Cerces Ski Touring Circuit with Mont Thabor Summit | 5-Day Guided Tour from Névache

This itinerary follows a planned circuit through the Massif des Cerces, with the ascent of Mont Thabor as one of the highlights. However, ski touring in high alpine terrain is always subject to mountain conditions.

Weather, snow stability and wider safety considerations will shape decision-making throughout the trip. Your UIAGM-qualified guide may adapt the route, change the day’s objective, or, if necessary, abandon part of the planned itinerary in order to make safe and responsible decisions in the mountains.

The guide’s decisions must be respected at all times. Flexibility is part of the adventure, and while every effort will be made to follow the planned route, changes may occasionally involve alternative refuge arrangements or extra local costs.

Meet your guide in Névache at 9h00, ready to begin your ski touring adventure. After a briefing and equipment check, set off on skis up the valley for a steady first ascent into the mountains.

This first day is a perfect warm-up tour, giving you time to get back into the rhythm of ski touring, refine key techniques and begin acclimatising to the mountain environment. The route begins gently through the valley, passing hamlets, chapels and open snowfields before climbing steadily through larch forest to the refuge. As you gain height, the scenery becomes more alpine, with wider views of the surrounding peaks and the welcoming Refuge du Chardonnet appearing in its beautiful high mountain setting.

After arriving at the refuge, there will be time for an avalanche safety refresher, a valuable opportunity to revisit key techniques and build confidence for the days ahead. Then settle in for a relaxed evening and your first night high in the mountains.

Distance: approx. 7 km
Ascent: approx. 700 m

Leave the Refuge du Chardonnet (2,230m) and continue westwards on a more technical stage, traversing beneath the impressive ridgelines of the Cerces before crossing the Col de l’Aiguillette.

Although relatively short, this is a more technically demanding day. The route follows a long, undulating traverse above the valley floor, requiring good balance and efficient movement on skins as you contour through small combes and varied terrain.

The ascent towards the Col or Crête du Chardonnet forms the key effort of the day. Here the terrain steepens, often requiring kick turns and precise track setting. Depending on conditions, ski crampons or short sections on foot may be needed. From here, the route continues down to the Col de l’Aiguillette before a rewarding descent on quiet, rarely visited slopes into a more secluded valley.

A final gentle glide brings you to the Refuge du Clot des Vaches (2,250m), tucked into a peaceful alpine setting beneath the surrounding peaks.

On arrival, there may be the option for a short extension up to a small summit above the refuge, depending on conditions and the energy of the group.

This stage marks a clear step up in both technicality and mountain travel, building on the previous day’s warm-up and preparing you for the bigger days ahead.

Distance: 6–10 km
Ascent: 500–900 m

Leave the Refuge du Clot des Vaches (2,250m) for a more alpine and varied day, travelling through the heart of the Cerces massif between panoramic ridgelines, high mountain passes and frozen lakes.

The day begins with a sustained climb to the Crête de la Ponsonnière (2,824m), the first highlight of the stage. As you gain height, the terrain becomes more open, revealing expansive views across the surrounding peaks.

From the ridge, enjoy a rewarding descent towards the Lac des Cerces (2,410m), set within a broad, dramatic alpine basin. From here, climb steadily again towards the Col des Cerces and then the Col des Rochilles (2,496m), following a fluid line through varied high mountain terrain.

From the col, the descent continues gently past the Lac Rond and Lac de la Clarée, on wide, flowing slopes, before reaching the Refuge des Drayères (2,180m), set in a peaceful and open valley.

This day offers a superb variety of terrain and landscapes, while allowing you to move efficiently through high alpine terrain in preparation for the Mont Thabor summit day.

Distance: 10.5km
Ascent: 750m

Set out from the Refuge des Drayères (2,180m) for the highlight of the week, the ascent of Mont Thabor, one of the most iconic ski touring summits in the Southern Alps.

This is a big mountain journey day, covering around 13 km with approximately 1,300m of ascent. Begin by skinning across gentle terrain before climbing steadily towards the higher slopes below Mont Thabor, finding a good rhythm as the landscape opens into a vast high alpine plateau. As you gain height, the terrain becomes increasingly dramatic, with a real sense of space and exposure all around.

The final approach to the summit of Mont Thabor (3,178m) is the high point of the tour. Depending on snow conditions, the last section may be completed on foot, adding to the sense of occasion as you reach this superb panoramic summit overlooking the frontier between France and Italy. From the top, the views stretch across a huge sweep of Alpine peaks, from the Écrins to the Vanoise and deep into the Italian Alps.

From the summit, enjoy a long and rewarding descent towards the Vallée Étroite. Wide open slopes give way to a more defined valley line as you pass below the Col du Thabor. A final section leads to the welcoming Refuge I Re Magi, where a well-earned evening awaits in this unique cross-border alpine setting.

This is the biggest and most committing day of the tour, bringing together everything you have built over the previous stages.

Distance: approx. 13.5 km
Ascent: approx. 1,300 m

Leave Refuge I Re Magi, set in the unique atmosphere of the Vallée Étroite, and begin your final day of ski touring, crossing back towards the Clarée Valley via the Col du Vallon.

The day begins with a steady climb up the upper Vallée Étroite, following a beautiful mountain line back towards the frontier. As you gain height, the landscape feels increasingly wild and open, offering a final taste of the high alpine environment. The ascent to the Col du Vallon forms the main effort of the day, providing one last rewarding climb before your return to Névache.

From the col, enjoy a satisfying descent into the Clarée Valley, skiing through varied terrain with a real sense of journey as you return to where the adventure began. This final descent brings the journey full circle, back to the quiet charm of Névache.

You should be back in Névache by mid afternoon, allowing plenty of time for onward travel or a relaxed return journey.

Distance: approx. 11 km
Ascent: approx. 850 m