Category: Mountain Profiles

Aiguille du Tour

Aiguille du Tour Straddling the border between France and Switzerland, Aiguille du Tour is one of the more approachable high-alpine summits in the Mont Blanc massif. Rising above the Glacier du Tour on the French side and the broad Plateau du Trient on the Swiss side, the mountain combines glaciers, snowfields, granite ridges, and tremendous …

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Aiguille du Chardonnet

Aiguille du Chardonnet Rising between the Glacier du Tour and the Argentière Glacier in the northern Mont Blanc massif, Aiguille du Chardonnet is one of the great classic mountaineering peaks above the Chamonix Valley. Its sharp summit, glaciated northern slopes, steep ridges, and commanding position near the French-Swiss border give it a distinctly wild appearance …

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Mont Dolent

Mont Dolent Rising near the northeastern end of the Mont Blanc massif, Mont Dolent is a striking pyramid of rock, snow, and ice positioned at one of the most unusual geographic meeting points in the Alps. The mountain stands where France, Italy, and Switzerland come together, overlooking glaciers and valleys in all three countries. There …

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Aiguille des Glaciers

Aiguille des Glaciers Rising above the remote Vallée des Glaciers at the southern end of the Mont Blanc massif, Aiguille des Glaciers is a striking high Alpine summit shared by France and Italy. From the Italian side, the mountain forms an especially impressive pyramid above upper Val Veny, while its French slopes rise above glaciers, …

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Tour Noir

Tour Noir Rising along the high frontier between France and Switzerland, Tour Noir is a striking dark-rock summit in the northeastern Mont Blanc massif. Positioned between Aiguille d’Argentière and Mont Dolent, the mountain forms part of a spectacular chain of glaciated peaks separating Haute-Savoie from Switzerland’s canton of Valais. At approximately 3,837 meters (12,589 feet), …

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Aiguille de Triolet

Aiguille de Triolet Rising along the border between France and Italy, Aiguille de Triolet is one of the great high-alpine summits of the eastern Mont Blanc massif. Its sharply defined ridges stand above four major glacial basins—the Argentière, Talèfre, Triolet, and Pré de Bar glaciers—placing the mountain at the center of an extraordinary landscape of …

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Aiguille d’Argentière

Aiguille d’Argentière Rising high above the great glaciers of the northern Mont Blanc massif, Aiguille d’Argentière is one of the most imposing mountains on the border between France and Switzerland. Its broad glaciated summit, steep granite ridges, dramatic north face, and the narrow Glacier du Milieu give the mountain a distinctive appearance among the sharper …

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Aiguille de Tré la Tête

Aiguille de Tré la Tête Rising near the southern end of the Mont Blanc massif, Aiguille de Tré la Tête is a complex, heavily glaciated mountain whose long crest forms part of the high terrain between France and Italy. Unlike a simple single-point summit, Tré la Tête is composed of several distinct aiguilles arranged along …

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Dent du Géant

Dent du Géant Rising like a colossal stone tooth from the high glaciers of the Mont Blanc massif, Dent du Géant is one of the most instantly recognizable mountains in the Alps. Its extraordinarily steep granite tower stands directly on the border between France and Italy, forming the western gateway to the famous Rochefort Ridge …

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Aiguille de Bionnassay

Aiguille de Bionnassay Rising immediately west of Mont Blanc, Aiguille de Bionnassay is one of the most elegant and intimidating 4,000-meter mountains in the Mont Blanc massif. Its summit is less a conventional peak than a narrow crest of snow and ice, with steep glaciated faces plunging toward France on one side and Italy on …

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