Mont Dolent
Resorts: Courmayeur
Mont Dolent is at the north-east end of the Mont Blanc mountain range where it changes direction pointing North North-West. The mountain marks the border between Italy, France and Switzerland and divides the Pré de Bar, Argentière, Dolent and A Neuve glaciers.
From any angle, the Dolent is always impressive and its pyramid has four ridges and faces. The North face is one of the steepest glacier slopes in the Alps and drops a thousand meters from the A Neuve glacier in the Swiss Val Ferret.
Technical information
How to get here
Courmayeur highway exit. Continue towards the Mont Blanc tunnel. Turn right to Val Ferret and follow the road to the end near Arnouva.
Description of the route
First day
From Arnouva, walk along the dirt road that rises from the valley to the hairpin where, on the left, a path climbs to the summit of the Tête de Ferret. The path enters a small valley and continues to the left to the base of a grassy ridge. Follow the path to a marked rise which, at the top, forces you to continue to the left. Cross a small waterway to the top of a second rise where the slope is gentler. Continue on the left, snow-covered at times, on the peaks under the Colle di Grapillon. The path climbs the moraine peaks towards the Mount Allobrogia ridge. Cross the two valleys and rocky ledges to the two camps that suddenly appear.
Second day
From the Fiorio / Dolent camps, cross the peaks scattered with rocks and snow to the Pré de Bar glacier with few crevasses. Continue on your right on the steeper peaks and leave the rocky ledge emerging from the glacier creating a fork, on your left.
Climb the right glacier fork, keeping to the center on the steep hump. After the hump, turn right to cross the crevasse that protects the entrance to the snow-covered gap on the south-east ridge of Mont Dolent. Climb the snow-covered ridge to the base of an instable rocky channel that leads to the beginning shoulder of the top ridge. Continue over the rocks and snow-covered ridges to the peak.
Descent: along the ascent route.
The route requires alpine climbing experience. Alpine guide assistance is recommended.