Col de la Golèse and Lac des Mines d’Or as seen from L’Erigné

The route starts from the Érigné d’en Haut car park. During school holidays, the free ‘E’ shuttle bus provides access to this car park. The start of this hike is at the terminus of the ‘E’ line. If you decide to take the shuttle bus, please be aware of the timetable (allow at least 45 minutes between services) and check the departure times at the bus stops.

(S/E) Follow the road uphill towards Lac des Mines d’Or for about 900 metres until you reach a junction just past the hamlet of Charny.

(1) Turn right, follow the right bank of the Dranse de la Manche and you’ll reach the Pont de Chardonnière.

(2) Leave the bridge on your left and turn right onto the path which climbs quite steeply towards the Col de la Golèse. Walk uphill, first through the woods and then across a clearing, to reach the Vigny chalets.

(3) Continue the climb and, via a few widely spaced hairpin bends, reach the crossroads at the Bonnevalette chalets.

(4) Carry on due south, continuing the steep climb to reach the Col de la Golèse and the Refuge de la Golèse.

(5) Then head back down the same route to the Pont de Chardonnière.

(2) Important note: if you’re feeling tired, you can avoid the climb to the lake by turning left onto the path you took on the way there to return to the junction you passed on the way up.
- Otherwise, cross the bridge – this is the route shown on the map – then turn left to head up towards Lac des Mines d’Or. Please note: just off the bridge, there are two paths running almost parallel to each other. Take the higher one, which is generally the busier and wider of the two.
You’ll soon reach a junction of tracks.

(6) Head straight ahead to complete the climb and reach Lac des Mines d’Or.

(7) Head back in the opposite direction to return to the previous junction.

(6) Turn right to descend to the initial junction you passed on the way out.

(1) Follow the original route back in the opposite direction to return to the Érigné car park (S/E).

Elastic crampons can be very useful on sections of the path where the snow is not powdery and snowshoes are of little use. However, snowshoes will be necessary for the highest sections.

As you approach the Col de Golèse, be wary of the wind, which very often tends to pick up.

When descending the Col de Golèse, it is strongly advised not to take the fork to the right (i.e. to the left on the ascent) at Sous Bonnevalette. This section is very rarely used in winter; the tracks and signposts are virtually invisible and, above all, the path is often on a slope and close to avalanche corridors.

(5) After passing the Col de Golèse, you’ll soon reach the Refuge de Golèse, where you can stop for lunch, for example. The views from there are magnificent. From this refuge, it’s possible to continue and climb towards the Refuge de Bostan, but the route is more challenging and the tracks are limited.
(7) At Lac des Mines d’Or, before turning back, you can walk round the lake fairly quickly (it’s a small artificial lake) and find a few picnic tables or two deckchairs where you can rest in the sunshine and admire a magnificent, peaceful panorama.
From Lac des Mines d’Or, you can carry on towards the Chalets de Fréterolle (about a 30-minute climb in snowshoes).
(S/E) Finally, if you finish your hike too early and have missed the return shuttle, you can, whilst waiting for the next one, enjoy a hot chocolate at Génépi Chez Layanne, which is located right opposite the bus stop for the return journey.