Ancient Fort of Gondran or Sommet des Anges via Lac des Sarailles

Date of your route : Jun 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike, but a bit disappointing when you reach the Montgenèvre chairlifts! The views are beautiful and the route is varied.

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Thank you for this information. I have just added to the guidebook by mentioning the passage protected by a handrail, as it has just been installed.
Although the antennas are visible and it is possible to find your way using a map and compass, the use of GPS
as in any off-trail area makes navigation much easier for those who know how to use it.
Personally, I started with a map and compass before moving on to GPS and then navigation using a smartphone
connected to an external battery. You need to save the route and the IGN map (which can be downloaded for the whole of France in one go).
The Visorando app is perfect for this purpose.

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Date of your route : Aug 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike offering superb views from the highest point.
The off-trail climb is not particularly pleasant, and a GPS is essential to follow the route (we climbed up a dry river bed, which was easier than slaloming between thorny bushes).
We parked just below the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene in the bend by the roadside.
The two technical difficulties reported in the area between points 9 and 10 have been "corrected". The first has been well filled in with stones, which stabilise the very narrow, sloping path. The second now has a handrail, which makes the ten or so metres that were a little dangerous much safer.
It took us 4½ hours and the distance on my sports watch was 11.5 km.
Thank you for this beautiful walk.

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Date of your route : Jun 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Perfect description
The off-trail section may not follow the GPX track exactly in order to avoid the bushes that line the slope, but you can use the antennas on the ridge as a guide.
Confirmation of the 2m of tricky trail on the descent after the chimneys

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Date of your route : Jun 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello

A small detail regarding point 9: the direction is indicated as Roche Moutte and the path is well marked. No worries, even in the scree. Superb panoramic views.

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Date of your route : Jun 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

What a wonderful discovery these chimneys above the village are, and Lake Sarailles is always a pleasure to visit. The forts area was a little disappointing, as its state of neglect detracts somewhat from the Anges summit, which remains a magnificent viewpoint.

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Date of your route : Jul 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

We followed the entire route, but it took us 7 hours (including breaks and "visits" to the fortifications and shelters). We set off from the car park at the entrance to the village and the climb took around 2 hours 45 minutes in total. On the off-trail section (2), we started a little to the left of the junction with the military trail, following the small stream to a small pond. The antennas remain clearly visible overall. At the trail junction (8), there is a sign pointing to Cervières on the right. At (9), a wooden sign points to Roche Moutte. The start of the trail in the meadow is marked by small square posts. One section seemed difficult to us over a 2-metre stretch because the trail had collapsed in the middle of the sandy slope. The area is marked as difficult on a small sign at the start of the trail from St Michel church, as well as at the start of the Roche Moutte trail on the Route des Fonts.
This hike is magnificent and offers a wide variety of landscapes, including chimneys. Thank you for the description of this route.

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Date of your route : Jul 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We didn't do this hike as described, but followed the route suggested by the Montgenèvre Tourist Office, taking two chairlifts to arrive near Fort Gondrans, which we were lucky enough to visit. Bernard is as passionate as he is fascinating, and took us inside this Maginot bunker before heading back down to the resort via Lac des Anges. A very beautiful hike with the option of continuing on to Fort Janus for those who are not afraid of the extra elevation gain.

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Hello Pierrot

The distance and elevation gain were calculated by the website's software. These figures vary from one site to another and also from one GPS device to another.

On Garmin's Basecamp software, I find 10.5 km for a positive elevation gain of 856 m on a mapped route.

For the actual distance travelled, which is measured by recording the GPS track
GPS and taking into account any additional zigzags (more significant on off-trail sections) that do not appear on the route, you should add at least 20%, hence the 13 km.
Yesterday, I went hiking on the Peyrolle ridges and my son, who recorded the route we took, found a 20% difference compared to what was announced.
Have a good day and enjoy your hikes.
Jean-Yves

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Date of your route : Sep 02, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike that took 7 hours (including a 1-hour lunch break).
Some difficulty finding the off-trail route despite using GPS.
While I agree with the stated elevation gain (880 m for 828), I did cover a distance of 13 km.
The last part of the route is very steep, but it's doable if you're careful.

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Thank you for your comment and for the information about the sign that is no longer on the site. I have just added a cap to the description.
I have written a guide to Le Chenaillet on the website.
Enjoy your walks and have a great holiday.
Jean-Yves

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Date of your route : Aug 01, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A magnificent hike two days ago under beautiful sunshine.
The climb up to WP 2 took us through a meadow covered with flowers, which was a real treat. We met a local figure, the Lady of the Alp, as she called herself. She is no longer young but still alert and lives at Alp du Pied for much of the year.
After WP 2, things get tougher and the steep climb is tough going.
The fort is well worth a visit.
We even did part of the geological trail (the colours are incredible) but didn't make it to the top of Chenaillet due to lack of time. An optional description of the climb to the top would be a plus for this hike.
The descent after Lac des Sarailles caused us some problems with the route. There used to be a sign pointing to Cervières, but it's no longer there, so we had to guess. A little more explanation would have been helpful.
Once on the right path, it's a steep descent to the bottom, which is quite tiring on the legs.
Thank you for this route, which we really enjoyed. It was one of the most beautiful hikes of our holiday so far !

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