Le Grand Galibier

Le Grand Galibier - 3228M

635M Prominence

45.06389, 6.43417

July 29, 2025

8.4 KM

780M Ascent and Descent

After my day in the chartreuse park, I decided to head to the real Alps. I walked across the city of Grenoble heading South-East, and then made my way to the outskirts of Eybens, where I would start hitchhiking. I expected it to be a long process to get to La Grave, a village I wanted to visit on my way through. My first ride took me to Bourg D'Oisains though, where I had to stop to gather food for the next few days before heading into the mountains. After leaving Bourg D'Oisains and making a quick stop in La Grave, I hitched a ride to Col de Lautaret, where I would start hiking from to climb Le Grand Galibier, via the old route. I started making my way up, and then started setting up my tent at 2100M. In a series of unfortunate events the evening storm grabbed my tent and snapped the pole, sending it through the rain fly. I panicked a bit, and then gathered myself and hiked back down to tree line to be a bit more sheltered for the night. I cobbled the pole back together with a few rusty nails I found on the side of the road, and made it through the night. After all of these shenanigans and with a fresh day ahead, I decided to just take the shorter approach route to the peak. I hitched a ride from Col de Lautaret up to Col de Galibier in the morning, then the climb actually began. From 2500M at the trail head, the trail starts by skirting around Pointe de la Tete Noire along a flat and easy trail. After some easy hiking the trail eventually reaches a few small boulder fields. At 2600M some big 150 meter buttresses rise out of the boulder field. At the south end of these walls is the chimney I would climb. The chimney gradually got steeper and snowier as I climbed. The previous 2 days had snowed and there were a few inches of quite frozen snow layering the chunky rocks in the gully.

Pointe de La Tete Noire (Center left) and Le Grand Galibier from camp the night before

Looking into the Parc des Ecrins from Col de Lautaret

The trail from Col du Galibier to the start of the gulley

Pics de Combeynot (left) and Barre des Ecrins (far right)

The chimney was just to the right of this huge sheer wall where people were climbing

Starting my way up the chimney

Standing at the top of the chimney, now with significantly more snow

Roc Termier, I would have scrambled up if it were dry.

Heading towards the summit

Great views all day

Dramatic views of the Aiguilles D'Arves from the summit of Le Grand Galibier

Flawless views into the Parc des Ecrins, Col du Lautaret seen down below

A fantastic view of Mont Blanc

Looking down the ridge towards Pointe de La Tete Noire

Summit

I have no idea what this rock formation was about

Looking towards a slightly smaller sub summit

Looking down the snowy chimney before downclimbing it

Back on the trail and nearly at the col again

Route

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