Aiguille Rouge, Alpine summit in Les Arcs, France

Aiguille Rouge is a mountain summit in the Alps, located in the Savoie department of France, reaching around 10,500 feet (about 3,200 meters) in elevation. It rises above the Les Arcs ski resort and offers open views toward the Mont Blanc massif and the valleys below.

The cable car to the summit was built in 1981, giving direct access to the ski runs Aiguille Rouge, Les Arandelières, Robert Blanc and Génépi. From 2010 the operator ADS laid a protective tarpaulin over the summit each summer to slow permafrost melt and limit rockfall. In 2024, after years of surveying the retreating Varet glacier, the sole red run was reclassified black; by 2028 access is to become a regulated free-ski zone without groomed runs, while the lift keeps carrying pedestrians.

The summit marks the highest point of the Les Arcs ski area, and its eastern slope lies within the Hauts de Villaroger national nature reserve. Since 2010 the operator ADS has covered the summit glacier with a protective tarpaulin each summer to slow permafrost melt and limit rockfall. From 2024 the single red run was reclassified black as the Varet glacier retreats by several metres a year.

The summit is accessible in winter via the Les Arcs ski resort gondola, while summer visits call for proper walking gear with sturdy shoes. Conditions at this elevation can change fast, so checking the forecast before heading up is a good idea.

On a clear day, the view from Aiguille Rouge takes in both the Mont Blanc massif and the Gran Paradiso in Italy. This makes it one of the farthest-reaching panoramas reachable by cable car in the French Alps.