Mont Giusalet
3,313 m
Italy, France
Also known as Monte GiusaletAlso known as
Monte Giusalet
- Elevation
- 3,313 m
- Prominence
- 835 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2A marked mountain path all the way to a 3,313 m summit: from Bar Cenisio on the Italian side of the Mont Cenis pass road through larch woods and meadows to Rifugio Avanzà (2,578 m), then a well-built, red-marked path over boulders and 500 m of steep scree to the top. About 1,850 m of ascent; 5 hours up.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 10.1 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,836 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,313 m
- Time Up
- 7h 25m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 59m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Bar Cenisio (about 1,490 m) lies on the southern ramp of the Mont Cenis pass road between Susa and the pass. The path to Rifugio Avanzà is signed in the hamlet and climbs through open larch forest to the Grange Marzo (about 2,020 m) in about 1¼ hours, with a view down to Susa. It then turns sharply right, traverses a long way through the forest with little height gain and climbs over the meadows of the Grange della Vecchia (2,237 m) to the hut, about 3 hours from Bar Cenisio. The hut can also be reached more quickly by a small mountain road from above Giaglione. Just before the hut the summit path branches off: continuously marked in red and well engineered, it crosses meadows, then a boulder field with an annoying loss of height, and finishes with about 500 m of steep scree on good zigzags to the summit, about 2 hours from the hut. The summit itself lies in France (the border was moved after the Second World War), while the approach is entirely in Italy. Descend the same way (about 3 hours to Bar Cenisio). Experienced walkers can make a loop by descending over the Cime du Bard (3,168 m) and Bivacco Piero Vacca to the Arpon lake and Bar Cenisio (about an hour longer and harder, perhaps T4). Cloud often builds on the mountain by mid-morning, so start early.
Start
Bar Cenisio1,490 m
- Trains to Susa; buses run over the Mont Cenis road only seasonally if at all (not verified). Most parties drive to Bar Cenisio.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bar Cenisio → Mont Giusalet | 10.1 | 1,836 | 13 | 7h 25m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Bar Cenisio1,490 m
- Feature: Grange Marzo2,026 m
- Feature: Grange della Vecchia2,237 m
- Hut: Rifugio Avanzà2,574 m
- Summit: Mont Giusalet3,313 m
Key Passages
- Grange Marzo
- Long traverse to Grange della Vecchia
- Boulder field above Rifugio Avanzà
- 500 m of steep scree to the summit
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 65%Overview
A 3,313 m summit of the Ambin group above the Mont Cenis pass, reached by a fully marked mountain path from the Italian side. A long, steep but non-technical day, with a wide all-round view from the top.
Mont Giusalet (also Ciusalet, and on old maps Signal de Cléry) rises south-east of the Mont Cenis lake on the border between Savoie and Piedmont. Its name is said to come from the Piedmontese 'ciusa', closed: from below it looks forbidding, ringed by steep walls and scree, yet a well-built path reaches the top.
A curiosity of the frontier is that the summit lies in France, moved there with the border changes after the Second World War, while the normal approaches start in Italy from Bar Cenisio on the Mont Cenis road. The summit is a fine all-round viewpoint.
The mountain is a long day rather than a technical one: 1,500–1,850 m of ascent on marked paths, with steep scree or boulder fields in the upper part. Climbers and ski-mountaineers use its other sides: the SSE ridge from the Col de la Vecchia (PD), the north face from the Malamot fort, and steep couloirs on the west face above the Savine valley.
Climbing Notes
Fit, sure-footed mountain walkers can do it in a day from Bar Cenisio (about 8 hours return); otherwise stay at Rifugio Avanzà and climb in the morning. There are no technical difficulties on the normal path, but the last 500 m are steep scree and the summit is above 3,300 m, so expect cold, wind and, in early summer, snow patches that may call for an ice axe. The slopes face east and south and get hot; cloud often forms by 09:00–10:00, so start at first light. The route from the Grangia d'Arpon is shorter in distance but rougher, through a boulder maze with sparser marking.
History
The first ascent is unknown (hunters or surveyors); the first known tourist ascent was by Martino Baretti in 1871. Leopoldo Barale, Ermanno Briner, Edoardo Fierz and Antonio Hatz made the first winter ascent on 7 March 1880, up the north-east side. Barale and Michelangelo Borgarelli first climbed the SSE ridge on 7 September 1883, and Giuseppe Corrà and Vittorio Gravier the north-north-west side on 9 July 1894.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Ski-mountaineering only, for experienced parties
- Feb
- Ski-mountaineering only
- Mar
- Spring ski tours on the north and west sides
- Apr
- Spring ski tours; Mont Cenis road may still be closed
- Jun
- Snow on the upper scree; ice axe useful
- Jul
- Rifugio Avanzà partly staffed
- Aug
- Rifugio Avanzà staffed throughout
- Sep
- Hut partly staffed; shorter days
- Oct
- Early snow possible
Access & Permits
- Rules
- The summit is in France and the approaches in Italy; carry identity documents
- Getting There
Susa
Turin Airport (TRN)
- Car: from Susa up the Mont Cenis road (SS25) to Bar Cenisio; from France over the Col du Mont-Cenis from Lanslebourg
- For the Arpon route, take the narrow road just before Bar Cenisio to the car park at the Grangia d'Arpon
- Rifugio Avanzà can also be reached by a small mountain road from above Giaglione
- Trains run to Susa; public transport to Bar Cenisio was not verified
Hazards
- Weather
- Rockfall
Huts & Shelters
2- 2,578 m
Rifugio AvanzàHutStaffed
Staffed throughout August, partly in July and September; winter room
- 2,670 m
Bivacco Piero VaccaBivouacUnstaffed