Les Agneaux

Overview

Geographical classification: Western Alps > High Dauphiné Alps > Les Agneaux

Les Agneaux -the lambs- are an important and very popular mountain of Les Ecrins Massif.
This is the highest mountain on the east side of the massif.
The mountain has 3 main summits.
The "Agneau Blanc" -white lamb- because it is a snow summit is not the highest one (3631m).
The "Agneau Noir" -black lamb- because it is a rock summit is 3662m high.
The third summit -NW summit- (3646m) is a rock summit close to Agneaux Blanc.

The montain is complex. Two main ridges (N-S) and (E-W) are crossing where the main summits are.
That's why the mountain has four faces
- Arsine face (NW) with Glacier Supérieur d'Arsine
- Glacier Blanc face (SW) complex with eperons separated by 6 small Glacier
- Monêtier side with Glacier du Monêtier
- Casset Face whith Glacier du Casset
For the same reason, the mountain is borded by four valleys
Le Petit Tabuc (NE) and Le Grand Tabuc (SE) are joing Guisane valley
Rif de la blanche valley (NW) joining Romanche valley atPlan de L'Alpe
Glacier Blanc (SW) joining Ailefroide Valley.

the mountain is connected to the rest of the Massif in the W direction to Pic de Neige Cordier by Pyramide pass (3204m) and in the south direction to Dôme de Monêtier by Monêtier pass (3339m).

Some secondary summits are part of the mountain:

- Roche de Jabel (3571m)
- Pic des Pré les Fonts (3357m)
- Pic du Casset (3255m)
- 3532m summit on the W ridge
- 3351m summit on the W ridge
- pointe des cinéastes (3205m)

The view from the summit is very nice on the highest groups of the massif: Les Ecrins, Pelvoux-Ailefroide group, and in the east direction to Briançonnais and Queyras mountains.

Routes overview

Main Route: snow route on glacier and a little rocky part, F
Glacier Blanc Hut (2550m) overused in summer season, to monêtier pass (3345m) 1h45
Monêtier pass to summit 2h 45

normal route montagne-virtuel topo

Coolidge route: snow and ice route, AD, 40/45°
Alpe du villar d'Arène hut (2079m) to 2800m - 2h30
2800m to summit (700Hm) - 4h or 5h

Calotte des Agneaux route topo

Piaget route: snow and ice route, D, 45°
same start points and timing as Coolidge route.

Couloir Davin route
a 600Hm couloir AD, 45°. 3h-4h

W ridge route:
Long and difficult route with bad rock.

Les Agneaux at sunset or sunrise

Getting There

Depending on the side of the mountain you want to climb you can access to the mountain from Monêtier les Bains or le Casset in Guisane valley, from Villar d'Arêne in Romanche valley or from Vallouise.

Les Agneaux north side

This side is accessible from Romanche valley via Alpe de Villar d'Arêne

Les Agneaux north east side

This side is accessible from Guisane valley via Le Casset

Les Agneaux east side

This side is accessible from Guisane valley via Le Monêtier les Bains

Les Agneaux south west side

This side is accessible from Durance/Aronde valley via Vallouise and Ailefroide villages. This is Glacier Blanc side.

Red Tape

Les Agneaux are in Les Ecrins National Park. All the park rules have to be respected.

When To Climb

The mountain is usually climbed during summer season. Snow and ice conditions can be different for begining and end of summer.

Camping

camping and hotels in Ailefroide (Ailefroide means Cold Wing)

Camping "Le Couroumba" in Les Vigneaux at the near La Vallouise : there is still sun while in the narrow valley in Ailefroide it's already cold. The 20 min you have to drive with your car do not realy matter. And you have a great view to the Mont Pelvoux

no camping allowed in National Park except for climbers during the night.

Mountain Conditions

Serre Chevalier web cam


meteo

meteo 7 days Briançon

meteo 7 days Bourg d'Oisans

meteo 7 days Grenoble

meteo 7 days Gap

Les Agneaux huts

Refuge du Glacier Blanc 2542 m CAF hut
Situation: North/East side of Barre des Ecrins near Glacier Blanc
open: 13 of April- 19 of May and 1st of june- 1st of September
13 avril au 19 mai, et du 1er juin au 1er septembre
Capacity: 135 pers.
Getting There: 2 hours 30 min from Pré de Madame Carle (670 meters up)
Map: IGN Top 25 - 3436 Est
Hut's phone : 04 92 23 50 24


L'Alpe-Du-Villar-d'Arène hut (2079 m)
IGN map: 3436 ET
Départ : Pont-d'Arsine
Dénivelé : 410 Hm
time to go there: 1h30
Summits: Les Agneaux - Pic de Neige-Cordier - Pic d'Arsine - Pointe-Claire ; Hiking: GR54 - liaison refuge du Chatelleret

Hut phone : 04.76.79.94.66
Gardiennage : Printemps : 28 mars eu 10 mai et week-ends mai
Eté : mi-juin à mi-septembre
Réservation : gardien : Laurent Milhau, 05220 Le Casset
TEL : 04.92.24.53.18

Historical Ascents

1st ascent july 17 1873

Christian Almer, Christian Roth and W.A.B. Coolidge (the route is now named Coolidge route)
Piaget route september 06 1899E.Piaget, J. Savoye, Louis Faure, Prosper Faure
W ridge by steps

Images

View Les Agneaux Image Gallery - 91 Images