EDIT : Since the start of winter , the glacier is no longer accessible by gondola. A new lift gives access to the high altitude area, away from the glacier: discover Live Up there, right at the top, looking down on La Plagne from its great height, La Chiaupe glacier is not exclusively for alpinists. Quite the opposite, in fact, even holidaymakers who spend 11 months out of 12 at sea level can walk on the snow and take back a souvenir photo of the family at over m altitude.
The simplest and most recommended solution if you are not a hardened hiker. You start to climb, rising m in 15 minutes. When you leave the village, you pass over lush green pastures, but the vegetation becomes scarcer as you climb higher. When you pass over the ridge of Les Bourtes, you will probably have butterflies in your stomach and feel a little breathless, quite a normal state as you approach Roche de Mio.
You have completed the first step! To reach the highest point of La Plagne, you take a 2nd gondola from the other part of the same station. This is a 12 minute, steep and rocky ascent. With its wild, even austere beauty, La Chiaupe glacier culminates at an altitude of m.
Up here, you can discover the amazing thrill of walking in snow in the height of the summer. Good to know: the gondola stops m below the actual summit. Wear the appropriate shoes and climb the last metres on foot! Take a look on the webcam. Free for under 5s. Also equip yourself with walking shoes, a good pair of sunglasses and sunscreen. Even if it is hot in the resort, you will need a sweater on the glacier.
A little extra: our friends the dogs can accompany us! All the information about the ski lifts. You can climb part way on foot, but you will need hiking boots. You can leave from Belle Plagne, keep to the right of the Alpine chalets and keep following the footpath on the right.
