Relais d'Arpette
Up the Arpette valley at 1631 m, at the foot of the Fenêtre d'Arpette.
Up the Arpette valley at 1631 m, at the foot of the Fenêtre d'Arpette. Staying here commits you to the hard variant — 1200 m to a 2665 m notch, the toughest and finest day on the Tour. Only in good weather, and not with snow on the col.
The place
Up the Arpette valley at 1631 m, at the foot of the Fenêtre d'Arpette and about an hour off the direct line. Staying here is a declaration of intent: nobody sleeps at Arpette in order to walk the Bovine.
The reward for that commitment is the best day on the Tour. From the door it is 1000 m of increasingly rough ground — pasture, then moraine, then a long boulder field — to a narrow notch at 2665 m with the Trient glacier filling the far side. The descent is steep and slow. Reckon on seven to nine hours and do not start it if the forecast is doubtful; there is no shelter and no easy escape once you are committed to the couloir. In snow, take the Bovine instead. It is not a defeat.
Getting there
| Leg | Distance | Elevation | Trail runner | Fit / sportive | Multiday hiker | Relaxed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Pension en Plein Air | 1.3 km | +33 / −48 m | 0h12 | 0h17 | 0h22 | 0h26 |
| To Auberge Gîte Bon Abri | 0.1 km | +0 / −10 m | 0h01 | 0h01 | 0h02 | 0h02 |
Booking
Book on montourdumontblanc.com
This hut sells its beds through the Tour du Mont-Blanc booking portal, so the planner can show you its live availability night by night — and warn you the moment a full night frees up. Every night on the Tour must be booked; there is no walk-in option in season.
Other places to stay nearby
- Auberge Gîte Bon Abri Gîte · 1444 m
0.1 km further along the Tour, at 1444 m. Bookable on the Tour du Mont-Blanc portal, so the planner shows its availability night by night. - Pension en Plein Air Gîte · 1467 m
1.3 km back down the Tour, at 1467 m. Bookable on the Tour du Mont-Blanc portal, so the planner shows its availability night by night.
For when this stop is full. These book themselves and are not on the Tour du Mont-Blanc portal — contact each directly and confirm before you rely on it.
Stages passing this stop
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