At the foot of the Aiguilles d'Arves via Basse du Gerbier
This hike is full of treasures, from the beauty of the scenery to the history of the plateau and its mountain pastures.
The hike begins gently on a wide forest track leading up to the last chalet, Chalet de la Motte.
The Aiguilles d'Arves consist of three needles, each with its own name.
Aiguille Centrale (3513 m) was first climbed in 1839 by the Magnin brothers. The Aiguille Méridionale (3514 m) to the south, climbed by Coolidge in 1878, is the highest point. The Aiguille Septentrionale, linked to the Aiguille Centrale by the Aiguilles d'Arves pass at 3163 m, is also known as the Tête de Chat.
When you reach the Basse du Gerbier, you'll be able to see all three Aiguilles at their best.
Then, if you take the free route, you'll reach the Chalet de la Motte by a different path.
This little path passes beneath the Aiguille de l'épaisseur, where only a few traces of the glacier that once resided there remain. Now all we see are small streams and marmot burrows.
Once we've reached La Motte, we return by the same route, but with a different view. You can see the whole valley, with all the little mountain chalets in the foreground.
