Mont Brûlé
3,585 m
Italy, Switzerland
Also known as Mont Brulé, Monte Brulé, +1Also known as
Mont Brulé · Monte Brulé · მონ-ბრიულე
- Elevation
- 3,585 m
- Prominence
- 372 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Apr
- Routes
- 1
WorksReported 16 Apr 2025
The Refuge des Bouquetins is being rebuilt next to its current site because of thawing permafrost; the CAS Vallée de Joux section obtained the building permit and planned construction for 2026. Check whether the refuge is usable before relying on it.
cas-valdejoux.ch
Routes
1A long, quiet glacier approach from Arolla up the Haut Glacier d'Arolla to the unstaffed Refuge des Bouquetins, then over the Col Collon and up a snow and ice ridge across the Pointe Marcel Kurz to the rocky summit on the Swiss–Italian border. PD, about 3–4 hours from the hut.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 14.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,808 m
- −232 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,585 m
- Time Up
- 8h 19m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 6h 13m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Arolla (2,006 m) follow the road south-south-east to the bridge over the Borgne d'Arolla (2,089 m), then the official hut path up towards the Plans de Bertol and across into the proglacial margin of the Haut Glacier d'Arolla; the old direct path between the Bas and Haut glaciers is closed and no longer maintained. Follow the right (east) bank of the Haut Glacier d'Arolla to a rocky bastion, pass it on the west and climb to the Refuge des Bouquetins (2,980 m), about 4½ hours (T4; crampons can help). From the hut, cross the upper basin of the Haut Glacier d'Arolla south-west, losing some height, round La Vierge and reach the Col Collon (about 3,070 m). From the col climb snow slopes on the west-north-west side to where the ridge proper begins and follow it, keeping right of the cornices, over the Pointe Marcel Kurz (3,498 m), the usual ski summit. Descend its east ridge and either follow the north-west ridge direct (cornices) or slant up the west flank to the south ridge and the summit, which is less steep. SAC gives 3–4 hours and 860 m of ascent with 260 m of descent from the hut. Descend the same way. In summer the snow ridge can be icy and the cornices need care; the Haut Glacier d'Arolla is long and flat but crevassed, so rope up. Sérac fall threatens the foot of the Mont Collon's north face and NE couloir, which the ski line passes.
Start
Arolla2,008 m
- Train to Sion, then PostBus via Evolène and Les Haudères to Arolla
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arolla → Refuge des Bouquetins | 9.7 | 1,008 | 39 | 4h 39m |
| 2 | Refuge des Bouquetins → Mont Brûlé | 4.9 | 806 | 194 | 3h 41m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Arolla2,008 m
PostBus terminus and parking
- Hut: Refuge des Bouquetins2,976 m
- Col: Col Collon3,068 m
- Summit: Mont Brûlé3,585 m
Key Passages
- Long, flat Haut Glacier d'Arolla
- Col Collon
- Corniced snow ridge over the Pointe Marcel Kurz
- Final north-west ridge or west flank to the summit
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
A remote 3,585 m border peak at the head of the Haut Glacier d'Arolla, best known to skiers on the Chamonix–Zermatt Haute Route, which crosses the Col du Mont Brulé beneath it. In summer it is a quiet PD snow-ridge climb from the unstaffed Refuge des Bouquetins.
Mont Brûlé (Mont Braoulè in Italian) closes the eastern arm of the Haut Glacier d'Arolla on the frontier between the Val d'Hérens (Valais) and the Valpelline (Aosta Valley). It is a rocky summit with a subsidiary snow top, the Pointe Marcel Kurz (3,498 m), on its west ridge. Most people see it in winter: the Haute Route ski traverse passes the Col du Mont Brulé on its way from Arolla to Zermatt, and the Pointe Marcel Kurz is the usual ski summit.
The summer normal route is long rather than hard. A walk of about 4½ hours from Arolla, half of it on the margins of the Haut Glacier d'Arolla, leads to the small, usually unstaffed Refuge des Bouquetins. From there the climb goes over the Col Collon and along a corniced snow ridge to the top: PD, about 3–4 hours. The setting is wild and empty, with the Mont Collon, L'Évêque and the Bouquetins ridge close by; you will often have the mountain to yourself.
Published heights vary: the SAC gives 3,576 m, Camptocamp 3,578 m; this site uses 3,585 m.
Climbing Notes
Plan two days. Day one: Arolla to the Refuge des Bouquetins in about 4½ hours, part of it on the glacier margin; carry a rope, as the Haut Glacier d'Arolla is crevassed and often needs roping up. Day two: over the Col Collon and up the ridge in 3–4 hours, and all the way back to Arolla, a long day of 8–10 hours. You need sound glacier skills, crampon technique on a narrow snow or ice ridge and the judgement to keep clear of cornices.
The Refuge des Bouquetins is small and usually unstaffed: bring food, a stove and a sleeping bag, and check its status with the CAS Vallée de Joux section, as it is being rebuilt because of thawing permafrost. From Italy, the Rifugio Nacamuli at the Col Collon (reached from the Place Moulin dam) offers a staffed alternative base on the same ridge.
The ridge is a fine ski objective from March to May; in summer it is usually climbed from July to September. In cloud the long, flat glacier is hard to navigate, so carry a GPS track.
History
The first ascent was made on 7 August 1876 by Arthur Cust with a guide, by the north-east ridge; he described it in the Alpine Journal as 'Rocks and rambles in the combe d'Arolla'. The WNW ridge, today's normal route, was first recorded in descent on 6 August 1892 by a French party including André and Édouard Michelin and Pierre Puiseux. The Col Collon below it has been used as a pass between Arolla and the Valpelline since before 1500, including for smuggling and the cattle trade. The name is said to derive from the local Franco-Provençal 'braoulé', from the Old French 'bruel' (wood).
Season
Best Apr- January: Not advisable
- February: Possible
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Good
- June: Possible
- July: Best
- August: Good
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; very remote
- Feb
- Ski touring for experienced parties
- Mar
- Haute Route ski season begins
- Apr
- Best ski-touring month; Pointe Marcel Kurz is the usual ski summit
- May
- Late ski season
- Jun
- Spring snow lingers; glacier bridges weakening
- Jul
- Summer season; snowy ridge
- Aug
- Ridge can turn icy; open crevasses on the glacier
- Sep
- Quiet; ice likely on the ridge
- Oct
- Early snow; short days
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- The Refuge des Bouquetins (CAS Vallée de Joux) is usually unstaffed and cannot normally be booked; check its status on the section's website (cas-valdejoux.ch) because of the rebuild.
- Fees
- Overnight fee at the Refuge des Bouquetins, paid on site, with a discount for alpine club members
- Rules
- The old direct path between the Bas and Haut Glacier d'Arolla is officially closed and no longer maintained; use the official path via the Plans de Bertol
- Getting There
Arolla (Les Haudères and Evolène further down the Val d'Hérens)
Geneva Airport (GVA)
- Train to Sion, then PostBus up the Val d'Hérens via Evolène and Les Haudères to Arolla
- By car: from Sion up the Val d'Hérens to Arolla
- Italian side: from Aosta up the Valpelline to the Place Moulin dam and the Rifugio Nacamuli at the Col Collon
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Cornices
- Avalanche
- Remoteness
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,980 m
Refuge des BouquetinsRefugeUnstaffed
Open all year; usually unstaffed