Mont Pourri
3,779 m
France
Also known as Monte PourriAlso known as
Monte Pourri
- Elevation
- 3,779 m
- Prominence
- 1,132 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: PD+ (Refuge du Mont Pourri (refuge-mont-pourri.fr))
The most frequented route: walk up from Les Lanches above Peisey-Nancroix to the Refuge du Mont Pourri (2,370 m), then climb the north-west-facing Glacier du Geay, a crevassed, serac-strewn glacier with short 40–45° steps and a bergschrund, to the west shoulder and the summit ridge. About 1,425 m from the hut; PD, but serious for the grade.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 11.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,326 m
- −82 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,779 m
- Time Up
- 9h 19m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 6h 19m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Les Lanches (about 1,530 m) in the Ponturin valley above Peisey-Nancroix, a path climbs through Beaupraz and past the Chalets des Loyes and the Plan des Écuries to the Refuge du Mont Pourri (2,370 m) in 2–2½ hours. The hut can also be reached from Rosuel by the GR5, or from Les Arcs by lift and a short walk. From the hut follow the path south-east to the ruined old refuge (Regaud, about 2,460 m), then climb the steep and tiring lateral moraine to the foot of the glacier at about 2,880 m. Get onto the glacier by a tongue of snow on its right bank against the rocks, then work up the middle, weaving between crevasses and seracs, to the plateau below the Col des Roches at about 3,300 m (about 2¼ hours from the hut). Turn right towards the summit: several short steep steps at about 40°, exposed on hard snow, and a bergschrund between 3,400 and 3,500 m that can be awkward lead to the west shoulder (3,650 m). Follow the west ridge to the top; the last 50 m at about 45° are now often bare ice and rock (about 1¼ hours from the plateau). Descend the same way; there is no need to return to the hut, as the glacier and moraine can be followed down to rejoin the approach path (about 3½ hours to Les Lanches). The glacier stays in shade until 09:00–10:00 but snow bridges soften fast after that. In late season the lower glacier becomes a labyrinth of crevasses and the upper slopes bare ice; the hut warden and guidebooks regard it as no beginner's glacier, and fatal accidents occur regularly.
Start
Les Lanches1,535 m
- Train to Landry, then local bus or shuttle towards Peisey-Nancroix and the Ponturin valley in season (timetables not confirmed).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Les Lanches → Refuge du Mont Pourri | 4.6 | 848 | 12 | 3h 25m |
| 2 | Refuge du Mont Pourri → Mont Pourri | 6.6 | 1,478 | 70 | 5h 53m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Les Lanches1,535 m
Car parks in the Ponturin valley near Les Lanches / Pont Baudin
- Hut: Refuge du Mont Pourri2,374 m
- Feature: Plateau below the Col des Roches3,404 m
Glacier plateau where the Grand Col route joins
- Summit: Mont Pourri3,779 m
Key Passages
- Steep moraine above the old Regaud hut
- Crevasse and serac zone in the middle of the Glacier du Geay
- Short 40° steps and the bergschrund at 3,400–3,500 m
- Final 50 m of the west ridge at about 45°, often bare ice
Equipment
0/9 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
Mont Pourri (3,779 m) is the second-highest summit of the Vanoise, a heavily glaciated crystalline massif rising above Les Arcs and the Ponturin valley. Its normal routes are PD glacier climbs on the crevassed, serac-strewn Glacier du Geay, more serious than the grade suggests.
Mont Pourri stands at the northern end of the Vanoise, between the Isère valley at Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Villaroger to the north and east and the Ponturin valley (Peisey-Nancroix) to the south-west. It is a massive mountain of mica schist, its summit linked by a north ridge to Mont Turia and by a long south ridge to the Dôme de la Sache, with glaciers on all sides. Despite its name ('rotten'), the rock is no worse than elsewhere in the range, and the summit has a fine view of Mont Blanc and the Tarentaise.
The two usual lines both finish up the upper Glacier du Geay to the west shoulder and a short summit ridge. The more popular starts from the Refuge du Mont Pourri, a two-day trip from Peisey-Nancroix; the other is a long day from the Arc 2000 resort over the Grand Col and the Col des Roches, the line of the first ascent. The north ridge from the Col des Roches (PD+, III+) is the classic alternative for experienced parties.
The glaciers have changed a lot. The Geay is steep, broken and crevassed, the final slopes are increasingly bare ice, and the hut warden reports that the Platières side now has a long ice slope even in winter. The mountain is in the core of the Vanoise National Park.
Climbing Notes
Mont Pourri needs solid glacier skills: route-finding through crevasses and seracs, crevasse rescue, and confident cramponing on 40–45° hard snow or ice. It is a demanding day, 1,400 m of ascent from the hut with almost no flat ground. Acclimatise first, for example with a night at the hut and a smaller summit. Those without this experience should hire an IFMGA guide; guide offices in the Tarentaise offer the climb.
Typical itinerary: walk up from Les Lanches to the Refuge du Mont Pourri (2–2½ hours, booking essential), leave before dawn, summit in about 4 hours and descend by midday before the snow bridges soften. Alternatively, fit and acclimatised parties can do it in a long day from Arc 2000 by the Grand Col and the Col des Roches. Conditions are usually best from mid-June to mid-July; later the glacier opens up and the upper slopes turn to ice. In spring the mountain is a classic ski-mountaineering objective (S4).
History
Michel Croz made the first ascent alone on 4 October 1861, by the Grand Col and the Col des Roches. The second ascent, on 5 August 1862, was by Thomas George Bonney and William Mathews with Jean-Baptiste and Michel Croz. Melchior Anderegg, Johann Jaun and Horace Walker climbed the north ridge from Mont Turia on 26 June 1868. The first winter ascent was on 2 March 1899 by Jean-Joseph Blanc ('le Greffier') and Lieutenant Clément-Grancourt.
Season
Best Jul- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Possible
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; serious ski-mountaineering only
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Ski-mountaineering for experienced parties; avalanche risk on the approaches
- Apr
- Spring ski-mountaineering season (S4); unstaffed hut
- May
- Late ski ascents; snow on the hut approaches
- Jun
- Hut opens early to mid June; good snow cover on the glacier
- Jul
- Best early in the month; snow bridges weaken in the afternoon
- Aug
- Glacier increasingly broken; final slopes often bare ice
- Sep
- Hut staffed until about mid September; bare ice and open crevasses
- Oct
- Hut unstaffed; early snow
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Booking is essential at the Refuge du Mont Pourri: by phone in season (+33 4 79 07 90 43) or online via refugedumontpourri.ffcam.fr. Say that you are climbing so that you are placed with other alpinists; mobile reception at the hut is very poor.
- Fees
- Refuge du Mont Pourri 2026: half board EUR 58 (EUR 47 for CAF/UIAA members); payment in cash, cheque or chèques-vacances only
- Rules
- Vanoise National Park core zone: dogs are banned even on a lead; drones and fires are prohibited; no picking of plants or collecting of minerals
- Bivouacking is only allowed next to staffed huts between 19:00 and 08:00 and must be booked with the warden (up to 10 people at the Refuge du Mont Pourri, EUR 6 per person); camping is not allowed
- Driving and parking beyond the Arc 2000 resort is officially prohibited
- Getting There
Bourg-Saint-Maurice; Peisey-Nancroix
Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc (CMF); Geneva (GVA)
- Train to Landry or Bourg-Saint-Maurice; from Bourg-Saint-Maurice the funicular to Arc 1600 and resort shuttles when the resorts are open
- Car: Moûtiers – Landry – Peisey-Nancroix – Les Lanches/Pont Baudin in the Ponturin valley for the Glacier du Geay route
- Car: Bourg-Saint-Maurice – Arc 2000 for the Grand Col route; parking beyond the resort is not allowed
- In July and August a lift from Arc 1800/2000 to the Aiguille Grive gives a 1–1½ hour walk to the hut
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Altitude
- Avalanche
- Exposure
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,370 m
Refuge du Mont PourriRefugeStaffedBooking required
55 beds · Staffed mid June to mid September (opened 6 June in 2026); unstaffed winter room with blankets, gas and heating