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Camping considerations for Grand Capucin

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 Tomkim 18 Jul 2025

My partner and I are looking to to climb a route on the Grand Cap ( Mont Blanc du Tacul) in August. We want to camp at the base, partly for ease of access and partly because we are too cheap for the refuges. We're wondering if there are any things we need to take into consideration when camping in the Combe Maudite compared with other places. For context, we have pitched the tent at  Envers des Aiguilles  and  Aiguille de Blaitière comfortably but have never camped on snow.

 MG 18 Jul 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

That it's illegal?

11
OP Tomkim 18 Jul 2025
In reply to MG:

Perhaps I used the wrong term and should have said bivouac. It seems fairly commonplace from what I have seen on these forums, other sources on the internet and generally in media surrounding routes on the Grand Capucin.

 MG 18 Jul 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

I don't know the details but periodically tents are removed by the French so if you are biving do pack up during the day 

 abcdefg 18 Jul 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

I am not sure if your question is for real. But, assuming that it is, just plan to use bivi equipment - and leave the tent (and any thoughts of using it) in the valley. That's what everybody else does.

And, obviously, check the weather forecast in advance.

I hope that helps.

7
 LakesWinter 19 Jul 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

Take your shit away with you and back to the valley if you have one whilst up there.

 ExiledScot 19 Jul 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

It's colder than you think, sleep might not be the best, you have to balance this against getting the early first phrique and walking across. 

OP Tomkim 19 Jul 2025
In reply to LakesWinter:

I hadn't considered this but makes sense. Noted.

 Adam Long 19 Jul 2025
In reply to MG:

 Is it illegal in Italy? It’s more than fifteen years ago now, but we got the lift up the Italian side and then camped at the Col de Flambeaux a few hundred metres from the lift. Although technically just in France it seems to be effectively under Italian control who were friendly and unbothered. From there it’s about forty minutes, mostly downhill to the Grand Cap. The bonus is you can go a bit heavier/ comfier on the camping gear and it’s easy to bail if the weather craps out. 

For snow you need a good thermarest, and remember to leave the valve open during the day. I had a nice down one which burst a seam in the afternoon heat. If camping in the Combe you need to be aware of crevasses obvs, there are quite a few.

 rattusrattus 19 Jul 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

Put the tent up after last lift and as the sun is going down. Take it down before first lift and first light. Pack it neatly away from the path, and make sure you know where it is. We spent a stressful 45 minutes searching for our tent as we’d taken it down in the dark and not considered it might be a bit harder to locate on return.

Avalanche probe to check for crevasses. Shovel to dig out a platform and kitchen. Hot drink for the evening, and a lot of layers for when you’re sitting around. I bought an inexplicably overpriced sitmat, and was mocked thoroughly for it, but it has since became a crucial bit of kit for eating dinner and relaxing. 
 

We try to camp at least 100/200 metres from the path, and we’re very strict with packing down before first light even if that does mean sitting about waiting for the sun to hit the rock.

Having said that, there’s a fair tent village set up at Hellbronner which never seems to come down, and a lot of tents under the Cosmiques hut that don’t seem to keep to the rules, but we find it easier to just commit to the late set up/early pack down

OP Tomkim 19 Jul 2025
In reply to Adam Long:

Thanks for the tips and the suggestion for Col de Flambeaux. Sounds like the Helbronner tent village mentioned by rattusrattus.

OP Tomkim 19 Jul 2025
In reply to rattusrattus:

Those extra bits of kit sound very handy. I'll be making some calls to my favourite gear hoarders...

 Matt Podd 20 Jul 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

I bivi’d there years ago. We dug coffins in the ice, to get out of the breeze. Bloody hell it was cold after the sun dropped. Wasn’t helped by my cat shitting on my posh RAB pit just before I left for the alps. I ended up in a Woolworths cheap pit. No sleep! But we got up the Swiss route on the Cap and had a beer on top!

In reply to Tomkim:

There's tents in that area all summer. As others have said, French law is that you can bivi (camping in a tent included) overnight, but are meant to take it down before you move off in the morning.  Many don't bother.

Heed the advice above about using an avi probe to check you aren't camped on a crevasse...

 stuartby 22 Jul 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

there were three tents there at midday today and a dozen others at various places on the way back to the Torino. If the Italian gendarmes get upset about folks camping there then they were taking a day off today. 

 C Rettiw 02 Aug 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

Glad you got some positive replies after initial wave of unnecessary negativity. Enjoy the route, that big ol red tower looks amazing!

My only advice from being in that vicinity yesterday is that that afternoons are really hot with extreme UV. Take precautions. E.g. I have cat 4s, a whitish base layer with a hood, mountain-specific 50+ suncream and UV lippy... and still felt like an ant under a magnifying glass!

Hope you have a great time!

OP Tomkim 09 Aug 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

Thanks all for the advice! We had an amazing 3 days up there. Thought I would give a rundown of our itinerary for anybody who is curious as well as summarise the things we found particularly useful or important for any future readers.

The itinerary:

On day one, we took one of the first lifts up to the Midi and walked over to the Pointe Adolphe Rey where we did the Salluard. Grandissimo! From there, it's a short walk to the Combe Maudit where the bivvy spots for the Grand Cap can be found. Day two we attempted L'Echo des Alpages on the Grand Cap. We got about halfway when my partner's foot pain became too much for me to bear (she wanted to carry on bless her) - a combination of performance shoes and blistered heels. Am I still on for the onsight!? For the final day, we plodded back over to the Midi and did the Rebuffat. Mega! Abseiled to the bags and got back to the lift to be congratulated by flip-flopped tourists.

Our key points:

1. Finding/preparing a bivvy. We brought an avalanche probe but forgot to borrow a shovel. It was a bit nerve-racking walking around and having the probe disappear into the snow every few metres. In the end, we adopted a recently vacated bivvy, probing it thoroughly. We were lucky not to need a shovel and will bring one in future!

2. Sleeping surface. We each brought two roll mats. One 'old school' closed cell foam mat on the bottom and one inflatable mat on top. This worked well and was preferable to shivering/shelling out for a good enough inflatable mat.

3. Keeping things dry. We used one of the roll mats with a shiny plastic coating to sit, put gear and so on. We used rain covers for the backpacks to avoid getting them wet in the afternoon snow. Some more sitting/stashing space would have made things even more comfortable.

4. Gas. We didn't bring enough! The stove is not as efficient in colder conditions, even when keeping the gas bottle out of direct contact with the snow. Our desire for hot drinks predictably increased. We also needed to melt snow for water. We figured out we could melt snow during the day whilst out climbing and also mixed in snow with our day's drinking water with variable success. We had brought 50g of gas per person per day. In future we will up this to 75g.

5. Keeping within the law. On our arrival, we saw 7 tents up in the Combe Maudit at midday. We opted to leave the tent up during our second day.

6. Changing approach conditions. The conditions of the glacier evolved quite a lot in two days of warm, sunny weather. The small crevasses we stepped over on the way were significantly wider on our return. Had we started our trip a few days later, it might have been quite complicated to get back. Apparently the approach from Helbronner/Torino was in better condition so we could have gone that way and got the cable car back across to the Midi.

Overall, I think it's a good place for glacier newbies to have a first experience. You are unlikely to be alone bivvying which we found reassuring. The approach is straightforward as long as it is not too late in the season. Just make sure you get to grips with walking in crampons elsewhere before stepping out of the Midi!

 JTM 09 Aug 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

Just a few comments:

It's much easier/quicker to approach from Helbronner (and obviously much easier to go back to).

Think about changing tactics and using skis.

Get some big rock boots!!

Post edited at 16:28
1
 Nick_ocho 09 Aug 2025

I’d go for the hut over camping - very cold in a camp.

5
 Rick Graham 10 Aug 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

Over the years, I have used most options to climb on and near the Cap.

Early morning from Hellibronner with obligatory in the 60s and 70s near death thunderstorm experience at the third Bonatti bivouac.

Dossing on the lower rocks of the Cap. Far warmer than camping on the glacier

Camping below the Cap.

First bin up from Cham.

Dossing in the Midi top station.

Camping was the most pleasant . Slept quite well but woken a bit by the shivering hulk next to me in a waver thin bag . On reflection I would take a 650g fill bag, a good mat  and  improvise some snow anchors.

Post edited at 12:30
 duncan b 10 Aug 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

We camped below the Capuchin as well as the midi around 15 years ago with no issues, despite hearing the same scare stories regarding the local authorities removing tents. Tens of other people did the same and there seemed no issue with leaving them up. Maybe things have changed since then but from what others have said in this thread it doesn't sound like it. 

Personally, I'd camp rather than bivvy. You'll get a much more comfortable and warmer nights sleep. A good thermarest which gives you some clearance above the snow is a good idea. Also, I'd buy some snow pegs for your tent, e.g. https://amzn.eu/d/aqkPgIk

Edit. Oh, it looks like you've already been. Glad you had a good trip!

Post edited at 13:27
 JohnV 10 Aug 2025
In reply to duncan b:

Instead of expensive heavy pegs, fill plastic bags with snow, tie them to the guy lines and bury them in the snow. Also works in sand. 

 Rick Graham 10 Aug 2025
In reply to JohnV:

> Instead of expensive heavy pegs, fill plastic bags with snow, tie them to the guy lines and bury them in the snow. Also works in sand. 

Polypro sand bags, light strong and cheap.

 Misha 11 Aug 2025
In reply to Rick Graham:

With rockfall danger these days, I’d be wary of sleeping on the rocks (if that’s even possible these days) unless under an overhang, or even close to the face. Grand Cap is relatively solid I think but it’s all relative…

 Misha 11 Aug 2025
In reply to Tomkim:

Thanks for the feedback. Bivvied on the Combe Maudit 11 years ago and it was fine with a decent mat and sleeping bag and digging a bit of a pit with a shovel. Did the same thing on the Argentiere glacier in late March and that was ok as well. Needs good weather of course, but you wouldn’t be up there in poor weather anyway. Main issue is the gas usage as you say. I’d be taking 100g pppn, it’s the kind of thing that can shut you down and it’s not a lot more weight / bulk to take considering you won’t be carrying it that far.

 john arran 11 Aug 2025
In reply to Rick Graham:

I once bivied 3 pitches up the Grand Cap in summer, on the big terrace, in preparation for a hardish route. All went well until sometime in the night I realised I was having to keep open an air passage through the snow which was coming down in huge flakes. Finally got up covered in about a foot of the stuff. Needless to say there wasn't much climbing action got done that day.

 Rick Graham 11 Aug 2025
In reply to john arran:

> I once bivied 3 pitches up the Grand Cap in summer, on the big terrace, in preparation for a hardish route. All went well until sometime in the night I realised I was having to keep open an air passage through the snow which was coming down in huge flakes. Finally got up covered in about a foot of the stuff. Needless to say there wasn't much climbing action got done that day.

A foot, pah, only a shower

Seriously though, I think it depends how channelled the snow gets, as in ,into a couloir or gully.

On a bivi ledge on the Walker, just after the diagonal abseil, once spent two nights getting pushed off with built up behind.

On the Matterhorn N face an afternoon storm made it almost impossible to front point up the slope. The build up on front of your chest lifting you off the ice unless you sidestepped every 30 seconds or so, quite disconcerting.

Post edited at 21:38
 john arran 12 Aug 2025
In reply to Rick Graham:

A big difference being that we were on a purely rock route and we'd climbed with only as much gear as we absolutely needed for the climb and the bivy. No axe, no crampons, not even boots! We had to ab down through the snow in rock shoes to get to our boots which were stashed at the base.


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