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The 3670m Dômes de Miage are a series of easy snow peaks at the southern end of the Mont Blanc Massif and often used by guides as as preparatory outing for clients before tackling Mont Blanc itself.
The circular route which also includes the 3425 m Aiguille de Bérangère starts from the 2580m Conscrit hut above Les Contamines - Monjoi and can be done in either direction
Map of the routeStarting from the village the five hour walk to the hut zig zags up through woods with views back West to
the limestone peaks of Chaine de Fîz. on the R is the 2733m Pointe d'Anterne which dominates the western skyline from the Brévent or the peaks of the Aiguille Rouges
Around the tree line, the track heads East to the outflow of the mainly moraine covered Tré-la-Tête glacier
The path turns L into the valley above the glacier : all this would have been ice probably only a 100 years agoRetreat of the glacier has led to this gorge at the outflowA Closer viewI can't remember if we had to descend ladders to get on to the glacier, but that is now the case, and new ladders have to be added each year as the surface sinks. **** The mainly moraine covered glacier is then followed round a corner to a point where a rather unattractive path leads Left up moraine slopes. A cable makes the ascent a bit easier. Eventually the path gets on to easier ground and continues to the hut
Looking up the glacier from the point where you drop down on to itFurther up - the point where the path leads up LeftThe path up the moraine is directly below the cliffsApproaching the new Conscrit hut. Built in 1997, It was I think one of the first of the new type of glass wood and thermal blocks designsThe website view of the hut shows it betterIn contrast to the rather tiresome approach route , the hut was very warm and comfortable
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**** In common with a number of hut aproach routes up rapidly collapsing glaciers a new route to the hut was opened in 2012 - crossing this spectacular suspension bridge
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The next day the weather was poor - thick cloud, so we just walked up the Aiguille de Bérangère - a mixture of grass, snow patches, scree and easy rock with no particular path. The following morning , however, dawned clear and along with most parties we descended to the glacier - more of a slightly downward traverse I seem to remember - and ascended it to do the circuit in a counterclockwise direction. Steve seemed to take a much wider line - i.e further R than most, but the terrain was clearly better (less crevasses) because we emerged ahead of everyone else. As the sun rose we were heading up the snow slopes to the col du Dômes.
Early morning - looking back from just below the 3564m Col du Dômes - start of the traverselooking up to the colThese are the pics of the easy but thoroughly enjoyable traverse
above the col - on the ridge leading to the first dome - looking North to the 4052m Aiguille de BionnassayA wider view includes the Dôme de Gouter and the ridge leading to Mont Blanc: the ridge on the R is the BrouillardLooking up to the second dome (3666m). On the Left is the 3814m Aiguille des GlaciersLooking across to the 3930m Aiguille de la Tré-la-Tête (three heads)The Mont Blanc massif from the highest domeOn the summit of the highest dome (3670m) - maybe I should have adjusted my balaclava Starting the steep descent to the 3348m Col de la Bérangère, with the 3425m Aiguille de la Bérangère beyondBeyond the col - approaching the AiguilleLooking back from the AiguilleThe Tré-la-Tête glacier rises to the impassable Col Infranchisable. On the other side the Glacier de Miages descends to the Italian Val Ferret. At the foot of the Brouillard is the 4030m Col Emil Rey and just to its R Mont Brouillard which is only 39m above it. The little rock lump on the ridge above and L of the Col is the 4460m Pointe Louis Amédée (Picco Luigi Amedeo and named after the Duc d'Abruzzi - a keen alpinist). Fully 35m high, this is surely one of the most ridiculous - and difficult to reach - of the "official" 4000nders A wider view across the upper Tré-la-Tête glacier. Looking down the easy slopes back to the hutWe had hoped to continue next day to the Durier hut and then traverse the spectacular knife edge ridge of the Aiguille de Bionnassay but the weather turned bad again and it was not to be