Petit mont Blanc, Alpine summit in Courchevel, France

Petit mont Blanc is a 2,680-metre summit in the Vanoise massif, above Courchevel and Pralognan-la-Vanoise in Savoie. It is made of gypsum, the same rock as the Mont Charvet ridge and the Dent du Villard, which gives its flanks a broken relief of scree slopes cut by erosion. A orientation table marks the top, and the western slope lies within a directed biological reserve.

The sources record no naming history for Petit mont Blanc; the name simply sets it apart from the higher Mont Blanc massif far to the north. Its documented geography is what stands out: the summit reaches 2,680 m and carries an orientation table, and the mountain is made of gypsum, like the Mont Charvet ridge, the Dent du Villard and the Col du Soufre. Its western slope lies within a directed biological reserve.

The summit carries an orientation table, a fixture of French mountain tourism that names the surrounding peaks of the Vanoise. The mountain rises above Courchevel and Pralognan-la-Vanoise, two Savoyard resorts whose summer walking and winter skiing economies share the massif.

The trail is clearly marked and progresses through Avals Valley before the final steep climb to the summit. It is best to start early and bring proper footwear and weather protection, as conditions at higher elevations can shift quickly.

The summit, at 2,680 m, carries an orientation table, and the mountain is made of gypsum like the Mont Charvet ridge and the Dent du Villard to the north. Its western slope lies within a directed biological reserve. The soft rock is cut by erosion and covered with scree, which explains the broken ground underfoot near the top.