Traversing the Dents de la Portetta

In the Tarentaise, head up towards Courchevel, pass Le Praz and turn left at Moriond. Leave the road to Lac de la Rosière and walk uphill alongside the Belvédère chalets to the end of the tarmac road at Prâlin (signposted ‘Le Belvédère’).
The road is closed beyond this point during the season, although it is passable

(S/E) Continue along the level, stony track towards the Vallée des Avals, through the Forêt du Laition. It skirts a rocky area before heading south and eventually descends slightly to open out onto the mountain pastures of the Plan de la Porte.

(1) Carry on straight ahead, either along the pastoral track or via the grassy paths running parallel to it. The route climbs slightly before emerging onto the Biol mountain pasture and its cross.

(2) One hundred metres past the cross, turn left to begin the steep climb towards La Portetta. You’ll reach a first plateau where you’ll cross the path to the Col de la Grande Pierre.

(3) Cut across this path to continue the climb up to the Glacerets plateau.

(4) Continue the climb heading east. The grass gradually gives way to scree, which you climb up to the foot of the cliffs.

(5) At the junction of the paths, take the track that climbs up the rocky gully; in the middle of this, a sign points left towards the Brèche Portetta: head up towards it to see Mont Blanc from its entrance.

(6) It is possible to enter the Brèche from below, via a narrow passage (you’ll need to set your rucksack down to get through) and a steep climb towards the eastern exit.

Then return to the couloir to resume the ascent, carefully following the fluorescent green markings. Navigating between scree and large boulders that are not always stable, you climb up to a ledge with a view of Mont Blanc, then veer right to ascend through a chaotic landscape to the Passage de Mey, where the view opens out onto the Vanoise Glaciers and, usually, the sun.

(7) The section continuing along the eastern slope of the Aiguilles is equipped with handholds and cables and requires safety equipment: a via ferrata lanyard or at least a belay rope. This is the Tour de l’Aiguille de Mey (Via Cavo del Mey), which crosses over to the Col de Mey.

To stick to a hiking route, retrace your steps and descend the Brèche couloir to its base.

(5) Turn left to begin an ascent at the foot of the Aiguille de Mey, over scree then well-gripped slabs, and finally over chaotic boulders leading up to the cliff at the base of the route to the Col de Mey.

(8) The Col de Mey is reached to the left via an exposed ledge equipped with steps and a cable, which also requires a lanyard or a belay rope.

If hiking, turn right to traverse south-west, skirting a sinkhole carved into the permafrost and then keeping level beneath the Rocher de Plassa, before emerging abruptly at the Passage de Plassa, where the rocky terrain in the shade gives way to sunny grassy ground.

(9) At the cairn, continue a little further before veering left onto the grassy slope, proceed to a viewpoint overlooking Pralognan and return to the valley to reach the Plan des Baux, finishing on level ground towards the Col des Saulces.

(10) Facing the Petit Mont Blanc, turn right onto the pastoral track heading north, which is initially level then slopes gently downwards, until it reaches its end.

(11) Continue straight ahead along a path winding down through the mountain pasture to a junction, from where you can head right towards Les Glacerets and the ascent path.

(12) Instead, continue down towards the valley via the Combe des Roches, following wide switchbacks after a short, easy chimney, until you reach an area of gypsum erosion from where the path to the Col de la Grande Pierre branches off to the right.

(13) Turn left to cross an area of rugged terrain, then descend towards the valley, either via a hairpin bend on the left or via a better-marked ridge path on the right. The two paths meet at the top of a ridge overlooking the valley floor.

(14) Head north along the path, which descends gradually in a zigzag pattern to the valley floor; either cross the Ruisseau des Avals to reach the road, or stay on the right bank to join the road further down, at Le Biol, where the circular route closes (choice of route).

(2) Follow the outward route back down the Vallée des Avals to the Plan des la Porte.

(1) Following the reverse route of the outward journey, continue with a short climb through the forest before letting yourself slide down to the starting point (S/E).

Much of the circular route follows roads or well-marked paths. The section between (5) and (9) is over more challenging terrain, with rugged sections where the trail is sometimes difficult to follow.

The lower sections and those through the mountain pastures are signposted at the main junctions. Small signs also indicate the Brèche Portetta, the Passage de Mey and the Col de Mey.

Fluorescent markers guide you through the difficult, rocky or rugged sections: green in the Brèche couloir and the Passage de Mey, blue in places, and mainly pink-orange on the ascent beneath the Aiguille de Mey and on the descent back down to the valley via the Combe des Roches.

The route takes you into the heart of the Aiguilles de la Portetta massif, whose peaks include: the Dent du Biol, the Bec, the Tour Penchée, the Gendarme, the Aiguille de Mey and the Rocher de Plassa.

The views across the western face extend towards the Beaufortain, Mont Jovet and Courchevel.
From the Passage de Mey or the Passage de Plassa, the view opens out to the east: Mont Blanc, Grande Casse, the Vanoise Glaciers and Peclet-Polset.
Immediately beyond the Aiguilles, the gypsum ridges glisten in the sun: the Dent du Villard and the Crête du Mont Charvet to the north, and the Petit Mont Blanc to the south.

The Aiguilles de la Portetta are a playground for chamois and ibex.