Dôme du Goûter - Traversée Aiguille de Bionnassay → Dôme du Goûter

The traverse Aiguille de Bionnassay » Dôme du Goûter is in a superb setting with rock sections of 3b and very thin snow ridges. Can be concluded with an ascent of Mont Blanc (known as the “Traversée Royale”.)

Approach # +1800m to +2250m

To the Plan Glacier hut (2680m)

2 options:

1. From Bellevue by the Col du Tricot (+1100m)

Either from Les Houches take the Bellevue cable (1801m), or from Fayet take the Mont Blanc tramway to Bellevue. Follow the good path to the Col du Tricot. (2120m.) At the col, follow a path which countours the SW flank of the Tricot ridge, (some cables,) before leading up to the Plan Glacier hut 2. From Gruvaz by the Miage Chalets (+1550m) From La Gruvaz (1150m), go up the 4x4 track to the Miage chalets (1550m.) (4x4 taxi possible, restricted access/times for other drivers.) From the chalets follow the good path to the Plan Glacier hut.

From the Plan Glacier hut to the Durier hut (3369m) # +700m

From the Plan Glacier hut, (guarded from June to September,) go to the SE (following a path with some steel cables, passing a couple of rock mounds, to descend onto the Miage glacier. Cross this horizontally to the SW to reach the cliff at the foot of the Col de Miage, to the right of an obvious gully and at the foot of a rock spur (large red paint mark.) Climb up the rocky spur, which becomes less and less marked to the col, (steel cables near the top.) The Durier hut is to the left By climbing the spur, stonefall risk is greatly reduced. The path is good so try to stay on it.

Variant : by traversing the Dômes de Miage It is possible to reach the Durier hut in 2 days from Contamine by traversing the Domes de Miage.

Route # +1100m

S Ridge # +685m

From the Durier hut, go up the snow slopes to the right of the ridge. Climb two snow shoulders to the base of a rock spur (3800m, 1h30). Climb to the right by a chimney. If it is iced up, climb to the left, (steeper). Careful, some loose rock! At the top of the rock bastion (3940m, 30min to 1h, abseil chain now in place), go up a steep snow slope to the summit ridge. (4052m), 0h30, 3h00 from the hut).

(If necessary, it is easy to turn back from the summit to the Durier hut, sling in place near the chimney. From the top of the bastion it is more than 60m, foresee a second abseil, lots of rock spikes).

NE Ridge

From the summit go down the NE ridge, very narrow, to Col de Bionnassay (3888m, 0h50), traversing below the crest, depending upon the conditions, or even one person on each side. Be careful of cornices, or if there is a strong wind.

Piton des Italiens and Dôme du Goûter # +415m

Continue along the ridge, which goes upwards, at first steep and narrow, then broader to the Piton des Italiens (4002m), and join the normal route from the Gonella hut, Italy (Route des Aiguilles Grises, Mont Blanc). If it is free of snow, the route follows little faint, scree paths. Continue up to the Dôme du Goûter (4304m, 1h10, 2h from the Aiguille de Bionnassay).

Variant: Mont Blanc summit (+550m) Possibility to continue up the normal route, via the Vallot hut, to the summit of Mont Blanc (4807m, 2h.) From the summit it is possible to descend by the 3 Monts to the Aiguille du Midi.

Descent # -2030m (-2500m depuis le Mont Blanc)

From the Dôme du Goûter, descend the normal route, via the Goûter hut (3817m) then the Nid d’Aigle (2372m) where you can take a train either to Bellevue or all the way to St Gervais.