Pointe des Chardes, Mountain summit in Vanoise massif, France

Pointe des Chardes is a summit of grey rock in the Vanoise massif, rising to a pointed top at 2,828 metres. Its upper face is steep and fractured into vertical ribs and gullies, with narrow shadowed clefts running down the stone. The lower slopes give way to grass, and a small band of snow lies in a hollow below the summit on the left.

This peak has served as a natural boundary between alpine communities in the Vanoise region since medieval times. The geography shaped how people living in surrounding valleys related to one another and organized their territories.

Shepherds practice traditional herding on the lower slopes during summer months, maintaining a long connection between local communities and these alpine pastures.

Proper mountaineering equipment and experience are required for the ascent due to difficult terrain along the route. Starting from Champagny-en-Vanoise, the climb demands good physical fitness and should be attempted only in favorable weather conditions.

Pointe des Chardes reaches 2,828 m, while Sommet de Bellecôte, 2.5 km to the north, rises to 3,417 m. The peak lies about 14 km from Aime and roughly 500 km from Paris. Its slopes are mostly bare rock and grass, with patches of snow lingering in hollows.