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Petit Arc, Tioulévé

Publié le 25 January 2020 | Savoie Eng, France Eng

Setting off for the Grand Arc, today's race ends at the Petit Arc, on one of the summits of the Lauzière massif. The ascent along the Grand Arc route is sustained, and before the final combe, the ridges leading to Petit Arc are reached by heading further west. From here, a spectacular panorama and a direct view of the Bauges massif to the north and the nearby Mont Blanc massif to the east. If you ski along the southern ridge, you can take advantage of the beautiful east-facing slopes near Lac Noir.

Technical summary

Type ✦ Ski touring

Location ✦ Tioulévé, Aiguebelle

Region ✦ Massif de la Lauzière, Savoie

Country ✦ France

Orientation ✦ South/East

Max altitude ✦ 2365m

Ascent length ✦ 5.7km (summit)

Vertical drop ✦ 1100m

Difficulty ✦ F-3.3-E2 (?)

Max. gradient ✦ 35° (?)

Duration ✦ 3h to 4h

Interest ✦ ★★

Access to the place

Between Albertville and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, exit at Aiguebelle and climb east to Montsapey. Continue up the valley to the last hamlet at the end of the road: Tioulévé or Lieulévé (1260m).

Map & topo

Voir en plein écran

Itinerary description

Hiking to the start 30' à 45'

Take the Grand Arc path that climbs north from the end of the road and follow it through the forest. Climbing steadily northwards, the path curves around to enter a valley of the Ruisseau du Lac Noir, which turns north-west until it faces the valley floor, showing the way up.

Course 2h à 2h30

Having originally set out for the Grand Arc, the route described below is probably not the classic itinerary for the Petit Arc. But it does have the advantage of forming a loop and allowing us to ski on a different route from the one we took on the way up, which is quite worn out by the tracks of the many hikers...

Although not very difficult, the ascent is sustained and quite steep in many places, with numerous conversions. On the way down, the start on the south side to reach the ridges is steep and airy.

Part 1: Below Lac Piéru (1h30 to 1h45)

Climb step by step in the wide valley that follows the bed of the Ruisseau du Grand Arc, trying to avoid all skied sections where the trail is difficult. When you reach Lac Noir (on the left as you climb up), there's a flat area that crosses slightly to the east, where you pass a small shoulder and re-enter a narrower, fairly steep valley.

Above, you can see the somme du Grand Arc, the upper valley and the final ridge. We are now below Lac Piéru, where we would normally continue north-east to reach the final Grand Arc valley.

Part 2: Le Petit Arc 2365m (30′ to 45′)

Cross to the west to approach the ridge overlooking Lac Noir, and climb up in stages until you reach the ridge linking Grand Arc and Petit Arc. Follow this ridge for around 100m to reach the summit of Petit Arc. Superb views of the Bauges massif to the north and the Mont Blanc massif to the east.

Ski back

From the summit, plunge due south and weave your way between the rocks to reach the edge of the south ridge, which you are overlooking. There are some fairly steep passages to ski.

Once on the South ridge, cross due South, staying high enough if possible, and look for the best East-facing slopes first, then further South under the Char de la Turche, where the snow is likely to be of better quality.

At the bottom, join the approach route, skiing or skidding to Tioulévé.