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Punta Whymper

4,184 m

Italy, France

Also known as Pointe Whymper, Pointe Whymper / Punta Whymper

Pointe Whymper · Pointe Whymper / Punta Whymper

Elevation
4,184 m
Prominence
34 m
Difficulty
6/10
Alpine climb
Best Season
Jul
Routes
1

  • AdvisoryReported 17 Sep 2026 · until 1 Nov 2026

    Because of a water shortage, the Boccalatte hut is open only at weekends until 1 November 2026 (18–20 and 25–27 September; 2–4, 9–11, 16–18 and 23–25 October; 30 October – 1 November). Confirm before going.

    caitorino.it

  • AdvisoryReported 23 Jul 2026

    The Rifugio Boccalatte-Piolti has a warden again (Massimo Manavella) for the first time since 2020; between 2021 and summer 2026 it served only as an unstaffed shelter.

    montagna.tv

Routes

1
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Open 3D
AlpineADSources differ: AD+ (Gulliver trip report 2023 ('AD is a bit tight')) · IV (Camptocamp (isolated moves on the Reposoir and Rochers Whymper)) · III (commitment), 1,400 m, 6–8 h (Rockfax)UIAAIII+Sources differ: AD+ (Gulliver trip report 2023 ('AD is a bit tight')) · IV (Camptocamp (isolated moves on the Reposoir and Rochers Whymper)) · III (commitment), 1,400 m, 6–8 h (Rockfax)MixedNormal route

Sources differ: AD+ (Gulliver trip report 2023 ('AD is a bit tight')) · IV (Camptocamp (isolated moves on the Reposoir and Rochers Whymper)) · III (commitment), 1,400 m, 6–8 h (Rockfax)

Punta Whymper is the second-highest summit of the Grandes Jorasses, reached on the Italian normal route from the Boccalatte hut by climbing the Rochers Whymper rib to its top; Pointe Walker, the main summit, is 15–45 minutes further along the ridge. A long, serious AD of crevassed glacier, III–III+ rock, a rockfall-swept couloir and a hanging serac.

Elevation Profile

approximate line
1,0002,0003,0004,0005,0000 km123456Rifugio Boccalatte-PioltiPunta Whymper
Distance
6.9 km
one way
Ascent
+2,684 m
−83 m lost on the way up
High Point
4,202 m
Time Up
9h 58m
DIN 33466
Time Down
6h 31m
DIN 33466 · same way back

Punta Whymper (4,184 m) is a subsidiary summit of the Grandes Jorasses, 24 m lower than the main summit, Pointe Walker. It is almost always climbed on the way to or from Pointe Walker by the Italian normal route; the line described here is the variant that follows the Rochers Whymper rib directly to Punta Whymper, which recent reports and Rockfax describe as the usual summer line because it avoids most of the exposure to the hanging serac. Day one: from the car park at Planpincieux (about 1,590 m) in Val Ferret, path 21 climbs 1,200 m in about 3.5 hours to the Rifugio Boccalatte-Piolti (2,803 m), crossing torrents (higher in the afternoon), a metal ladder and finally slabs with cables and chains. Day two, starting at about 01:00: climb rock and moraine behind the hut onto the Planpincieux glacier at about 3,080 m and go up it close under the Rognon de la Bouteille, through large crevasses, to the foot of the Rocher du Reposoir (about 3,450–3,500 m). Climb the Reposoir ridge (III–III+, a few moves of IV at the bottom; easier to the right of the crest; abseil anchors every 25 m) until it merges into the glacier at about 3,800 m. Descend a few metres, climb a 40–50° snow slope and traverse the Whymper couloir quickly: in warm weather stones come down it several times a day. Cross the bergschrund and climb a 100 m corner (bolted belays, abseil loops every 25 m) onto the Rochers Whymper. Follow the Rochers Whymper rib for about 300 m (III–III+, a move of IV, old pegs and slings but no bolts) to the summit of Punta Whymper. To continue to Pointe Walker, follow the nearly horizontal ridge for 30 m, descend rocks and snow on the right, cross the bergschrund and climb easy snow to the Walker summit ridge. Descent is usually from Pointe Walker by the mixed Walker rib (passing below the serac) or back down the Rochers Whymper, then abseils down the corner and the Reposoir and the glacier back to the hut. Recent times: 5–9 hours from the hut to Punta Whymper, and a 16–18 hour round trip from the hut is not unusual.

Start

Planpincieux1,583 m

  • Bus to Courmayeur (from Aosta or through the Mont Blanc Tunnel from Chamonix), then the summer Val Ferret shuttle bus to Planpincieux.
  • Parking at the trailhead

Stages

DayStagekmm ascentm descentTime
1Planpincieux → Rifugio Boccalatte-Piolti3.71,22804h 34m
2Rifugio Boccalatte-Piolti → Punta Whymper3.21,455835h 25m

Waypoints

  1. Parking:
    Planpincieux1,583 m

    Car park in Val Ferret; path 21 starts here

  2. Hut:
    Rifugio Boccalatte-Piolti2,807 m
  3. Summit:
    Punta Whymper4,184 m

Key Passages

  • Cable-protected slabs below the Boccalatte hut
  • Crevassed Planpincieux glacier below the Rognon de la Bouteille
  • Rocher du Reposoir ridge (III–III+, moves of IV)
  • Traverse of the Whymper couloir (stonefall)
  • Corner onto the Rochers Whymper (bolted belays)
  • Rochers Whymper rib (III–III+) to Punta Whymper

Equipment

0/12 packed
Technical
Glacier
Safety
Footwear
Clothing

Downloads

Route confidence 78%
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Overview

The 4,184 m second summit of the Grandes Jorasses, on the French–Italian border above Val Ferret. It is reached by the Italian normal route from the Boccalatte hut, a long and serious AD climb, and is usually combined with Pointe Walker, the main summit 24 m higher.

Punta Whymper (Pointe Whymper in French) is one of the six named summits on the crest of the Grandes Jorasses, the 1 km rock wall between the Leschaux glacier on the French side and Val Ferret on the Italian side. With a prominence of only about 34 m it is a subsidiary top of Pointe Walker (4,208 m), but it is listed separately among the UIAA 4000ers. From the north it stands above the Croz and Walker spurs of one of the great north faces of the Alps; from the south it is the top of the Rochers Whymper, the rib followed by the normal route.

There is no easy way up. The Italian normal route from the Rifugio Boccalatte-Piolti climbs a crevassed glacier, the Rocher du Reposoir ridge (III–III+), a couloir raked by stonefall and the Rochers Whymper rib, all below a large hanging serac that is monitored by the Fondazione Montagna Sicura. Most parties tag Punta Whymper and then cross to Pointe Walker (15–45 minutes), or vice versa. Allow 1,400 m of climbing from the hut and a long descent with several abseils.

Conditions change from year to year and within a season. In good early-summer snow the glacier and couloirs are straightforward; by midsummer the glacier beyond the Reposoir can become impassable and the rock loose. The access path to the hut has been closed by municipal ordinance when the serac accelerated, most recently from September 2019 to May 2020.

Climbing Notes

This is a route for experienced alpinists, or with an IFMGA guide. You need to move quickly and confidently on III–III+ rock in boots and crampons, on 40–50° snow and ice, and on crevassed glacier, and be fluent at abseiling and building anchors. Plan on 1,200 m from the valley to the hut and 1,400 m of climbing from the hut, with a 01:00 start so that the Whymper couloir is crossed before the sun loosens stones. Acclimatise on other 4000ers first.

Typical itinerary: Planpincieux to the Boccalatte hut (3.5 hours), climb to Punta Whymper and Pointe Walker the next day, and descend to the hut (and possibly the valley) the same day; some parties take a third day. Before going, check the hut's opening (it was unstaffed from 2021 to August 2026), current glacier conditions with the Courmayeur guides or recent reports, and any Courmayeur ordinance related to the Whymper serac.

History

Edward Whymper made the first ascent on 24 June 1865 with the guides Michel Croz, Christian Almer and Franz Biner, three weeks before his ascent of the Matterhorn. The point they reached now bears his name. Pointe Walker, the true summit, was first climbed on 30 June 1868 by Horace Walker with Melchior Anderegg, Johann Jaun and Julien Grange. The Rifugio Boccalatte-Piolti (originally built in 1881, renovated in 2017) is named after the Turin climbers Gabriele Boccalatte and Mario Piolti, who died on the Aiguille de Triolet in 1938. Sylvain Saudan made the first ski descent of the south face in 1971.

Season

Best Jul
  1. January: Not advisable
  2. February: Not advisable
  3. March: Not advisable
  4. April: Possible
  5. May: Possible
  6. June: Good
  7. July: Best (best window)
  8. August: Good
  9. September: Good
  10. October: Possible
  11. November: Not advisable
  12. December: Not advisable
Jan
Winter; hut unstaffed
Feb
Winter
Mar
Winter conditions
Apr
Steep ski-mountaineering only, for experts
May
Snow cover good but approach long; hut usually closed
Jun
Often the best glacier conditions; hut traditionally opens mid-June
Jul
Main season; cross the Whymper couloir early
Aug
Glacier beyond the Reposoir may become impassable; more stonefall
Sep
Colder, more stable rock; hut season traditionally ends mid-September
Oct
Short days, early snow
Nov
Winter
Dec
Winter

Access & Permits

Hut Booking
Rifugio Boccalatte-Piolti (CAI Torino): contact the warden on +39 375 6596222 or CAI Torino (segreteria@caitorino.it, +39 011 546031); check opening before going.
Rules
  • The municipality of Courmayeur can close the access path to the Boccalatte hut and the normal route when the Whymper serac accelerates (closures in 2014 and from September 2019 to 26 May 2020); check Fondazione Montagna Sicura and the Comune di Courmayeur before going
  • Val Ferret road: in peak summer private traffic may be stopped when car parks are full, with a shuttle bus from Courmayeur
Getting There

Courmayeur

Turin (TRN), Geneva (GVA) or Milan Malpensa (MXP)

  • Bus to Courmayeur from Aosta (Aosta is reached by train from Turin), or from Chamonix through the Mont Blanc Tunnel
  • Val Ferret shuttle bus or car from Courmayeur to Planpincieux (car park at the village)
  • From Planpincieux, path 21 to the Rifugio Boccalatte-Piolti in about 3.5 hours (1,200 m, ladders and cables near the top)

Hazards

  • Glacier
  • Crevasses
  • Rockfall
  • Altitude
  • Exposure
  • Weather

Huts & Shelters

1

  • Rifugio Boccalatte-PioltiRefugeStaffed

    24 beds · Traditionally mid-June to mid-September; staffed again from September 2026 (weekends only until 1 November 2026); winter room

    Website of Rifugio Boccalatte-Piolti

    2,803 m