Col de Jaillet

The Col de Jaillet offers a magnificent view of Mont Blanc, which appears close by. You can also see a Roman boundary stone that marked the border at the time.

Details

3929740
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.83 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 549 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 549 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,722 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,223 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the hamlet of Le Plan. Car park on the left before the bridge.

(S/E) Follow the road that extends from the D132, which crosses the hamlet and continues into the Torrent du Jaillet valley. Cross the road bridge over the Ruisseau des Grandes Lanches and continue straight ahead along the Torrent de Jaillet.

(1) Pass the hamlet of La Crépinière, ignore the turn-off to the right at the Pont du Moulin bridge and reach a track starting on the left.

(2) Take this uphill track (Chemin des Îles) and follow it until you come to a path on the right near a small valley.

(3) Follow this path, which follows the contour line, and cross the valley. The path continues along the gently sloping mountainside before entering the woods and beginning a steeper climb along the Torrent du Jaillet on your right. You will reach a fork just after crossing a small area of peat bog.

(4) Turn right, pass under a chalet and follow the track to the Col de Jaillet.

(5) After enjoying the view, return along the track you took earlier to the fork above the bog.

(4) Continue straight ahead along the less marked path that runs horizontally. Enter the undergrowth and continue along the hillside to the Ramadieu mountain pastures.

(6) Go around the mountain pastures from above, making a wide circular loop to cross the valley. Reach the fork on the shoulder of Petit Croisse Baulet.

(7) Continue straight ahead on the path, which begins a steep descent. Cross an alpine pasture area and then a wood to reach the hamlet of La Crépinière. Continue for a few metres along the access track to the houses, then take the path on the right to the road.

(1) Take the road on the right and head towards the hamlet of Le Plan (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,223 m - Hamlet of Le Plan - Arrondine (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.81 - alt. 1,279 m - La Crépinière
  3. 2 : km 1.41 - alt. 1,314 m - Track on the left
  4. 3 : km 1.98 - alt. 1,411 m - Path on the right
  5. 4 : km 4.37 - alt. 1,692 m - Fork in the road, to the right
  6. 5 : km 4.7 - alt. 1,722 m - Col de Jaillet (1723 m)
  7. 6 : km 6.42 - alt. 1,661 m - Ramadieu mountain pastures
  8. 7 : km 7.58 - alt. 1,655 m - Épaule du Petit Croisse Baulet, opposite
  9. S/E : km 9.83 - alt. 1,223 m - Hamlet of Le Plan - Arrondine (rivière)

Notes

The route is not well marked but easy to follow with numerous signposts.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
morel38
morel38

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Hello
Wonderful hike
I agree with Bernard Roussel, why change the marked route and get lost on an unmarked trail?
It is much better to follow the path, which is very well marked and much more pleasant

Beautiful view at the end of the spectacular Mont Blanc

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User 27256184

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful view of Mont Blanc.
Lots of people at the pass.
People come from Negeve

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Paddington
Paddington

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Fairly gentle climb with exceptional views of Mont Blanc from the summit.
Be careful on the descent, which is very steep and can become very problematic if the ground is wet/slippery.
I think that if conditions are difficult, a round trip from the start of the climb is much more suitable.

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Bernard ROUSSEL
Bernard ROUSSEL

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike that ends spectacularly when you reach the pass with its majestic view of Mont Blanc. The direction of the hike is well chosen, as the steep climb to Ramadieu must be challenging, especially as it is followed by a long rollercoaster ride. The only downside is why avoid the switchbacks and climb straight up when passing near the Jaillet torrent? I don't see the point, and it would be better if the trails could be respected, especially in a guidebook aimed at the general public.

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Benjalice
Benjalice

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike. The fairly steep climb is mainly through pine trees. The sound of cow bells accompanies us in the background. It's nice.
When we reach the pass, we get a last-minute view of the Mont Blanc range. Magnificent.
We took a well-deserved break for a snack!
We found the descent more enjoyable as it is more open, allowing us to admire the mountains. However, a small section is still quite steep and through pine trees, so watch out for roots.

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rumillyaccueil
rumillyaccueil

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with an exceptional view of Mont Blanc from the pass, although it was slightly clouded over that day. The return via the circular route seems long, with an almost horizontal first section followed by a steep descent with a short section requiring the use of a cable. There are no difficulties along the entire route, but the indicated length seems a little short; it's more like 13 kilometres according to the pedometer.

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Mms74
Mms74

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, with stunning flowers and, of course, superb views of Mont Blanc, as well as magnificent panoramas of the Aravis mountains. Please note that there is a 2-3 metre cable crossing on the way back, which may be difficult for young children and dog owners.

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Allison
Allison

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike in the snow and sunshine. There weren't many tracks, but it was fairly well marked.

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Daniel Bériaux
Daniel Bériaux

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb circular with the added bonus of a view of the entire Mont Blanc range at the finish line, from the Domes de Miage to the Aiguille d'Argentière... magnificent... the only slight downside is the noisy "crowd" at the pass, which is easily accessible from Megève by cable car...!!!!

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mdajl
mdajl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike. The climb is shaded by pine trees. The view of Mont Blanc at the top is fantastic. We met a few hikers at the top and on the way back, but otherwise we were alone. We had no problems because the description is excellent. Thank you to the author.

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zolmica
zolmica

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Following rzuf's comment, we decided to venture onto this trail on 28/03/2021 wearing only our shoes.
The first part went well, although we got a little lost on the climb through the woods just before the Col de Jaillet.
The view from the pass was magnificent, a beautiful gift.
We hesitated to return the way we had come, but in the end we continued along the described path. That was a big mistake! We struggled in the snow and lost track of the path, which made it difficult to progress. Worse still, between Le Char and Ramadieu, disturbing noises coming from under the snow made us fear an avalanche or at least a landslide. The final descent was also difficult and slippery.
In summary, it is a very beautiful route, but in summer or equipped with snowshoes for the second part

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Denis26
Denis26 ★

Thank you very much and I am very pleased that you liked it.

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rzuf
rzuf
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I went on this trail on 28 February 2021. Weather: 9°C, wind ~1m/s, full sun, no clouds.

With these weather conditions, the trail was fantastic. No snowshoes needed if you only want to reach Col de Jaillet. If you want to go to Petit Croisse Baulet, then you might consider using them, but I only had crampons with me and it is still possible to make it. We didn't meet anyone on the trail, just a few groups at the top. Due to the snow, it was easy to lose the trail as it is not well marked and the signs were sometimes covered with snow, but the route is described in detail by the author of this post, so it is easy to follow with the Visorando app or just by downloading the map.

The trail from Le Plan to Col de Jaillet to Petit Croisse Baulet took me 5 hours with breaks in winter, so I assume it is possible to do it even faster in summer.

I recommend the trail and the author 100%!

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