Petit Mont Blanc
Petit Mont Blanc (2680 m) near Pralognan la Vanoise (1410 m) is one of the mountain tops in the renowned region which can be easily reached along marked hiking trails. The summit is covered with gypsum, hence the name.
Trails to the summit start from the Chavière Valley, a few km south of the village. In the summer high season there’s a free shuttle bus to Les Prioux (1711 m) from Pralognan la Vanoise. The road is paved, and there are some spacious parking areas.
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| Les Prioux Pralognan |
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| Path near Les Prioux |
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| Chavière Valley Pralognan |
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| Path to Col du Mône |
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| Glacier du Génépy viewed from trail |
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| Col du Mône |
We used the shortest variant starting just after Les Prioux at le Sécheron (1726 m), which was also the turning point of the shuttle bus.
We crossed the river and followed the signposted trail (number 59 in the local guide). The trail zigzagged in the Fôret Domaniale du Petit Mont Blanc but in reality, we crossed a few woods only in the beginning then continued along steep alpine meadows. Higher up, the trail became rockier.
We came to Col du Mône (2533 m), forked right and climbed to the summit. Some stretches were a bit exposed, and rain/ice/snow certainly would make the gypsum surface very slippery.
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| Gypsum on trail to Petit Mont Blanc |
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| La Grande Casse seen from trail |
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| Near Petit Mont Blanc summit |
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| View towards Courchevel from Petit Mont Blanc |
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| Petit Mont Blanc southern flank |
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| Pralognan seen from Petit Mont Blanc |
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| Petit Mont Blanc summit |
The region is famous for its glaciers, notably Glacier de la Vanoise. Luckily, our day was mostly clear and we could admire the remarkable scenery dominated by the glaciers and the highest peak, La Grande Casse (3855 m) in the northeast.
We took the same trail back to our starting point.
Map: 3534OT Les Trois Vallées
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| Petit Mont Blanc hike track |
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