Colle del Carro

de fr

The Refuge du Carro is already a lovely destination, but when you reach this first goal at the end of the morning and after seeing the panorama, there are various possibilities for a little extra treat. Why not the Col du Carro or Colle del Carro, as you can read on site?
The hundreds of cairns that dot the terrain are sure to catch your eye, as will the view of the Italian side.

Details

n°2521109
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.19 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,113 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,117 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,142 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,025 m
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Description of the walk

Departure from the car park below the hamlet of L'Écot.

(S/E) From the car park, follow the track closed to traffic. At Les Vaillettes, stay on the main track on the left and, after a fairly modest climb, you will reach the Tuilière intersection.

(1) Leave the track here, which continues towards the Sources de l'Arc, and turn left onto the well-marked path. This is a long climb through the mountain pastures, crossing several streams and passing old chalets. This will take you to the junction with the balcony path from Oulietta at Plan Sec.

(2) Continue to the right and in about 15 minutes you will reach the Refuge du Carro.

(3) Opposite the refuge, turn left and take the path, following the cairns that mark the route. After a steady climb, you will reach the Col du Carro.

(4) From the pass, descend via the same route back to the refuge.

(3) Don't forget to make a round trip to the moraine that separates the Lac Blanc and Lac Noir lakes.
Continue the descent via the same route to the hamlet of L'Écot (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 2,029 m - Écot car park - Arc (rivière) - Affluent de l'Isère
  2. 1 : km 2.18 - alt. 2,118 m - Intersection of La Tuilière
  3. 2 : km 5.71 - alt. 2,698 m - Plan Sec intersection
  4. 3 : km 6.58 - alt. 2,763 m - Refuge du Carro
  5. 4 : km 8.09 - alt. 3,141 m - Col du Carro (3149m)
  6. S/E : km 16.19 - alt. 2,025 m - Écot car park - Arc (rivière) - Affluent de l'Isère

Notes

The hike to the refuge is quite long but not difficult.

Worth a visit

Between (S) and (1) Renovated or soon-to-be-renovated mountain pastures and chalets.
Between (1) and (2) Alpine pastures, torrents, waterfalls and marmots.
(3) Refuge open until mid-September.
Beyond (3) Endless cairns.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Yvann F
Yvann F

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A relatively demanding high-altitude hike between the refuge and the pass (rocks and slabs), especially in snow showers and fog, even though a beautiful blue sky awaited us at the summit just a few minutes before we began the three-hour descent to Ecot. A very beautiful hike, a fairly easy climb of over 3,000 metres, but still requiring some experience

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maryvonnefaure
maryvonnefaure

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Frequented up to the Carro refuge

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RENE69
RENE69

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

No difficulty until the refuge. After that, it gets steeper but is easy to follow thanks to the numerous cairns, and the summit is magnificent. Beautiful hike.

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jeanlouisbergon
jeanlouisbergon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

In September, you will be the only one (with two exceptions) to do this hike, which presents no difficulties until you reach the refuge.
It is long and high, but beautiful.
The climb to Colle del Carro is not difficult; you just need to follow the cairns (of which there are many). It's a steep climb, but no problem. What's more, the park rangers had just re-marked the trail and certain sections of the path between the refuge and the pass.
Nevertheless, be careful on the way down as there are many scree slopes.

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berenpapaye
berenpapaye

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The trail is easy and well marked up to the refuge, from where you can climb up to enjoy magnificent views of the black and white lakes nearby. I had trouble finding my way (it veers sharply to the left just before the pass) in the scree strewn with barely visible cairns. But it's not very long and with a little observation, you'll get there ;-)
The view from the pass is well worth the effort.
Thanks to the author of this hike!

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