Punta Sommeiller


Punta Sommeiller or Pointe Sommeiller is a mountain of the Province of Turin, Italy and of Savoie, France. It lies in the Cottian Alps range. It has an elevation of above sea level.

Etymology

The old name of the mountain was Rognosa di Galambra, which derived from the secondary valley of Galambra. It was then renamed by the geologist Martino Baretti, author of the first documented ascent to the summit, in order to avoid confusions with two neighboring "Rognosa"s, Rognosa d'Etiache and Rognosa del Sestriere. The new name was chosen to honour Germain Sommeiller, the civil engineer which directed the construction of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel between Savoy and Piedmont.

Geography

In the French subdivision of western Alps it belongs to the Massif du Mont-Cenis while in the SOIUSA it is part of the mountain group called "gruppo d'Ambin" or "groupe d'Ambin".
Administratively the mountain is divided between the Italian comunes of Bardonecchia and Exilles and the French commune of Bramans.
A geodetic point of the Italian Military Geographic Institute is defined on the top of the mountain.

Access to the summit

The easiest route for the summit starts from passo Settentrionale dei Fourneaux, then follows the south ridge of the mountain.

Mountain huts

  • Rifugio Scarfiotti
  • Rifugio Levi Molinari
  • Bivacco Sigot
  • Refuge d'Ambin

    Maps

  • Italian official cartography ; on-line version:
  • French official cartography ; on-line version:
  • I.G.C. - Carta dei sentieri e dei rifugi scala 1:50.000 n. 1 Valli di Susa Chisone e Germanasca e 1:25.000 n. 104 ''Bardonecchia Monte Thabor Sauze d'Oulx''