Skimo

Mont Gelé from Glassier

Details

Glassier

Departure location

Ollomont

Municipality

challenging

Effort

BSA

Difficulty

3.0

Rating

1.940 m

Ascent vertical drop

5h 30m

Ascent time

Description

Services in the surroundings

La Taverne

Ollomont 1.755 m

Gran Baita

Ollomont 1.699 m

Reviews

28/02/2026

albert61

Description

gita molto lunga fatta in giornata come noi. Era già presente traccia a piedi nel ripido bosco sopra Glassier Ancora qualche residuo di vecchie tracce fino al bivacco poi niente più. Di nuovo qualche traccia nel tratto ripido prima della punta che abbiamo preferito salire e scendere a piedi. Molto bella la discesa fino al ripido bosco su neve che il vento aveva lisciato ben bene. Il ripido bosco presentava tratti con neve sfondosa Oggi nessun altro al Gelè neppure dal versante di Cretes Seches

More info

Road access: ok

Upper section snow: Refrozen Crud

Lower section snow: Slush

Snow altitude: 1400

Equipment: Skimo equipment

15/02/2024

bozzel

Description

Partiti sci ai piedi dal parcheggio grazie alle nevicate dei giorni passati. Pernotto presso il Bivacco Regondi Gavazza che abbiamo trovato in perfette condizioni, pannello solare e batteria funzionante, sono presenti inoltre diverse pentole e abbondanti coperte. Il mattino seguente siamo saliti dalla traccia della via normale alpinistica per evitare di scendere e per prendere il canale classico di salita della traccia scialpinistica. Prima parte di discesa su ghiacciaio con neve polverosa per poi diventare crosta da vento scendendo e molto pesante nella parte sotto il bivacco

Comment

Con Matte e Cristian

More info

Road access: Glacier

Upper section snow: Powder

Lower section snow: Spring snow / Firn

Equipment: Skimo equipment

Details

Glassier

Departure location

Ollomont

Municipality

challenging

Effort

BSA

Difficulty

5h 30m

Ascent time

1.571 m

Starting elevation

3.518 m

Arrival elevation

1.940 m

Ascent vertical drop

11.000 m

Total length

Dec - Jan - Feb - Mar

Best period

medium

Crowding

3.0

Rating

Overview

Mont Gelè is one of the iconic mountains of Valpelline and Ollomont Valley, being located right on the watershed border between the two valleys. It has a very aesthetic pyramidal shape and is one of the most classic ski mountaineering destinations starting from Glassier.
It is a very long route with a challenging elevation gain, which therefore requires very good training, especially if done in the day, otherwise you can lean on the Regondi-Gavazzi Bivouac. Important to face it with optimal weather and snow conditions.
In addition to the normal ski mountaineering equipment is also required (crampons, ice axe and possibly rope and harness) considering that the final part takes place on the Mont Gelè Glacier, unfortunately in recent years increasingly reduced.
From the summit, located on the border with Switzerland, you can admire all the high mountains of Valais, as well as those of Aosta Valley.

Reaching the start

From the Aosta East tollbooth, take the tunnel along the E27 road leading into the Great St. Bernard Valley, at the end of which you meet the SS27 coming from the center of Aosta. Just before Gignod, immediately after the last tunnel, proceed to the right following the Valpelline SR38, reaching the main town.
Continue in the direction of Bionaz and as soon as you leave the village, on the left is the junction for Ollomont, which you reach after 5 km. Continue further along the road, which ends after 3 km in the locality of Glassier (or Glacier) in the large asphalt parking lot just before the houses.

The route

From the Glasser parking lot, continue to the right past the small bridge and follow a farm road to the nearby Alpe Crottes where you will meet the signpost of path no. 6 for the Regondi-Gavazzi Bivouac.
After about a hundred meters inside the forest the path forks: you must continue to the left (yellow arrow), continuing to climb with steep switchbacks, until you enter a narrow depression in which the Torrente de la Gaula flows. Shortly afterwards you reach a characteristic chapel set in the rock, the iOratorio della Gaula 1863 m.
The wooded valley widens and becomes gentler, and at an altitude of 2080 m you come to a clearing with a hump, which you leave to the left, to continue still on the flat northward. The sharp peak of Mont Gelè is already visible, but the route will still be long!
We pass the Places Damon 2154 m alpine pastures continuing on the right to contour the slopes of Mont Cornet until we enter the vast Comba delle Acque Bianche, staying on its southern edge where via a wooden footbridge we can cross the stream.
Remaining roughly on the summer route to the Regondi Bivouac (sign) climb a fairly steep gully that provides access to the slope above not far from the Lac de la Clusa 2445 m.
Continue in a northeast direction along an obvious depression that leads to a col beyond which is the Lac de la Leita 2555 m, passing just below the Regondi Bivouac 2597 m, located at the top of the overhanging ridge. With a few slight ups and downs you quickly reach the basin that hosts Lac de la Baseya 2516 m, beyond which you continue to the right beginning to climb the moraine slopes below the long and jagged ridge of the Mont Rion group.
Take advantage of a steeper gully in a northerly direction to access the long hanging slope that hosts the Mont Gelé Glacier at about 2800 m; all that remains is to climb the wide slopes by an easy and intuitive route, following in parallel the course of the ridge on the right until an altitude of 3000 m, where a marked change of slope takes place.
Rise a first hump keeping preferably to the right passing not far from the wide saddle of the Col du Mont Gelé 3180 m. Gradually turn to the northwest passing at the base of Mont de la Balme, where you also intercept the route coming from the Crête Sèche Refuge.
With a long upward traverse, leaving Col de la Balme to the right, you will reach below the steep slope that supports the summit with the large cross clearly visible. You go around a modest rock barrier traversing first to the right, then left again to overcome this steep slope, then via the final snowy shoulder you reach the summit of Mont Gelè 3518 m, from which you can admire a vast panorama. Possibly this last section may require the use of ice axe and crampons.
The long and exciting descent is along the ascent route, or possibly traversing to the Crête Sèche Refuge along the southwest-facing valley.