Col de l'Ovine

A very beautiful snowshoe hike starting from the Plateau des Glières.

Details

18555
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  • Snowshoeing
    Activity: Snowshoeing
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.92 km
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 3 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 514 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 514 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,901 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,387 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Access
From Annemasse (Geneva), take the A40 (Chamonix), then the A41 (Annecy). Take exit 19 (La Roche-sur-Foron); drive down the D1203 towards La Roche-sur-Foron (Eteaux), exit on the right and follow the signs for "Annecy" to rejoin the D1203 in the right direction. A few kilometres after the Col d'Évires, the road descends and you turn left onto the Route des Laffins, which you follow to Thorens-Glières. Once in the centre of this village, turn left twice (D55, Route des Glières); follow this road towards the "Plateau des Glières". Shortly before the Plateau, the road descends slightly and at a place called 'Les Collets', take the Chemin du Collet which descends to the right, towards 'Paccot' 'Les Mouilles', Restaurant Gautard (Chez Nathalie et Jean-Claude). Continue to the end and park in the restaurant car park.

(S/E) At the end of the car park on the left, at "Paccot Sud", follow the signs for "Les Mouilles, Chalets des Auges". Take the small path that runs alongside a stream before climbing a little to the Chalet des Mouilles (1,500 m). There is a beautiful view on the right of the rocky chain, which has five peaks and two ridges.

(1) Continue straight ahead (north-east, towards Les Auges); the Rochers de Leschaux are just opposite (you can also see the Pointe d'Andey). Cross a large meadow, keeping slightly to the right. Pass "Plan des Mouilles", continuing to follow "Chalets des Auges" and straight ahead to the edge of the forest.

(2) Take the path that enters the forest and climbs slowly but surely in hairpin bends, becoming quite steep, in a beautiful setting of spruce trees and a few large rocks.
When you leave the forest, you will arrive at "Plan du Loup" at an altitude of 1,670 metres; you will see Pointe de Puvat in front of you (topped by a cross - 1,909 metres).
Turn right towards "Col de l'Ovine" for 150 metres and you will come to a fork.

(3) Do not continue towards "Chapelle ND des Neiges", but turn left towards the rock faces (follow the existing tracks; there should be some). The path climbs more or less steadily up the sometimes quite steep slopes and gradually approaches the rock faces with a succession of ascents and small descents. Beautiful views of Montagne des Frêtes, Sous-Dine, La Tête, the Fillière valley, Plan de l'Aigle, Parmelan, Mont Téret, Tête Noire, Tête Ronde, the Jura; the Plaine de Dran and the Bois des Lanches are below.

(4) At the foot of a steep slope, the trail turns left, crosses a small corridor and, after one last effort, you reach the ridge and the Col de l'Ovine at 1,786 metres.

(5) The view that awaits you is truly unforgettable: the aforementioned peaks to the north-west, but above all, Pointe de Puvat (on your left), Ovine, Balme and Queblette (on your right), Tournette, part of Les Bauges, the impressive face of Mont Lachat opposite you, part of the Aravis, Jallouvre, and so much more!

The scenery is truly splendid, with beautiful pristine snow-covered slopes and a very soothing calm. If the sun is shining, it's really great. You can easily reach the summit of Pointe de Puvat (be careful though) as well as those of Ovine and Balme; if you feel like reaching the summit of Pointe de la Québlette, be very careful.

(6) To return, retrace your steps, descending a short distance until the slope on your left becomes reasonable

(4) (there are often tracks already), head straight ahead (more or less!) towards the chalet that you can see below (west). Cross a sparse forest and pass to the left of the chalet.

(7) Continue straight ahead across a small plateau before returning to the forest and a well-marked path that crosses the Bois des Lanches before reaching Les Mouilles.

(1) Turn left and head for the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,387 m - Car park
  2. 1 : km 0.68 - alt. 1,492 m - Crossroads of the circular
  3. 2 : km 1.41 - alt. 1,533 m - Edge of the Forest
  4. 3 : km 2.33 - alt. 1,682 m - Fork in the road, towards the Col de l'Ovine - Col de l'Ovine (1786m)
  5. 4 : km 2.9 - alt. 1,742 m - Turn-off to the summit
  6. 5 : km 3.14 - alt. 1,779 m - Col de l'Ovine (1786m)
  7. 6 : km 3.58 - alt. 1,901 m - Pointe de Puvat
  8. 7 : km 4.7 - alt. 1,594 m - Chalet
  9. S/E : km 6.92 - alt. 1,387 m - Car park

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 323325

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful walk

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Stef74
Stef74

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike with a spectacular view at the end.
At the beginning of March, snowshoes weren't essential, but crampons were ideal to prevent slipping.
It was a bit crowded until waypoint 2, but on the way to Col de l'Ovine, I only encountered one other person.
The route is very simple and reliable. Just be careful on the slope.
The arrival at the Col de l'Ovine is majestic and the view breathtaking.
If you still have some energy left in your legs, the final climb to Pointe de Puvat is a must, with the chance to share the view with a few chamois.
For the descent, I think it's safer to go down to Waypoint 3 to easily reach Waypoint 7. The descent between Waypoints 4 and 7 had no trail and is in the middle of small, unsafe snow slides.
Thank you for this beautiful hike.

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Libellule🌸
Libellule🌸

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Do not attempt this route on foot. I don't know what it's like on snowshoes – it's designed for that – but I did it on foot in summer. The Col de l'Ovine and Pointe Québlette are really nice with a superb view at the top. However, from the descent at point 6, the passage through the fields was very complicated because there was no marked path and you go straight down without really knowing where to go. I know that the route wasn't designed for hiking, but I'm providing this information for anyone who wants to do the same as me. I therefore recommend descending via the same path as the ascent. Thank you for helping me discover this beautiful place.

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Toine
Toine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful route with magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. As we had time, we added a return trip to the Ovines chalet, where we enjoyed a picnic in the sunshine!

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Sara Crpp
Sara Crpp

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Unable to find the circular after point 5.
Very beautiful view at the pass.

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malbouffe
malbouffe

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We set off from the Sappey car park and headed towards La Buffaz. We climbed up to the sheep farm, but unfortunately we found snow on the path, so we went back down to La Buffaz for a picnic. It was a lovely walk. A popular route

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Mattia27
Mattia27

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant half-day hike. The last trail is not easy to find, but the few tracks and the accuracy of the route on the map (aided by the GPS) make it possible to find it. The view from the summit was very pretty.

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les4filles
les4filles

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

Hello, I'd like to make a few comments about this hike... because we got lost... so it might be useful...
So, at the start, everything was fine: beautiful weather, bright sunshine! Up to Plan du Loup, landmark 4, no problems. Then everything became complicated: no sign for "Chapelle de Notre Dame des Neiges", so it was difficult to know when to turn left. No tracks, except for one... which turned back! We did the same thing: then the fog rolled in very quickly, and there... we took refuge in the Lanches woods. Thick layer of fresh snow, steep slopes, no visibility (but better than on the plateau)... We followed a stream that cut across the contour lines, hoping it was the right one, the Pacot stream. In short, it was a real nightmare!

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misstity74
misstity74

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 28, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A sunny Sunday (yes, the fog is only in the valley!), perfect for this hike.
Be aware that if you arrive mid-morning, the car park indicated in the description will have been full for some time.

Up to Plan du Loup, there are no difficulties. Then, leaving the herd (of hikers!) to climb up to Les Auges, you find yourself closer to nature.
Perhaps a little too close, as when I reached 400/500m from the pass, I found myself on a sloping hillside where my snowshoes couldn't grip. The path was definitely there, as confirmed by a local. There were no tracks except those of ski hikers. This wasn't enough to hold me on the frozen patches, which resulted in a small slip.
Being stubborn, I tried a little further on, but I had to admit that it wasn't the right day for it.

So... the view must be exceptional, but I contented myself with eating my cheese and sausage at the chalet (6)!

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maricath73
maricath73

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 07, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The directions to get there are perfect.
A beautiful hike, but cut short because it started snowing heavily. The trail was well marked, but the weather limited our view of the landscape.

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Aurélie G1.
Aurélie G1.

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant hike, with splendid views from the pass.

It can be a bit tricky to find your way in the snow at times, as the signs are completely covered and the tracks already made go off in all directions.
The description helps you find your way for most of the hike, and the chalet below is clearly visible from a distance on the way back. However, I couldn't find the path to the left of the chalet, which was supposed to be "straight ahead", so I got lost trying to find the path and ended up taking a 2km detour.
I had to follow existing tracks and couldn't go straight ahead. Perhaps it would be easier with less snow!

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Pierô
Pierô

This area is really lovely and easy to get to...
And unlike in summer, in winter you can be sure you won't encounter the wonderful Patou dogs that inhabit the area and are, to say the least, "intrusive" or even aggressive...

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