Col du Bal

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

Thank you for this hike through beautiful landscapes, which ended with a stunning view of the surrounding peaks.
On the way back, we stopped at a small restaurant in the hamlet of Narreyroux, which serves simple and delicious omelettes.

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Hike not completed, a classic route where there are lots of people!

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Very nice hike (done on 21/7/2023), with no difficulty along the route. The path climbs steadily and consistently, only becoming a little steep just before the pass.

Very pretty waterfall along the way, worth a detour. At the pass, impressive view of the Fournel valley, climbing cliff and incredible geological layers.

Nice refreshment bar in Narreyroux.

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Date of your route : Aug 12, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I extended the return hike through the large wood.

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Date of your route : Sep 29, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Thank you for this beautiful route, but it needs to be redone in the spring.

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Date of your route : Aug 27, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The Col du Bal is our traditional "warm-up" hike when we stay in Les Ecrins. It's an easy hike and there's a beautiful view when you reach the pass. This year, we set off from Puy Saint Vincent 1800. A very beautiful trail through a mixed forest. We climbed to 2040 metres and then descended to 1900 metres to join the trail that starts in the Nareyroux valley. This variation increases the total elevation gain to around 1000 metres (allow for a climb of around 140 metres on the way back). It is regrettable that the start of the trail (Puy St Vincent 1800) is used as a dumping ground for ski lift equipment (old rusty pulleys, oil containers, cable reels, pipes, etc.). It would be good if the local council took action to address this pollution and carried out a thorough clean-up.
A small clarification when you reach the Y-junction where the right-hand branch is marked "cascade". You need to take the left fork. You will then come to a second Y-junction marked by a large cairn: again, take the left fork (vague inscription carved into the stone). Please note that we did this hike on 20/8 and not 27/8, but it is impossible to indicate the correct date.

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Date of your route : Jul 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We left P1 to save ourselves for the part that seemed most interesting. Be sure to make the round trip to the waterfall!
The Pendine ridges: very exposed – I was leading a group and gave up following them; I did the very beginning with some of them. This allowed us to catch a glimpse of the Viso, but you need to be comfortable
Not disappointed because the hike is very beautiful.

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Date of your route : Jun 29, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

As there was still snow and I'm not very brave, I stopped just before the pass.
But the day before, I had climbed the Pendine ridges and enjoyed the scenery very much.
At the junction with Lac des Neyzets, there is a cairn, and you mustn't miss the path leading up to the Col du Bal.

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Date of your route : Aug 28, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful hike with a shared starting point for Lac des Neyzets. Unfortunately, at the junction between Col du Bal and Lac des Neyzets, the signpost was missing, so we followed yellow markings that took us to Lac des Neyzets, which was completely dry and therefore not particularly interesting. We weren't the only ones in this situation!
A beautiful hike nonetheless, with a beautiful waterfall to see about half an hour from the car park.

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Date of your route : Aug 01, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

From the Bal Pass, you can continue along the Pendine ridge to climb to 2,749 metres.

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Date of your route : Aug 15, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Pleasant climb through the forest
Passage after the Col du Bal balcony; can be impressive
Beautiful route from Puy St Vincent

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Date of your route : Jul 07, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Excellent route on a clearly marked trail. Signs at junctions compensate for the faint markings, but in any case, the pass, which is visible from the car park, is unmissable.
At the summit, there is a superb view of the surrounding mountains, including a remarkable view of Pelvoux.

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Date of your route : Jun 27, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We started the hike from the 1,800-metre station in Puy Saint Vincent, which made it longer.
Our intention was to make a loop, descending via the Pendine ridge. To reach the pass, there were a few snowfields that had not yet melted, but they were not dangerous. However, to reach the Pendine, the snow was too dangerous without special equipment (crampons, ice axe, rope). So we descended by the same route we had taken on the way up. Later in the season, the route is feasible for hikers who are not afraid of very steep paths (rated "difficult" for this complete tour).

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Date of your route : Jul 14, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

I did this hike on a very hot day, and the first part under the fir trees and along the stream was quite refreshing. A stop near the beautiful waterfall was a must.
When you leave the woods, just after the junction with the path to Lac des Neyzets, the trail winds upwards for an hour. Near the pass, a friendly marmot came right up to me.
The arrival at the pass was disappointing for my taste, as the view on the other side was not exceptional.
This hike is not difficult.

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