All Locations > International > Europe > France > 04 Northern Alps > Chamonix Mont Blanc

Tour glacier Basin Rock Climbing

Climbing Area Map

Areas in Tour glacier Basin

Aiguille du Tour 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 1

Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.

Elevation:	9,569 ft	2,917 m
GPS:	45.9846, 6.994 Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views:	2,017 total · 22/month
Shared By:	kenr on Jul 15, 2017
Admins:	Bogdan Petre, David Riley, Luc-514 Page Updates (admin only)

See Weather Forecast

Description

Giant glacier surrounded by dramatic peaks with interesting alpine climbing. At the north end of the areas on the southeast side of the Chamonix valley. Its north rim reaches the boundary with Switzerland.

Usual sleeping base for climbing is the Refuge Albert Premier hut (abbreviated "Albert 1er") - (GPS latitude longitude approx N45.9968 E6.9867).

Popular climbing peaks include:

Aiguille du Chardonnet - [see this area page]
Aiguille du Tour
Aiguille Purtscheller (classic S ridge)

ski: Often visited for ski mountaineering in March through early May, with the most popular ski routes including:

approach from south from the Argentiere glacier, climb over Col du Passon, and just ski down the SW side of the Tour glacier to the village of Le Tour (then ride shuttle bus back to Chamonix valley, or back to bottom station of Grands Montets lifts).
cross the giant Tour glacier SW to NE from Col du Passon up to Col Superieure du Tour into Switzerland toward the Cabane Trient hut - (Nowadays many parties doing the famous Haute Route ski tour take this crossing as the first segment of their multi-day journey to Zermatt in Switzerland).
"Les Trois Cols" - longer more technical circuit, from Argentiere glacier NE up over Col du Chardonnet into Switzerland, next farther NE a ways, then NW over Fenetre de Saleina, (optional side trip for fun rock ridge to SE summmit of Aiguille du Tour), then SW over one of the passes (e.g. Col Superieure du Tour) back into France, and finish the circuit by skiing almost the entire giant Tour glacier down to the village of Le Tour (then ride shuttle bus back to Chamonix valley sleeping base, or back to bottom station of Grands Montets lifts).

Getting There

Usually accessed by hiking up to the Refuge Albert Premier hut from the village of Le Tour (N46.0031 E6.9463). The village can often be reached by scheduled shuttle bus ("navette") from the town of Chamonix and other villages in the Chamonix valley.

Ski mountaineering in winter through early May, rather it is usually reached instead by riding the mechanical lifts up from Argentiere village to Lognan then to the Grands Montets top station, next skiing down to and across the Argentiere glacier, and climbing up over Col du Passon (N45.9762 E6.9835) to the south rim of the Tour glacier.