Mont Dolent
3,820 m
Switzerland, France, Italy
Also known as Мон Долан, Monte Dolent, +3Also known as
Мон Долан · Monte Dolent · მონ-დოლანი · Mont Dolent / Monte Dolent · Мон-Долан
- Elevation
- 3,820 m
- Prominence
- 330 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jun–Jul
- Routes
- 1
RegulationReported 22 May 2026
Val Ferret road reopened on 22 May 2026 between Planpincieux and Lavachey; motor vehicles remain banned between Lavachey and Arnouva and parking is banned along the valley road (towing enforced).
laprimalinea.it
Routes
1Sources differ: PD (Wikipedia)
The line of the 1864 first ascent: from Arnouva in the Italian Val Ferret to the unstaffed Fiorio bivouac (2,724 m), then up the eastern arm of the Pré de Bar glacier to a firn saddle below the SE ridge and a short couloir and ridge of loose, easy rock to the summit. About 2,050 m of ascent over two days.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 7.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,050 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,820 m
- Time Up
- 7h 44m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Arnouva (1,769 m) at the end of the Italian Val Ferret road, follow the dirt road towards Rifugio Elena for 2–3 km. On the hairpins below the hut take the path signed for Bivacco Fiorio, which runs along the left-bank moraine of the Pré de Bar glacier and climbs steep grassy zigzags towards the Petit Col Ferret. About 100–150 m below the col a branch path traverses left (west) under the Pointe Allobrogia to the spur at point 2513 m, then cairns and yellow paint marks lead to the two Fiorio bivouacs (2,724 m). Allow 2½–2¾ hours. The approach from La Fouly in the Swiss Val Ferret crosses the Petit Col Ferret and joins the same path. From the bivouac, follow cairns NNW across scree and slabs (hard to follow by head torch) to the eastern arm of the Pré de Bar glacier, reached at about 3,100 m after about 1¼ hours. Climb the glacier on its left (NE) side between the rock islands of points 3188 m and 3336 m, choosing a line through the crevasses; the glacier has retreated and older maps no longer show its current extent. A large crevasse at about 3,500–3,580 m is increasingly difficult in high summer and is passed on its west side, or avoided by a detour further left, to reach a broad firn saddle NW of point 3627 m (about 3 hours from the bivouac). Follow the snowy SE ridge, then a couloir of easy but often loose rock that eases onto a shoulder at about 3,774 m; the final ridge to the summit is blocky scrambling or a firn crest and can be corniced. Variants climb the 40–45° south-facing slope left of the rocks or a granite spur (II–III). About 1 hour from the saddle, 4–5 hours from the bivouac. Descend the same way; the south-facing slopes soften early and the glacier is exposed to stonefall in the afternoon.
Start
Arnouva1,777 m
- Bus to Courmayeur, then the Courmayeur local (Green Line) bus up Val Ferret to Arnouva; from Switzerland, train to Orsières and PostBus to La Fouly.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arnouva → Bivacco Cesare Fiorio | 4.2 | 945 | 0 | 3h 41m |
| 2 | Bivacco Cesare Fiorio → Mont Dolent | 2.8 | 1,101 | 7 | 4h 02m |
Waypoints
- Station: Arnouva1,777 m
Motor vehicles banned between Lavachey and Arnouva in summer 2026; reach by the Val Ferret shuttle or on foot from Lavachey
- Bivouac: Bivacco Cesare Fiorio2,729 m
- Summit: Mont Dolent3,820 m
Key Passages
- Cairned line from the bivouac to the Pré de Bar glacier
- Large crevasse at about 3,500 m
- Bergschrund and 40° south-facing slope
- Loose summit couloir and blocky final ridge
Equipment
0/10 packedDownloads
Route confidence 76%Overview
A shapely 3,820 m snow peak at the eastern end of the Mont Blanc massif, standing almost exactly where France, Italy and Switzerland meet. Its normal route is a two-day PD+ glacier climb from the Italian Val Ferret via the Fiorio bivouac.
Mont Dolent closes the eastern end of the Mont Blanc massif above the heads of the Italian and Swiss Val Ferret and the Argentière basin. The France–Italy–Switzerland tripoint lies at about 3,749 m, less than 100 m north-west of the summit, so the top has views into three countries and along the whole chain from the Aiguille Verte to the Grandes Jorasses. Its four faces carry glaciers on every side: the Pré de Bar on the south, the Argentière on the north-west, and the Dolent and A Neuve glaciers towards Switzerland.
The only straightforward way up is the south side, the route of the 1864 first ascent. It is a long but not technically hard climb: a steep approach path to an unstaffed bivouac, a crevassed glacier, and a short loose couloir and exposed ridge to a tiny summit. The east ridge from the Swiss Bivouac du Dolent (La Maye) is the next-easiest line, at about AD.
The Pré de Bar glacier has thinned and retreated markedly. In late summer it is dry, the bergschrund opens, a large crevasse near 3,500 m becomes awkward and stonefall increases, so many parties now climb the mountain on ski in spring or in early summer when firn cover is better.
Climbing Notes
Suitable for parties with basic glacier experience who are fit for a 2,000 m two-day ascent. Skills needed: roped glacier travel and crevasse rescue, crampon technique on 40° slopes, and easy scrambling on loose rock. A guide is advisable if you have not led on glaciers before; guides are based in Courmayeur and Chamonix.
Typical itinerary: day one, walk from Arnouva (or from La Fouly on the Swiss side) to Bivacco Fiorio in about 2½–3 hours; day two, leave before dawn to be on the glacier at first light, summit in 4–5 hours and descend the same way before the south-facing slopes soften. The bivouac cannot be booked and is unstaffed, so carry a sleeping bag, stove and food; in summer water is about 15 minutes away.
Check glacier conditions before going: from August the crevasse near 3,500 m and the bergschrund can make the route hard or impractical. On ski, the descent from the summit itself involves about 150 m of exposed 45° slope; most skiers leave their skis at the saddle below the SE ridge.
History
First climbed on 9 July 1864 by Anthony Adams Reilly and Edward Whymper with the guides Michel Croz, Henri Charlet and Michel Payot, by the south side. Whymper later called it 'a miniature ascent' and the top 'a toy summit'. In 1954 young people from the Valais placed a statue of the Virgin Mary on the summit.
Season
Best Jun–Jul- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Possible
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; Val Ferret road may be closed for avalanche risk
- Feb
- Winter; avalanche risk on the approach
- Mar
- Ski ascents possible late in the month for experienced ski-mountaineers
- Apr
- Ski-mountaineering season, usually via La Fouly and the Combe des Fonds
- May
- Good firn for ski ascents; avalanche risk on the Petit Col Ferret traverse
- Jun
- Best glacier cover; snow on the approach path
- Jul
- Summer season; start early to avoid soft snow and stonefall
- Aug
- Dry glacier, open bergschrund and large crevasse near 3,500 m; more stonefall
- Sep
- Glacier often bare and icy; route can become impractical
- Oct
- Early snow or bare ice; short days
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Bivacco Cesare Fiorio is unstaffed and cannot be booked. Rifugio Elena near Arnouva is a staffed alternative for the night before, which lengthens the summit day.
- Fees
- Courmayeur local bus (Val Ferret Green Line): EUR 2.20 single, EUR 3.70 day ticket (fares in force since 2024)
- Rules
- Italian Val Ferret: motor vehicles banned between Lavachey and Arnouva in summer 2026, and parking banned along the valley road outside marked spaces (vehicles towed)
- Bivacco Fiorio cannot be reserved; it is a first-come, first-served shelter
- Getting There
Courmayeur (Italy); La Fouly (Switzerland)
Geneva (GVA) or Turin (TRN)
- Italy: bus to Courmayeur from Aosta, Turin or Milan, then the Courmayeur Green Line bus up Val Ferret towards Arnouva; drivers park in Courmayeur or at Lavachey
- Switzerland: train to Orsières via Martigny, then PostBus to La Fouly; the path to the Petit Col Ferret starts near Le Clou, about 1 km beyond the village
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Avalanche
- Cornices
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,724 m
Bivacco Cesare FiorioBivouacUnstaffed
22 beds · Always open; water about 15 minutes away in summer