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Mid-June: the season opens, with four snow-covered crossings to know about
The circuit is open for business again, with the caveats that always come with the second week of June.
The Bonhomme cols
Snow remains on the approach to the Col du Bonhomme, and between there and the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme it becomes continuous rather than patchy. This is the section that most often turns a first-day plan into a second-guess. Poles help; so does starting early enough that the surface is still firm.
Four crossings in the Italian Val Ferret
Between Chalet Val Ferret and Refuge Elena there are four snow-covered river crossings. Snow bridges over running water are the hazard people underestimate — they are strongest in the morning and least trustworthy on a warm afternoon. Cross early, and look at what is under the bridge before you commit to it.
The Chapieux shuttle is running
The valley alternative on the right-hand side carries avalanche debris and stays prone to rockfall until the melt finishes. The navette from Les Chapieux is the better answer: €4, running 15 June to 15 September. Taking a bus over a debris-loaded slope is not a compromise, it is just the correct call.
Planning around it
Early-season stages are slower than the same distance in August, and the app's day estimates account for terrain rather than distance alone. If your dates are in June, give yourself the extra hour rather than discovering you need it above the Bonhomme.
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