Sommet de Bellecôte
3,417 m
France
Also known as BellecôteAlso known as
Bellecôte
- Elevation
- 3,417 m
- Prominence
- 808 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: PD (Altituderando (header))
From the road end at Le Laisonnay in Champagny-le-Haut to the Refuge de Plaisance (2,160 m), then a steep path and moraine to the small, gently angled Glacier du Cul du Nant, and a short 40–45° snow couloir (or scree when dry) and easy ridge to the summit. About 1,850 m of ascent, best split over two days.
About 57% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 3 check notes
- 56% approximate geometry
- Refuge de Plaisance → Sommet de Bellecôte: dem (snap_failed, 4.0 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Glacier du Cul du Nant, Summit couloir, Col de la Chiaupe (OSM match off-route)
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 6.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,873 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,417 m
- Time Up
- 7h 08m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 39m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at Le Laisonnay d'en Bas (about 1,580 m) at the head of the Champagny-le-Haut valley, a well-signed path climbs beside the Cascade du Py to the Refuge de Plaisance (2,160 m) in 1h20–1h45. From the hut head towards the Cul du Nant for about 500 m, then climb left beside the Plaisance torrent: a steep spur with few zigzags, a terrace, a second steep climb and an obvious ledge into a narrow gully (the usual line passes through the Creux de la Laisille rather than far right into the Cul du Nant cirque). Keep right where a path branches left towards the Pointe des Chardes and climb long slopes and moraine to the glacier, which has shrunk and is now usually reached at about 2,950–3,000 m. Go up the easy, lightly crevassed Glacier du Cul du Nant keeping left, past the Col de la Chiaupe, towards the col between the Sommet and the Dôme de Bellecôte. On the right of the summit block a snow couloir (about 40–70 m at 40–45°; earth and scree when dry) leads to a ridge, often corniced, which is followed back into the face and up a loose stony gully to the summit, about 4 hours from the hut; from the top of the couloir the rocky ridge (I–II, sounder rock) is an alternative. Descend by zigzagging down ledges and gullies on the south face (faint path, very loose) or reverse the couloir, then return by the ascent route. The route faces south: start early so the snow is still firm for the descent. The Dôme de Bellecôte (3,389 m) can be added in 10–15 minutes.
Start
Le Laisonnay d'en Bas1,557 m
- Bus from Moûtiers to Bozel and Champagny-en-Vanoise; no service to Le Laisonnay was confirmed.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Le Laisonnay d'en Bas → Refuge de Plaisance | 3.0 | 614 | 0 | 2h 25m |
| 2 | Refuge de Plaisance → Sommet de Bellecôte | 4.0 | 1,257 | 13 | 4h 43m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Le Laisonnay d'en Bas1,557 m
- Hut: Refuge de Plaisance2,172 m
- Summit: Sommet de Bellecôte3,417 m
Key Passages
- Steep spur and gully above the Refuge de Plaisance
- Glacier du Cul du Nant
- Summit couloir at 40–45° (scree when dry)
- Often corniced ridge and loose gully to the summit
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 62%Overview
The Sommet de Bellecôte (3,417 m) is the highest point of the Bellecôte massif in the north-western Vanoise, towering over the La Plagne ski area. Its normal route from Champagny-le-Haut, PD-, crosses a small glacier to a short steep couloir and a loose summit block with a wide view to Mont Blanc.
Bellecôte is the dark, crumbling massif between the Tarentaise valley at Aime, the Ponturin valley (Peisey-Nancroix) and Champagny-en-Vanoise. Its north side, with the Gros Glacier, falls steeply towards Peisey, while its western glaciers carried La Plagne's glacier ski area. The summit, with more than 800 m of prominence, looks north to Mont Blanc and south over the Vanoise to the Écrins and Italy.
The normal route starts on the quiet Champagny side, in the Champagny-le-Haut valley, and uses the Refuge de Plaisance, run by the Vanoise National Park. It is a varied but short glacier climb: a steep path and moraine, the small and gentle Glacier du Cul du Nant, then a steep couloir and loose rock to the top. The glacier has retreated a lot, and late in the season the couloir can turn into a steep scree slope.
In winter and spring the massif is popular for ski-mountaineering and freeride from the La Plagne lifts, including the steep north face. Climbing from La Plagne in summer is no longer recommended because of loose rock at the Col de la Chiaupe.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for about 1,250 m of ascent from the hut, basic glacier skills and confidence on 40–45° snow and loose rock are needed. Stay at the Refuge de Plaisance and leave at dawn: the route faces south and the couloir and glacier soften quickly. Wear a helmet; the summit rock is very poor and parties above can dislodge stones. Late in summer, when the couloir is dry, the ascent and especially the descent are on unpleasant steep scree; the south-face ledges offer an alternative descent. Less experienced parties should hire a guide.
History
The first ascent was made on 12 September 1867 by Robert Cradock Nichols and Edward Penning Rowsell with the guides Joseph Victor Favret and Jean Tairraz junior, by the west-north-west crest. W. A. B. Coolidge climbed it with Christian Almer father and son in 1878. The first ski ascent is credited to the Favre brothers and companions in December 1909.
Season
Best Jul- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; ski-mountaineering only
- Feb
- Ski-mountaineering
- Mar
- Spring ski-mountaineering from Champagny or La Plagne
- Apr
- Spring ski-mountaineering
- May
- Snow on the approach; hut unstaffed
- Jun
- Hut opens around mid June; good snow in the couloir
- Jul
- Best conditions; start early
- Aug
- Couloir may be dry scree late in the month
- Sep
- Dry and loose; hut closes mid September
- Oct
- Hut unstaffed; early snow possible
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Book the Refuge de Plaisance through the Vanoise National Park refuge site (refuge-plaisance.vanoise.com) or by phone (+33 4 58 24 00 81). Outside the staffed season it is open but unstaffed.
- Rules
- The Refuge de Plaisance and the south side are in the Vanoise National Park core zone: dogs are banned even on a lead; drones and fires are prohibited; bivouacking only near staffed huts between 19:00 and 08:00 with a booking
- Getting There
Champagny-en-Vanoise; Bozel; Moûtiers
Chambéry Savoie Mont Blanc (CMF); Geneva (GVA)
- Car: Moûtiers – Bozel – Champagny-en-Vanoise – Champagny-le-Haut, to the road end at Le Laisonnay d'en Bas (about 1,580 m)
- Train to Moûtiers-Salins-Brides-les-Bains, then bus to Bozel and Champagny-en-Vanoise; onward service up the valley not confirmed
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Cornices
- Avalanche
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,160 m
Refuge de PlaisanceRefugeStaffed
46 beds · Staffed in summer (about mid June to mid September); open and unstaffed the rest of the year