Circular route around the Pointes des Fours and Leyssières

Well done! Your assessment of the race seems very accurate to me. For me, it's too hard, but I met a hiker who did it without too much trouble.
Congratulations to the septuagenarians!
Liguori (in his sixties)

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Date of your route : Sep 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike can be tricky at times. The "Very difficult" rating is accurate.
There are a few dangerous sections where a fall would be fatal. (We are experienced hikers and mountaineers).
We are glad we did this hike (it adds to our experience as septuagenarian mountaineers), but we do not wish to recommend it because of the risks involved.

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Thank you, danielfr40, for pointing that out. It is a magnificent hike, but I have classified it as TD. Everyone must know their limits. I have also posted other hikes that are just as beautiful and classified as D, which are much more accessible.

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Thank you for sharing your experience
Mountaineering, perhaps not, but everyone has their limits when it comes to climbing
It was clearly advertised as very difficult

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Hello,
That's funny. I was actually at Pélaou Blanc on 12 September, having climbed up from the Col des Fours. The weather was magnificent, a little windy. I had climbed Pointe des Lessières on 2 September, the first day of my stay in Val d'Isère (on very slippery terrain, to say the least!). For me, crossing from Lessières to Pélaou is not hiking at all, but mountaineering; I'm not surprised by the difficulties you encountered.
Climbing Pélaou from Col des Fours is already quite an achievement in my opinion. I descended to Val via Vallon des Fours, which is so much better than via Iseran, which is congested with motorbikes.
Happy hiking!
Liguori, a 67-year-old hiker who hasn't given up.

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Date of your route : Sep 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It was really difficult, too difficult for me. I don't know if I would do it again.
It's a shame, because the views are beautiful, even with a few clouds.
I had trouble getting down from the Arselle peak. I ended up starting to descend on the right side, then I went down a corridor made of soaked earth and stones, which was no more stable than snow, so I slid down on my bum. I should have put on my crampons.
Thank you for the route and description

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Date of your route : Sep 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I climbed Pélaou Blanc from the Col des Fours. The final ascent looks very steep, even impossible for a hiker who isn’t a mountaineer. However, once you reach the foot of those imposing rocks, you realise that the route isn’t actually that steep. You just need to use your hands and avoid venturing over to the ‘Maurienne’ side.
Once at the summit of Pélaou, I admired the panorama in complete tranquillity. But looking at the rest of the route towards Pointe de l’Arselle, I decided it was too risky to continue along the ridge, which was strewn with rocks that looked unstable.
The Pélaou Blanc is nevertheless an interesting alternative to the very popular Pointe des Fours.
Liguori

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Date of your route : Aug 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A hike that is exceptional for its atmosphere and the beauty of the scenery. Be warned, however: the route is reserved for very experienced hikers due to its exposed nature and difficulty. It verges on mountain running, with a few easy climbing sections that may nevertheless be daunting. I strongly recommend wearing a helmet. In practice, the first section is very easy to follow. The route becomes more challenging from point 5. The path is trickier to follow (it is best to stay to the left of the ridge line). The descent into the valley after leaving the ridge line involves a rather tricky section with a fairly steep slope. The time given in the guidebook is accurate (5 hours), but you mustn’t dawdle.

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Date of your route : Aug 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We took advantage of the Thursday summer shuttle buses to travel from Val d'Isère centre up to the Col de l'Iseran; these shuttles are organised as part of Val d'Isère’s heritage tours.
We then made our way to the Col des Fours via the ridge path described in this hike, but in the opposite direction to that described, before descending back to Val d'Isère via the path to the Fond des Fours refuge.
Whilst the first ascent to the Pointe des Lessières and the final descent from the Pélaou Blanc towards the pass are well marked by cairns and relatively straightforward, the path between these two peaks remains very difficult, particularly the ascent and descent of the Ouillette and the Pointe de l’Arselle; the tracks are lost amongst the rock piles, and we had to use both hands several times to haul ourselves up some tricky sections.
Finally, there is a lot of scree, with few solid rocks providing firm footing.
Otherwise, breathtaking views of all the surrounding glaciers and valleys, and absolute tranquillity.
My advice would be not to go alone, to take at least a rope just in case, and to wear long trousers, as the rock flakes off easily and can be very sharp.

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