Grande Aiguille Rousse

At the crossroads of the Maurienne and Tarentaise valleys, not far from the Col de l'Iseran, the Grande Aiguille Rousse lies in the region where the waters that flow through these great alpine valleys diverge.[1] It is part of a series of mountains that define the frontier between Savoie and the Italian regions of Piedmont and the Aosta Valley, including such peaks as the Pointe de Ronce, the Bessanèse, the Levanna, and the Pointe de la Galise. The Grande Aiguille Rousse is shared by the communes of Val-d'Isère and Bonneval-sur-Arc.

Northern view of the Grande Aiguille Rousse and its neighboring peaks, taken from the summit of the Grand Cocor at 3,034 m (9,954 ft).

The most common route for hiking up the mountain is from Val-d'Isère via the Prariond Refuge, or alternatively from Bonneval-sur-Arc via the Carro Refuge or the Col du Montet mountain pass. To reach the summit from Italy, it is customary to begin at the Pian della Ballotta Refuge, take the Col de la Lose pass at 2,957 m (9,701 ft),[4] cross the border to the Sources de l'Isère Glacier at 2,800 m (9,200 ft), and finally arrive at the summit.[5]