Circular route via the Col de la Sitre

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A hike undertaken in early August 2026, on a sweltering day in the Grenoble valley. We found some relief from the heat above 1,500 metres, though under a blazing sun that followed us all day. The ascent was steady, becoming increasingly steep, but then for the second half of the route the descent was gentle, and we were treated to the pleasure of admiring the Chartreuse mountain range in all its splendour. On the Belledonne side, during the ascent, we came across a myriad of waterfalls, tempting us to retrace our steps towards Lac Blanc. Please note: for the ascent, make sure you take enough water with you as there’s nowhere to top up your supplies. The only water point is at the chalet on the descent, where you can also buy local artisan products.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, though quite strenuous on the climb up to the pass. It’s best to do it in the recommended direction rather than the other way round. The climb up to the pass through the scree is quite tough. The descent from the pass is very easy and very pleasant.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The description is still very vague, succinct, and brief! At the start (La Souille? No, it's Pré Conté on the sign! And don't take the "carriage road" if your car is new and/or your partner is about to give birth), it's a path rather than a trail that you take. It's fairly flat, even descending steeply at times. It's also not very "smooth" due to the roots and large stones you encounter. The path becomes a trail and even crosses a cable-assisted passage! It's not dangerous, of course, but why isn't this mentioned? You don't leave the route for Jean Small Pass until very late on. When you come out onto the mountain pastures at Habert du Mousset. There, the climb is quite steep, although perfectly signposted with double markings: yellow and white/red GR. The Col de la Sitre is very beautiful, like a breach. The climb to the peak takes five minutes and is worth it as you reach the summit. The descent is quite tedious and makes you wonder why you wouldn't do the circular in the other direction. A pleasant circular, but, I insist, the description is so laconic that it borders on the unsaid. (3h25, and yet I dawdled on the laborious ascent of the Col de la Sitre).

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable
Very busy route : No

Hello,

i was going to publish this loop with just the climb to the peak added, which doesn't add much if you go when there are low clouds. I had planned to do the Lac Blanc late in the day and follow this loop, but the low clouds discouraged me because I go to the mountains for the view, and the Lac Blanc without a blue sky (or even in fog) didn't particularly interest me. So I turned off at the ravine towards the pass to do a little loop that I was going to post, but I see it already exists, so I'll just leave my little comment
I put "not very busy", but given the low clouds, that's not surprising. I imagine it's packed on a sunny Sunday.

I can confirm what's been said here, except that it's not really that difficult for anyone who knows what hiking is. It's uphill, that's for sure, but only ~820m of elevation gain (less than 1000), of which about 300m is barely steep, over about 9km (less than 10), really nothing difficult unless you've never done any sport or hiking before. Personally, I would classify it as "moderate", as it's nowhere near the level of difficulty of some of the hikes classified as "difficult" on the same website. But everyone has their own opinion. The slope up to the pass may seem difficult for some and could therefore be enough to classify this walk as such.

However, please note that the Habert du Mousset is supposed to be closed to hikers during the summer grazing season. Unfortunately, this is only indicated at the entrance to the Pré du Molard refuge on the way up. I didn't see anything on the other side. This may be useful to know to avoid any misunderstanding. Personally, I met the friendly local shepherdess and she didn't say a word to me (not even her adorable working dogs ^^). So, who knows? Maybe a sign was forgotten some time ago and is now useless?

Otherwise, it's a short hike, taking around 5 hours to complete, or a little longer for slower walkers (I'm not very fast and I don't race).

In terms of interest, if you want to see the surrounding peaks, avoid low clouds, otherwise it'll be an easy half-day outing for training. That was my case here because there were low clouds everywhere, so → I went for a walk near Gre in the afternoon after much hesitation.

Enjoy your walks and thank you to the author for publishing this ;-)

Machine-translated