Aiguille de la Grande Sassière

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb, challenging hike with exceptional views (including the Swiss Alps).
We took ice axes and crampons but didn't use them. (There was no snow on the route, only hard ground on the last 200 metres of elevation gain). We came across a few people wearing forest crampons: this option seems interesting to me.
We are in our seventies and completed the climb in 5 hours.

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Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike. Incredible view

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Date of your route : Sep 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

I agree with everything the author says and recommends. Only to be done in excellent weather conditions (which was the case for us). A very demanding but superb hike (magical ridges and summits)! Don't forget your crampons (many people turned back before the last ridge because they didn't have crampons, which I think were essential that day...). An incredible memory!!! Thanks to the author

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Date of your route : Sep 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

There was a crowd today from 8am, my departure time
The trail was well marked and easy to follow except for a rocky section with several possible routes.
The climb was steep but not too difficult, except for the final ascent.
Today, the trail was sometimes covered with icy snow.
I bypassed it on scree slopes, which were almost always stable, but sometimes you have to change direction when it's unstable or you reach a snowy area.
Very difficult.
Magnificent view from the top.
For the descent, I put on my crampons, which I should have done on the way up, and I was able to follow the trail, with the crampons gripping well in both icy snow and earth
It becomes easy.
Thank you for the trail and the instructions

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Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Departure from the car park at 7:45 a.m. with a return time of 7 p.m. on 20 August 2025. The trail is quite busy (which is normal for the highest hike in Europe), so you need to be in very good physical condition as the last ramp is very steep and high altitude. You also need to be careful of possible freezing/thawing conditions on this section.
Unfortunately, at the summit, there was a thick cloud hanging over the rock face.
Be sure to take the path on the left at the junction at point 2, on the glacier side, in the direction of the ascent.

Otherwise, the route along the ridges is magnificent.

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Date of your route : Aug 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Great hike, with a summit offering breathtaking views.
I did it with my dog in 2 hours and 40 minutes, taking the paths on the left on the way up (no ladders and less vertiginous than the ridge path)
An "accessible" hike (well-marked trail with no major technical difficulties) but physically challenging: several (very) steep sections and prolonged effort at altitude (three-quarters of the route is above 2,500 metres and half is above 3,000 metres), so take this into account depending on your fitness level.
Quite busy, especially in summer - I didn't need crampons (everything was melted on the route), but you should bring good shoes and something to cover up with when you reach the summit.

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Date of your route : Aug 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

hike completed on 15 August. Departed at 5:15 a.m. from the car park and there were already about ten people ahead of me. The climb took 3½ hours, including all the short breaks, and the view from the summit was sublime. The route is very well marked: as indicated, at point 2, stay on the left-hand path and do the same just before point 3. But given how busy it was, it would have been difficult to get lost! I passed about 150 people on my way down!
Please note, as indicated, this hike is for people who are already used to walking in the mountains. The last climb is steep and icy patches make it dangerous. Suitable footwear and clothing are essential (it gets cold quickly towards the end of the route, despite the physical effort)

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Date of your route : Aug 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Taken in August 2025, lots of people at the car park from 8 a.m., quite a few at the summit. Nice 360° view.

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Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Second climb to the summit of the Aiguille de la Grande Sassière after a first attempt on 5 August 2024.
I was very surprised to see so many vehicles parked in the Saut car park in the early evening!
Last year, there were less than 10, and now there were nearly 30!
Got up at 5:10 a.m., no chill in the air.
I started the hike at 6:25 a.m. and took four hours with a few short breaks. Exactly the same time as last year!
At the top, I chatted with a semi-professional trail runner who trains every day and made it up in 2 hours and 15 minutes! 😲
Since I knew the terrain, I felt more confident than last year. But I came across a section that caused me some problems.
I just had to get over a small rock ledge that wasn't very high, but the footing was very slippery, with a definite risk of slipping and ending up on the glacier. I didn't remember this section from last year. And despite several attempts, I couldn't do it!
A very nice couple (Anne-Marie and Patrick) held one of my feet so that I could get over the rock! What a relief! I reached the summit at 10:25 a.m. and was very surprised to see so many people there!
I stopped for an hour and 20 minutes at the summit to admire the view. There was some mist and it was a little overcast on some of the peaks (Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso), whereas on my first climb it was completely clear, cloudless and very sunny...
At the start of the descent, I met my "two saviours" from the morning again, and I walked with them, accompanied by another very friendly hiker, with whom I talked about Nepal. We took our time getting back to the car park (a little over 3 hours), stopping several times to enjoy the beautiful views of the Dent Parrachée (3,696 m), the Grande Motte (3,653 m), the Grande Casse (3,855 m), the Grand Bec (3,398 m), the Dôme de la Sache (3,601 m), the Mont Pourri (3,779 m), the Albaron (3,637 m) and the Pointe de Charbonnel (3,752 m) ...
This is probably one of the most beautiful hikes in France, but I fear that in the near future, it may unfortunately turn into a "motorway"! 😞

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Date of your route : Aug 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike with breathtaking views, but you have to work hard for them on the final climb.
It's not suitable for everyone; you need to be fairly fit.
otherwise, if you do it in the middle of summer in perfect weather conditions, it offers spectacular views.
However, there are a lot of people at the summit (thanks, Instagram 😅), so you really need to get up early to avoid the crowds, but even at 6 a.m., it was already starting to get busy, and it's impossible to be alone up there 😅.
The trail is clear, except for one spot on a ridge where you have to climb over some rocks. It's not the easiest part to find, but you quickly realise that if you take the wrong path, you won't be able to continue.
The car park is right in front of the start and you can even pitch your tent there.

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Date of your route : Aug 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We left Le Saut at 6:25 a.m. and reached the summit at 10:50 a.m. We stayed there for an hour. It was the most beautiful view of our lives!
There were lots of people on the route, so we were able to easily find the right path when we needed to avoid the tricky section at point 2 and at the arrival point on the edge of the glacier. Despite above-zero temperatures, there were a few patches of ice between 3,400 and 3,650 metres, but no more snow on the route.
The weather conditions were almost perfect:
- exceptional visibility: Mt Viso, Ecrins, Mont Blanc, Jorasses, Grands Combins, Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso...
- mild temperatures: +5°C at the summit at 11:30 a.m
- nW wind 20-25 km/h, we quickly put on warm clothes at the summit.
Well acclimatised to the altitude (staying in an apartment in Tigne le Lac (2,100 m) since 2 August, we did three training hikes, including the Ouille Noire (3,300 m).
We found the ascent of the Grande Sassière less challenging than that of the Barrhorn (3,610 m) last year at the same time of year, starting from the Turtemannhütte.
In summary, training, acclimatisation to the altitude, good weather without snow or fog, and a desire to discover the panorama will enable you to reach the summit.
Patrick and Marie-Luce (aged 63 and 61, married for 37 years on 8 August at 11:20 a.m.!

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Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

There is a tricky section before the ridge as there are two visible paths. However, if you check with Géoportail or Maps, you will know where to go. Take the left path, which is the classic route but longer and easier to climb, OR take the right path, which is more slippery and requires more climbing but is less visible and shorter in terms of time and distance. If it has snowed, you can use crampons and walking sticks. Leave at 8 a.m. and you will arrive in the snowy area when it is no longer frozen.
Be careful, the clouds can rise high. The last few hundred metres are steep and the altitude is breathtaking. Take your time but keep going until you reach the top!

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Date of your route : Jun 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

it's more of a mountaineering-style hike
there is no water on the route
no signposts, just cairns
do not attempt this route if you are not an experienced hiker or if you do not have the right equipment

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Date of your route : Jun 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

First summit over 3,000 metres for my friend and me.

We set off at 7:30 a.m., and on the first climb we wondered if we could keep up the pace, but then our muscles kicked in and the trail levelled out, perfect for catching our breath.
When we reached the ridge (~3,000 m), we had to contend with snow all the way to the summit. I would say that you can manage without crampons except for the final ascent, where they saved our hike. However, we decided to leave our bags (11-12 kg) at the foot of the summit to be sure we would make it.
We met a few hikers coming down during our ascent, and that's where their knowledge of the mountain really shone through, as the snow in the afternoon was unstable due to the sun and the temperature. The descent was therefore made with long strides, half of which ended up sinking above the knee, just to add to the difficulty after hours of effort.
We got back at 6.30pm and enjoyed beautiful weather despite a few light showers of rain and snow. I had the bright idea of staying in a T-shirt without sun cream all day, so needless to say I ended up with the worst sunburn of my life (so far).

For me, it's somewhere between hiking and mountaineering, which makes the experience all the more unique and enjoyable.

Easy parking and a stream nearby to clean up.

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Date of your route : Oct 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The weather was marked by thick fog, slippery surfaces and snow cover. From the outset, we knew that we would not reach the summit due to the weather conditions. We were just past the first landmark. Despite this "failure", I will return to try again to climb to the summit!

It is important to note that temperatures can drop very low in October. Do not take this climb lightly...

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