Mont Niblè (3,365 m)

From the car park, after passing through the barrier, continue along the dirt road, which almost immediately forms a trail and leads up the valley towards Col d'Ambin. Continue up the valley, keeping to the left side of the mountain. Traverse Pian delle Marmotte, continue along the south-facing slope of Col d'Ambin with steep turns until you reach an altitude of around 2,700 m. Leave the track leading to Col d'Ambin and veer right to reach a gully with loose scree that leads to another pass - Col d'Ambin Est (2,921 m), where you'll find the W. Blais bivouac (3 hrs). Although this is a good trail, in snowy conditions you must be careful on this stretch of the couloir as it is very steep. From the pass, follow the loose scree ridge W-SW with tracks until you reach a well-marked vertical drop. Bear left onto the French side, and approach the Ferrand glacier, climbing it until it becomes easier to return to the ridge. Continue along the ridge, which is made up of debris and small rocks. Alternatively, continue to Pointe Ferrand: The route (F+) leads down to the small pass at an altitude of 3,295 m, skirting two isolated peaks on the Ferrand glacier. From the small pass, climb up towards the south-west ridge to the summit of Pointe Ferrand at 3,348 m (45 mins). Depending on the snow conditions, assess if you would prefer to climb directly onto the glacier or keep to the right of the glacier and continue along the scree.

This is undoubtedly one of the most difficult routes to tackle from the refuge, but also the most rewarding. It passes through one of the last glacial landscapes in the Susa Valley. On French maps, the Niblè glacier is known as Pointe de Ferrand and the Punta Ferrand is known as Pointe Niblè, and the altitudes are also reversed. Its name (in “neble” dialect) means mist or cloud. At the summit of Niblè there is a cross where, when the weather is fine, the view stretches from Vanoise to Rocciamelone, from Assietta to Chaberton, from the distant Ecrins range to the nearby Galambra, Fourneaux and Sommeiller glaciers. The summit was climbed in 1873 by the famous W.A.B. Coolidge, who was surprised to find a cairn made by an unknown climber.