Signal du Petit Mont-Cenis
3,162 m
France
Also known as Punta Clairy, Signal du Petit Mont CenisAlso known as
Punta Clairy · Signal du Petit Mont Cenis
- Elevation
- 3,162 m
- Prominence
- 979 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2The normal route: a waymarked track and path through pastures from the Petit Mont-Cenis plateau (2,122 m) to the Col de Sollières (2,639 m), then a cairned, yellow-marked path up the loose, stony SW ridge to the summit above the Lac du Mont-Cenis. 1,040 m of ascent, about 3 hours up; hands needed for the last few metres.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 6.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,042 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,163 m
- Time Up
- 4h 16m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 53m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Lanslebourg drive the D1006 over the Col du Mont-Cenis and turn right for the Refuge du Petit Mont-Cenis. Park in the small car park on the right at the 2,122 m junction just before the refuge, or at the larger refuge car park. Take the track heading north-west then north, signposted 'col de Sollières et Mont Froid', and at the first fork go left. At a bend at about 2,246 m, roughly 100 m past a small pond, take the path on the left up through the pastures to rejoin the track at about 2,445 m, then continue to the Col de Sollières (2,639 m), where several paths meet and the ruins of a small military fort stand. Allow about 1 h 40 min. At the col a sign reads 'Itinéraire dangereux'. Turn right (north-east) onto the SW ridge and follow the cairns and yellow marks, keeping left of the gendarmes, then join the south ridge to the summit. The ground is steep, loose sand and stones and the path moves between the crest and its east side; a slip should be avoided from the first metres above the col. The last 200 m of ridge are a little airy, and the final 5 m to the summit cairn need the hands; a mountain-rescue relay stands just below. About 1 h 20 min from the col. Descend the same way, about 2–2½ hours to the car park. From the summit the view takes in the Lac du Mont-Cenis directly below, the Vanoise and the Rochemelon. Do it only once the snow has gone: with snow the upper ridge becomes a mountaineering route.
Start
Petit Mont-Cenis parking2,125 m
- Train to Modane; seasonal buses run up the Haute Maurienne to Lanslebourg, but no public transport to the Petit Mont-Cenis was found.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petit Mont-Cenis parking → Signal du Petit Mont-Cenis | 6.3 | 1,042 | 5 | 4h 16m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Petit Mont-Cenis parking2,125 m
Small car park at the junction just before the refuge; the refuge car park is close by
- Col: Col de Sollières2,637 m
Signposted junction, ruins of a small military fort; 'Itinéraire dangereux' sign
- Summit: Signal du Petit Mont-Cenis3,162 m
Key Passages
- Col de Sollières ('Itinéraire dangereux' sign)
- Loose, stony SW ridge, passing left of the gendarmes
- Final 200 m of airy ridge and a few metres of easy scrambling to the summit cairn
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
A 3,162 m summit on the main Alpine watershed directly above the Lac du Mont-Cenis in the Haute Maurienne. A popular, steep and loose 3,000 m walk-up with a few metres of scrambling, starting from the road to the Petit Mont-Cenis at 2,122 m.
The Signal du Petit Mont-Cenis (Punta Clairy in Italian) rises on the main chain of the Alps between the Col du Mont-Cenis and the Col du Petit Mont-Cenis, on the watershed between the Arc (Rhône) and the Dora Riparia (Po). Although it stands on that divide it lies wholly in France, as the border here was moved by the 1947 Treaty of Paris. Its east side drops to the reservoir of the Lac du Mont-Cenis, and the summit views reach the Vanoise glaciers, the Rochemelon and the Ambin group.
The area was fortified on both sides of the old border, and ruined forts and military works dot the ridges; fighting between French chasseurs alpins and German mountain troops took place here in 1945. Today the Petit Mont-Cenis plateau is summer pasture with a staffed refuge, reached by a side road from the Col du Mont-Cenis.
The normal route via the Col de Sollières and the SW ridge has only 1,040 m of ascent from the car park and is waymarked to the top, which makes it one of the more accessible 3,000 m summits in the Maurienne. The upper ridge is steep, loose and in places airy, and recent trip reports show that several parties turn back above the col.
Climbing Notes
Allow about 5 hours return for the normal route. The first half to the Col de Sollières is an easy walk through pastures; above it the path is steep, on loose sand and stones, and calls for sure feet and no fear of exposure, with a few metres of easy scrambling at the top. A helmet is sensible because of loose rock. Wait until the ridge is clear of snow, typically from late June or July.
Start early: the walk is shadeless and afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer. The east ridge from the Pas de la Beccia is a step up (PD-, II, crumbling rock) and is better climbed than descended. The D1006 over the Col du Mont-Cenis is closed in winter, so access to the start is a summer matter; in winter and spring the peak is a ski tour. The route skirts the Sollières temporary firing range, marked on the IGN map; check locally whether firing is scheduled.
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
- Col du Mont-Cenis road closed; ski touring only
- Feb
- Ski touring only
- Mar
- Ski touring only
- Apr
- Ski touring only
- May
- Road usually reopens from mid-May; snow on the ridge
- Jun
- Snow often lingers on the ridge; refuge opens mid-June (13 June in 2026)
- Jul
- Start early; afternoon storms
- Aug
- Start early; afternoon storms
- Sep
- Refuge closes mid-September (13 September in 2026)
- Oct
- Possible early snow; refuge closed
- Nov
- Winter conditions; road closure
- Dec
- Winter conditions; road closed
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Refuge du Petit Mont-Cenis: by phone only (+33 4 79 05 88 67); half board requires a EUR 10 deposit sent by post. No mobile signal, electricity or card payment at the refuge.
- Rules
- The normal route skirts the Sollières temporary firing range (Champ de Tir Temporaire de Sollières), marked on IGN maps; check locally for firing days
- The D1006 over the Col du Mont-Cenis is closed in winter
- Getting There
Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis (Val-Cenis), Haute Maurienne
Turin (TRN); Chambéry (CMF); Lyon (LYS)
- Car: from Lanslebourg, D1006 to the Col du Mont-Cenis, then turn right on the road to the Refuge du Petit Mont-Cenis (car parks at about 2,122 m); also reachable from Susa in Italy
- Train to Modane; no public transport to the Petit Mont-Cenis was found
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,110 m
Refuge du Petit Mont-CenisRefugeStaffedBooking required
53 beds · Mid-June to mid-September (13 June – 13 September 2026)