Grande Aiguille Rousse, Mountain peak in Vanoise National Park, France.
Description
Grande Aiguille Rousse is a mountain peak made of crystalline schist that rises to 3,482 meters between the Maurienne and Tarentaise valleys. The summit displays steep rock faces and glaciated slopes typical of the Graian Alps in this high alpine zone.
History
The first recorded ascent to the summit was achieved by mountaineers Édouard Rochat and Blanc le Greffier on July 31, 1878. This early success established the peak as a destination for climbers in the decades that followed.
Culture
This peak marks where French and Italian alpine climbing traditions meet, with mountaineers from both countries crossing these slopes. The routes here carry decades of local climbing knowledge passed through generations.
Practical
The Prariond refuge at 2,324 meters and the Pian della Ballotta refuge at 2,470 meters provide staging points for the ascent. From these shelters the summit is reachable in a day, though proper mountain boots and acclimatization to high altitude are necessary.
Did you know?
The sources of the Isère River begin on the glacial slopes of this mountain and feed into major Alpine waterways downstream. This glacial system sustains water flow for communities across the entire lower valley region.
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Lago Agnel
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Sources de l'Isère Glacier
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Grand Pisaillas Glacier
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Chapelle Notre-Dame de Toute-Prudence
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Tsanteleina
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5.5 km
Gran Vaudala
7 km
Réserve naturelle nationale de la Bailletaz
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Levanna Orientale
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Aiguille Pers
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Levanna Occidentale
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Punta Calabre
5.3 km
Cascade de la Reculaz
7.8 km
Signal of Iseran
5.3 km
Chapelle Sainte-Marguerite de Bonneval-sur-Arc
6.1 km
Chapelle Saint-Barthélémy de Bonneval-sur-Arc
7.4 km
Chapelle Saint-Sébastien de Bonneval-sur-Arc
8.3 km
Bailletaz's summit
8.4 km
Old Bridge
6.7 km
Aiguille Percée
3.9 km
Glacier du Grand Méan
8.3 km
Pointe des Lessières
7 km
Oratoire Saint-Sébastien de Bonneval-sur-Arc
8.3 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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