Save this place and discover nearby attractions with NextOnTrip
In the app you can add it to your favorites, see what else is worth visiting nearby on the map, and earn a badge for your visit.
The app is available for iPhone and Android.
About this place
La Ruinette is a 3,875 m peak in the Swiss Pennine Alps, rising above the Val de Bagnes in the canton of Valais. It belongs to the Ruinette massif, sits close to the Italian border and looks down on the Lac de Mauvoisin.
Where is La Ruinette?
The mountain stands in southern Switzerland at the head of the Val de Bagnes, the valley that also holds Verbier and Fionnay. Its coordinates are roughly 45.979° N, 7.400° E. Seen from the Mauvoisin reservoir, it closes off the horizon with the high glacier country behind.
What makes it stand out?
La Ruinette is the highest summit on the stretch between the Grand Combin and the Dent Blanche. Its closest neighbour, Mont Blanc de Cheilon, reaches almost the same altitude and appears more often in guidebooks. The Glacier de Giétroz covers the peak's slopes.
How do you climb it?
This is a mountaineering objective, not a walk. You need glacier experience and the right equipment. Climbers set off from one of two huts:
- Cabane de Chanrion, on the Bagnes side,
- Cabane des Dix, on the far side of the massif above the Cheilon glacier.
Sleeping in a hut lets you start before dawn, when snow and ice are firmest.
What can you see without climbing?
For visitors who stay lower, the draw is the view from the Mauvoisin lake area: turquoise reservoir water, glacier walls and the front rank of the high Pennine Alps. The upper valley offers full-day hikes, and La Ruinette is visible from many of its trails.
When should you go?
The high-mountain season runs through summer, from July to September, when the huts are staffed and glacier conditions are at their best. In winter the area belongs to ski tourers, while Verbier runs its downhill season in the valley.
FAQ
How high is La Ruinette? It stands at 3,875 m above sea level and is the highest peak between the Grand Combin and the Dent Blanche.
Which canton is La Ruinette in? Valais, in southern Switzerland near the Italian border.
Where do climbers start from? From the Cabane de Chanrion or the Cabane des Dix.
Is La Ruinette the same as Mont Blanc de Cheilon? No. They are two separate neighbouring summits of almost equal height.
Nearby places
Earn badges for the places you visit
Download NextOnTrip, discover new places and check off your trails.