Mont Chaberton
3,132 m
France
Also known as Monte ChabertonAlso known as
Monte Chaberton
- Elevation
- 3,132 m
- Prominence
- 1,281 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Road closedReported 1 Jan 2026
The approach from Fenils on the old military road is not passable and officially closed after landslides at the Rio dell'Inferno; no reopening forecast. The via ferrata from Batteria Alta is closed for maintenance. (Associazione Monte Chaberton, 2026 update; exact date not given.)
montechaberton.it
Routes
1Sources differ: Difficile (Altituderando)
The standard ascent to the ruined 'Battleship of the Clouds': from Montgenèvre (about 1,860 m) up the Rio Secco valley on tracks and a good path to the Col du Chaberton (2,674 m), then a steep, zigzagging mule track through military debris to the summit fort (3,131 m). About 1,260–1,290 m of ascent, no technical difficulty, 4 hours up by the signpost.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 8.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,288 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,136 m
- Time Up
- 5h 22m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 40m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start from the car park on the rue des Baisses at the Briançon end of Montgenèvre (1,853 m), or from the tourist office. Follow the drivable track (shared with the GR 5) that climbs gently through larch forest above the Rio Secco to the Bergerie des Baïsses (2,080 m). Stay on the track as it bends right towards the Rio Secco; about 100 m before the bottom of the Rocher Rouge chairlift, take the path on the right that crosses the stream (ETM waymarks). The left-hand branch along the Rio Secco is the better-marked and busier of two paths. About 500 m of ascent through gullies, scree and stony slopes leads to the Col du Chaberton (2,674 m), with views down into Italy. At the col turn right (south-east) for the steepest section: about 460 m of climbing on the old mule track, with many hairpins across crushed rock, past cables, barbed wire and ruined shelters. The summit is a flat platform, lowered by about 6 m when the Italian army built the battery between 1898 and 1910; eight 12 m masonry towers remain, with orientation tables. Descend the same way, taking care on loose stones and high steps below the col. The tourist office gives 8 hours for the 17.5 km round trip; Altituderando 7½ hours; fit walkers report 2½ hours up and 1½ down. There is no water on the upper route. The towers and galleries are unsafe to climb or enter, and the galleries hold ice even in summer.
Start
Montgenèvre (rue des Baisses car park)1,855 m
- Bus from Briançon (rail terminus) to Montgenèvre; services were not verified for the current year.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montgenèvre (rue des Baisses car park) → Mont Chaberton | 8.5 | 1,288 | 6 | 5h 22m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Montgenèvre (rue des Baisses car park)1,855 m
- Feature: Rocher Rouge chairlift (bottom station)2,150 m
Leave the track about 100 m before the chairlift and cross the Rio Secco
- Col: Col du Chaberton2,687 m
- Summit: Mont Chaberton3,132 m
Key Passages
- Stony climb from the Rio Secco to the Col du Chaberton
- Steep hairpins of the mule track from the col to the summit
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
A 3,131 m pyramid above Montgenèvre and Claviere, crowned by the ruined towers of an Italian artillery battery, the 'Battleship of the Clouds', shelled by French mortars in June 1940. A long but non-technical hike leads to the summit and its wide views over the Briançonnais and the Susa valley.
Mont Chaberton stands just east of the main Alpine watershed above the Montgenèvre pass, in the municipality of Montgenèvre. It was Italian territory until the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty moved the border to the edge of Claviere. Its flat summit carries eight masonry towers, 12 m high, built between 1898 and 1910 for a battery of 149 mm guns aimed at Briançon; the summit was lowered by about 6 m to make room for them.
Today it is one of the most popular high summits in the area: a well-trodden path from Montgenèvre climbs the Rio Secco valley to the Col du Chaberton and then zigzags up the steep north-west slope to the fort. It is a hike rather than a climb, but 1,260–1,290 m of ascent to over 3,100 m, no water, steep scree and the summit's exposure to wind and storms make it a full, tiring day. Weekends in July and August are busy, with many Italian walkers and trail runners.
The ruins are fascinating but hazardous: the towers are unsafe to climb, and the galleries and stairs beneath the summit hold ice even in summer. The old Italian military road from Fenils, once the classic approach, has been cut by landslides at the Rio dell'Inferno and is officially closed.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for 6–8 hours and nearly 1,300 m of ascent is the main requirement; there is no technical difficulty in summer, though the slope above the col is steep and the scree is loose on descent. Carry at least 2 litres of water, warm layers and gloves, and start early: the summit is exposed to afternoon thunderstorms and wind. Snow can lie on the north-west slope above the col into early summer and from October, when it becomes hard and exposed and an ice axe and crampons are needed.
Do not climb the towers. If you want to look into the galleries, take a headlamp and microspikes, as they contain ice all year. For a quieter day go midweek. The via ferrata from Batteria Alta and the Fenils route are closed (2026); check with the Associazione Monte Chaberton for updates.
History
Italy fortified the Chaberton after joining the Triple Alliance in 1883. Between 1898 and 1910 troops under engineer Major Luigi Pollari Maglietta built a mule road from Fenils, barracks and the summit battery of eight 149 mm guns in separate towers. The guns were removed for the Italian front in the First World War and later reinstated, with an aerial cableway and protective caves. After Italy declared war on 10 June 1940 the battery, with about 340 men under Captain Spartaco Bevilacqua, fired on French positions around Briançon. On 21 June 1940, French 280 mm Schneider mortars firing from Eyrette and Poët-Morand, directed from the Ouvrage Janus, destroyed six of the eight towers. The fort was abandoned in September 1943, the mountain became French under the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty, and the remaining military equipment was removed in 1957. Motor vehicles were banned on the military road in 1987.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Ski-touring and snowshoeing via the Col du Chaberton for experienced parties; avalanche risk
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Spring ski-touring; hard snow on the final slope
- Apr
- Spring snow
- May
- Transition; snow on the upper slopes
- Jun
- Snow patches above the col early in the month
- Jul
- Best season; busy at weekends; afternoon storms
- Aug
- Best season; very busy
- Sep
- Stable weather often; fewer people
- Oct
- Possible until the first snow; ice in the fort galleries
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Rules
- The Fenils–Chaberton military road is closed to walkers and cyclists by order of the Comune di Cesana Torinese because of landslides at the Rio dell'Inferno; use the Montgenèvre or Claviere approaches
- Motor vehicles have been banned on the military road since 1987
- Entering the fort ruins is at your own risk; the towers and underground galleries are unsafe
- Getting There
Montgenèvre (France); Briançon for services
Turin Airport (TRN)
- By car: Montgenèvre is on the N94 between Briançon and Cesana Torinese; park on the rue des Baisses at the Briançon end of the village
- Rail: Briançon (France) or Oulx (Italy), then bus to Montgenèvre
Hazards
- Weather
- Rockfall