Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 45.84330°N / 6.90740°E
Activities Activities: Mountaineering, Ice Climbing
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer
Additional Information Elevation: 12440 ft / 3792 m
Sign the Climber's Log

3 languages here

English (by g.roth) - Italian (by g.roth) - French (by nartreb)

Overview

Tour Ronde is the first important summit west of the Colle del Gigante.
It can be considered as a little mountain in the Mont Blanc Massif, not difficult to reach .
It is one of the preferred and most crowded mountains for climbers who spend summer holidays in Courmayeur.

La Tour Ronde è la prima cima importante a Ovest del Colle del Gigante.
Nel contesto del gruppo del Monte Bianco può essere considerata una cima minore, e fra le meno difficili da scalare.
E' una delle cime più affollate, tra le preferite dagli alpinisti che passano le vacanze estive a Courmayeur.


La Tour Ronde est la cime la plus importante a l'ouest du Col du Géant (Colle del Gigante).
Dans le contexte du Massif du Mont Blanc, on peut la considérer comme une petite montagne, facile à escalader.
C'est une des montagnes les plus fréquentées par les alpinistes qui passent leur vacances d’été à Courmayeur.


First ascent: J.H. Backhouse, T. H.Carson, D.W.Freshfield, C.C.Tucker, D. Balley, M. Payot, 22. July 1867.

Panoramic view




Wonderful view to Peuterey, Brenva, Maudit, Tacul, and Capucin.
Eccellente punto panoramico sulla cresta del Peuterey, sulla parete della Brenva, sul Mont Maudit, il Tacul e i suoi satelliti fra cui spicca principalmente il Grand Capucin
Elle offre une excellente panorama sur la crête de Peuterey, la paroi de Brenva, le Mont Maudit, le Tacul et ses satellites dont figure principalement le Grand Capucin.


.....

in honor of
Rahel Maria Liu, the former maintainer of this page, dead August 2004 while attempting to climb the Innominata Spur on the southern face of Mont Blanc.
in memoria di Rahel Maria Liu, morta nell'agosto 2004 durante un tentativo all'Innominata sul versante Sud del M.Bianco
A la mémoire de Rahel Maria Liu, ancienne gestionnaire de cette page Web, décédée le 24 août 2004, prise par le mauvais temps en haut de la voie Innominata sur le versant Sud du Mont Blanc.


Routes Overview

  • West ridge from Col Oriental de la Tour Ronde - PD - 160 m
    not easy to be reached from N
    non facile da raggiungere da nord
    pas facile a rejoindre en partant du nord


  • West couloir (Gervasutti) - 50° - AD - 250 m
    fine and safe
    bella e sicura
    belle et sure
    -

  • North wall classic (Gonella-Berthod) - 55° - D inf - 350 m
    the "bestseller" (1 pitch of IV getting directly the summit)
    la più frequentata (1 lunghezza di 4° grado per la salita diretta
    La plus fréquentée (une longueur de IVieme grade qui monte directement au sommet


  • North wall
    other routes and variants rarely climbed
    altre vie raramente seguite
    autres voies et variations rarement suivies
  • North East pillar and ridge (Collomb-Berzonat) - TD inf - 200 m to the ridge
  • North East ridge (Rey-Cunningham) - PD sup - not fine

  • South-East side and ridge from Col Freshfield
    the easiest and the real normal route, most used for coming down - PD inf - some dangers for ice, snow and climbers falls along its snow slide track that must normally be crossed in the lower part.
    dal Col Freshfield - la meno difficile è da considerare la vera via normale, l'unica utilizzata in discesa - PD inf - qualche pericolo di caduta neve, ghiaccio e alpinisti lungo la rigola che è necessario attraversare nella parte più bassa della via
    depuis Col Freshfield - la moins difficile, et considerée comme la vraie voie normale, utilisée surtout pour la descente. -PD inf - Un peu de danger due a la neige, glace, et alpinistes qui tombent dans la zone de chute que la voie traverse dans sa partie basse.


  • South-East ridge (normal route) - PD - mixed - 250 m from Col d'Entreves

  • South side is easy and safe but not fine and too long to be considered (useful only to come down toward the Bivacco della Brenva)
    facile e sicura ma faticosa e non bella, troppo lunga per essere presa in considerazione - utile per raggiungere (in discesa) il Bivacco della Brenva
    facile et sure mais pas belle, trop longue pour considerer (sauf pour rejoindre le Bivacco della Brenva en descente).




    Getting there

    To the Tour Ronde

    - from the Ref. Cosmiques.
    - from the Rif. Torino
    can be done starting early in the morning from Courmayeur with the first ascent of the cable car
    la salita può essere fatta in giornata, da Courmayeur, prendendo la funivia di servizio al mattino
    Peut se faire tôt le matin, partant de Courmayeur en télécabine

  • Ref. Cosmiques:

    In about 1/2 h from the Aig. du Midi (cable car from Chamonix).
    If you leave the cable car station via the bridge, you go to the Southsummit. On the firn ridge, you go down with SE-direction to an even ridgeplatform; then turn right to the S and SW-direction below the S-face of the Aig. du Midi. Pay attention to crevasses!

    utilizzando la funivia dell'Aiguille du Midi si esce dalla stazione superiore e si raggiunge la cima sud, scendere la cresta di neve verso Est (traccia profonda) la traccia ad un certo punto abbandona la cresta e scende verso Sud, poi verso SO costeggiando la parete Sud dell'Aiguille du Midi - attenzione ai crepacci (conviene essere legati)

    Utilisant la télécabine de l’Aiguille du Midi (Chamonix), si vous descendez à la station superieure vous arriver a la cime sud. Traversez le pont et suivez la crête en direction sud-est, à un certain point la piste lache la crête et tourne vers le Sud puis le Sud-Ouest sous la face sude de l’Aiguille du Midi. Attention aux crevasses!

  • Rif. Torino

    directly with the cable car from Entrèves/Courmayeur (Italy).

    direttamente in funivia da Entrèves - scendendo alla fermata rif. Torino è necessario risalire il tunnel, scendendo alla stazione di Punta Helbronner si scende al Rifugio tramite una traccia che porta prima verso il Col de la Vierge e seguendo successivamente la traccia verso destra

    directement par télécabine depuis Entrèves/Courmayeur

    You can reach the hut directly also with the Helbronner cable car from the Aiguille du Midi (to Aiguille du Midi with the cable car from Chamonix). Pay attention: The Helbronner cable car, traversing the Géant glacier, is mostly closed.

    Si può arrivare alla Punta Helbronner anche traversando in funivia (spesso non funzionante) dall'Aiguille du Midi

    Vous pouvez aussi rejoindre la cabane directement par la télécabine de Helbronner partant de l’Aiguille du Midi (que vous pouvez rejoindre par télécabine depuis Chamonix). Attention: la télécabine Helbronner, traversant le glacier du Géant, et plus-ou-moins fermé.

    Or you go on foot from the Aiguille du Midi over the glacier du Géant (3 h): From the foot of the S-face of the Aig. du Midi you go on the almost even glacier to the Pointe Lachenal, turn left (E) to the glacier valley below the rugged E-face of the Mont Blanc du Tacul. You go along this E-face of the Tacul and the Pointe Adolphe Rey in order to loose only little height. Now you turn to the ESE to the Col des Flambeaux. From here in a few minutes to the Ref. Torino. It is a very beautiful glacier walk with 200 hm ascent. Difficulty: F.

    Si può anche arrivare a piedi dall'Aiguille du Midi lungo il Ghiacciaio del Gigante (3 ore): dai piedi della parete Sud dell'Aiguille du Midi seguire il ghiacciaio verso la Punta Lachenal, dirigersi a sinistra nella valletta ghiacciata sotto il M.Blanc du Tacul. Traversare sotto di essa lungo una traccia (quasi sempre molto ben tracciata) che passa sotto la Pyramide e il Pic Adolphe (qualche pericolo di caduta ghiaccio dalle Aiguilles du Diable) cercando di mantenersi in quota. Dopo il Pic Adolphe girare verso sinistra (ESE - splendida vista della Tour Ronde) verso il Col des Flambeaux e la Vierge, da qui in pochi minuti al Rifugio

    Ou bien vous allez à pied depuis l'Aiguille du Midi à travers le glacier du Géant (3 h): Du pied du versant sud de l'Aiguille du Midi, allez sur le glacier presque plat jusqu'au Pointe Lachenal, tournez à gauche (est) vers la vallée glaciale sous le rude versant Est du Mont Blanc du Tacul. Suivez ce versant Est du Tacul et la Pointe Adolphe Rey en perdant tres peu d'altitude. Ensuite tournez est-sud-est vers le Col des Flambeaux. D'ici en quelques minutes vous arrivez au Refuge Torino. C'est une très belle ballade sur un glacier avec 200 m d'ascension. Difficulte': F.

    You reach the Chamonix Valley
    by train
    - from Martigny (Switzerland) via Vallorcine
    - from Geneva (airport) via Anncey (TGV till here) and St. Gervais.
    by bus:
    - from/via Annecy, Geneva, Grenoble, Courmayeur, Aoste and Turin
    by car:
    - from Geneva (from the NW) on the A40 till St. Gervais and from here on the N205.b. From Martigny (from the NE, Switzerland) via Vallorcine and the Col des Montets on the road no. N506.

    You reach Courmayeur (Italy)
    by bus or car:
    - from Chamonix through the Mont Blanc Tunnel from the NW.
    - from Milano or Torino (from the SE) on the A5 via Aosta valley

    When to climb

    All seasons are good, best time is from May to July

    Camping

    There is a campingplace in Chamonix
    Some confortably campingplaces in Val Ferret (Italy)

    Red tape

    No permits or fees required.
    There is no seasonal closure.

    Mountain Conditions and General Information

    1. WEATHER INFO:
    Météo France in Chamonix: 0033/836680274
    Snowinfos: 0033/836 681 020 (only in France, not from abroad)
    internet: Météo France

    2. GENERAL INFO:
    Office de Haute Montagnes (OHM)/Chamonix:
    0033450 532 208 (9:00-12:00 & 15:00-18:00 during the summer)
    Bureau des Guides in Chamonix: 0033/450530088.
    Office de Tourisme in Chamonix: 0033/450530024
    Office de Tourisme Argentière: 0033/450540214
    internet:
    www.chamonix.com
    www.courmayer-montblanc.com
    www.aiguilledumidi.com

    3. TRAIN (CHAMONIX VALLEY):
    0033/450 53 1298
    0033/8 36 35 35 35
    0033/450530702 (train station Chamonix)
    internet: www.cff.ch

    4. BUS (CHAMONIX VALLEY):
    0033/450 53 0555
    0033/450 53 0115

    5. CABLE CARS
    Aiguille du Midi: 0033/450/533080
    Courmayeur: Tel. 00390/165.846658, Fax 00390/165.842347

    Mountain Huts

    1. Ref. des Cosmiques (3613 m)
    The Ref. des Cosmiques is situated on a shoulder between the Col du Midi and the SW-ridge of the Aig. du Midi (Cosmiques-ridge).
    guarded from February till october
    phone: ++33(0)450544016 - internet: Rif. Cosmiques

    2. Rif. Torino (3322m/3375m)
    The Rif. Torino has 2 huts, the lower and older one and the upper, new one. Both huts are connected by a tunnel.
    - the lower old one with 70 beds, serviced from October to June
    Tel. 00390/165/846484 - internet: Rif.Torino.old
    - the upper new one, with 170 beds, serviced from June to September
    Tel. 00390/165/844034 (expensive) - internet: Rif.Torino.new


  • For Information on the Abri Simond Bivouac Hut compare Abri Simond Bivouac/Ref. des Cosmiques

    Maps

    Institut Géographique National
    1:25000 no. 3630 OT (Chamonix)
    1:25000 no. 3531 ET (St-Gervais)
    (to order at DAV Service or at cordee.co.uk )

    Books

    Laroche/Lelong: Die Gipfel des Montblanc. Munich 1999.
    ISBN 3-405-15693-9
    (to order at amazon.de)

    Hartmut Eberlein: Mont-Blanc-Gruppe. DAV-Gebietsführer. 9th ed. Munich 2000.
    ISBN 3-7633-2414-3 - (to order at amazon.de)

    Gaston Rébuffat: The Mont Blanc Massif. The 100 Finest Routes. London 1996
    ISBN 1-898573-03-4 - (to order at amazon.de or at amazon.com)

    Helmut Dumler/Willi P. Burkhardt, Viertausender der Alpen. 11th ed. Munich 1998.
    ISBN 3-7633-7427-2 - (to order at amazon.de)

    Helmut Dumler/Willi P. Burkhardt, The High Mountains of the Alps. - (to order at amazon.com)

    Damilano/Perroux, Neige, Glace Et Mixte: Mont Blanc.Editions Ice 1996.
    ISBN 2950986803 - (to order at cordee.co.uk)

    External Links



    Children

    Children

    Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. For example, the Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' The Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children.