Col de l'Alpette

Date of your route : May 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant hike, with the opportunity to stroll through the mountain pastures when you reach the Col de l'Alpette pass.

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Date of your route : May 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike through the forest, ending on a grassy plateau visited by ibex.

However, this route clearly requires adequate physical fitness and equipment (good crampon-compatible shoes, walking poles, cardio training).

I would not classify it as "moderate" difficulty, but rather "difficult".
I hike regularly (without being an ultra-practitioner) and I relied on this classification, whereas if I had been better informed, I would probably have opted for a gentler route for my first mountain outing of the season.

The climb is clearly very steep (from 30% to over 80% in some places), rocky and slippery in wet weather.

A well-informed hiker is worth two and is happy 😄

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Date of your route : Apr 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A one-hour climb from the La Plagne car park, arriving to a welcome from ibexes!
Mont Blanc on the horizon!
A carpet of purple and white crocuses!
What more could you ask for?

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Date of your route : Sep 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Initially, it is preferable to take the right fork before the hamlet of La Plagne (Alpette signposted, distance 2.2 km, time 1 hour 40 minutes) – this path is less stony than the route starting from the top of the village (1 hour 30 minutes).

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Date of your route : Jun 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This is the second time I've done this hike. It's quite busy.
It's steep going up and down through the woods, but the arrival at the mountain pasture is worth the effort.

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Date of your route : May 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Quite a steep climb, but once you get to the top, you forget all about it. Magnificent.💖💖💖💖💖💖

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Date of your route : Sep 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I did it again yesterday, perhaps the last hike of the year. Even though the weather was overcast, we could see Mont Blanc.
I was surprised that despite the humidity, it wasn't more slippery on the descent. In fact, most of the time there are earthy sections on the path where there is better grip.
It should be noted that since spring 2019, the trail has been partially rebuilt to facilitate the passage of herds. It has been widened and a few switchbacks have been added to the steepest sections (it is still quite steep except at the end).
As there are two options to point 2, you can go up one and down the other.

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Date of your route : Aug 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The climb is steep but pleasant in the cool forest during the summer heat. Beautiful views upon arrival at the mountain pasture. Numerous marmots present.

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Date of your route : Jul 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Quite a steep climb with rocky sections, but it's worth the effort. The plateau with cows and marmots is very pretty. It's a shame there are no chamois.

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Date of your route : Jul 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

The access is quite steep in the woods, so I wouldn't recommend it for a family hike with young children. Make sure you wear suitable footwear.
Only the view of the plateau is very beautiful, with cows grazing and chamois in the surrounding area.

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Date of your route : Nov 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

It is worth continuing for 15 minutes along the mountain pasture towards Granier once you reach the pass to admire the view of Mont Blanc.

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Date of your route : Oct 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The climb (and descent) is steep, but there is plenty of shade, especially in the morning.

Once you reach the plateau, you can continue exploring without any difficulty towards the east or south (GR9).
You can also climb up to the summit plateau of Granier, but there is a pass to cross, which is less family-friendly.

For shelter, there is a nice hut quite close to the pass, on the GR9, just opposite the sheepfold (see refuges.info).
The hut was renovated a few years ago by the municipality of Chapareillan.
There is water nearby.

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