Is it possible to bivouac at the foot of the Aiguilles d'Arves?

For bivouacs at the foot of the Aiguilles d’Arves, we recommend that you contact Chalet d’la Croë , which has a bivouac area. Most of the land below the Aiguilles d’Arves is farmland, so bivouacs are not recommended.

Is access possible for people with reduced mobility?

Yes, part of the path is accessible to people with reduced mobility, in wheelchairs, on the route of the Alpages path.

Can you snowshoe at the foot of the Aiguilles d'Arves?

In winter, access to the foot of the Aiguilles d’Arves is possible from Le Chalmieu up to the TV relay station on a marked trail . It is not advisable to go any closer than this or off the marked trails.

The Aiguilles d’Arves

In the heart of the Arves massif (straddling the departments of Savoie, Isère and Hautes-Alpes), the Aiguilles d’Arves are one of the symbols of the French Alps.

Getting there

The three beautiful

There are 3 of them: theaiguille Septentrionale (3,358m), also known as the tête de chat (cat’s head), theaiguille Centrale (3,513m) and theaiguille Méridionale (3,514m).

The Aiguilles d’Arves pass (3,163 m) is located between the aiguille Septentrionale (tête de chat) and the aiguille Centrale.

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Tour Des Aiguilles Darves
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Thibaut Blais

The tour des Aiguilles d'Arves

Reserved for experienced hikers, this multi-day trek takes you all the way around the Aiguilles d’Arves, passing over a number of high-altitude passes and refuges. With trails that are often technical, steep passages and significant vertical drops, this hike requires excellent physical condition as well as a mastery of navigation using GPX tracks.

The Tour des Aiguilles d’Arves, in all its possible variants, is also available as a supervised option, with local mountain guides holding a state diploma.

Find out more

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Tour Des Aiguilles Darves1
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Thibaut Blais

Mountaineering The first ascents

In 1839, the Aiguille Centrale was the first to be climbed by two brothers, chamois hunters from Valloire: Pierre-Alexis and Benoit-Nicolas Magnin. They wrote: “We were overcome with inexpressible emotion. We would never have imagined that such a grandiose spectacle could be offered to our eyes!

In 1873, William Auguste Coolidge, the great Swiss-American mountaineer, climbed the South Beak of the Septentrional Aiguille with his aunt Miss Brevoort.
In 1878, Mr Coolidge, accompanied by Christian Almer, climbed the North Beak of the Septentrional Needle as well as the Meridional Needle.