up and use abseils. Bring a 40 m rope or 2 × 20 m, a few slings and one or two small cams. Parties without this experience should hire a guide in Val-Cenis or Bessans.
The usual season is July to early September. Early in summer the couloir and combe hold good snow; later the glacier remnant shrinks, the couloir can become bare and loose, and stonefall increases. Leave the hut at first light, move one party at a time in the summit block, and keep clear of the fall line below other climbers.
In spring the south-east slopes are avalanche-prone during warming: in April 2025 a very large natural slab released in the Grand Roc Noir–Roc de Pisselerand sector.
History
The first ascent is not recorded; it may have been made by military surveyors between 1820 and 1860. The first dated tourist ascent was on 9 August 1880 by Jean-Joseph Blanc 'Le Greffier' and Édouard Rochat, by the south-east and east sides. Blanc also made the first winter ascent on 24 February 1896 with a large party. W. A. B. Coolidge and Christian Almer the younger traversed the south ridge from the Pointe des Pleignets in 1889. The Pierre aux Pieds on the approach, a schist block covered with carved footprints, was described in 1904 as one of the prehistoric engraved rocks of Savoie.
Season
Best Jul- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Ski-mountaineering for experienced parties; hut open in winter holidays or on request
- Feb
- Ski-mountaineering; hut open in February
- Mar
- Spring ski ascents from Vallonbrun; avalanche risk on warming
- Apr
- Large natural slab avalanches recorded on the SE slopes on warm days
- May
- Late ski ascents; hut closed
- Jun
- Hut opens mid-June; much snow in the combe
- Jul
- Best summer conditions; couloir usually snow-covered
- Aug
- Couloir may be bare and loose; more stonefall
- Sep
- Hut closes mid-September; dry, loose conditions
- Oct
- Possible in dry autumns; early snow
- Nov
- Winter conditions; hut closed
- Dec
- Early ski ascents if snow allows; hut open over Christmas–New Year
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Refuge de Vallonbrun: book via the hut (refuge-vallonbrun.vanoise.com, +33 6 31 79 38 16, refuge.vallonbrun@vanoise-parcnational.fr). 27 places when staffed; a small unstaffed room outside the season with no water.
- Rules
- The Refuge de Vallonbrun belongs to the Vanoise National Park; national park regulations apply in the park's core zone (check the boundary and current bivouac rules with the park)
- Getting There
Lanslevillard (Val-Cenis); Bessans
Turin (TRN); Chambéry (CMF)
- Car: from Lanslevillard take the D902 towards Bessans, then the road to the hamlet of La Madeleine; summer car parks at the Collet de la Madeleine or the Grattais (track); winter at Pré Clos (1,678 m)
- Train to Modane, then regular buses up the valley to Val-Cenis
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Glacier
- Exposure
- Avalanche
- Weather
- Altitude
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,272 m
Refuge de VallonbrunHutStaffedBooking required
27 beds · Staffed mid-June to mid-September; winter during Christmas–New Year, February and March holidays (January and April on request)