Country:
District:
(S) From the shuttle bus stop, walk up the main street of Bonneval towards Tralenta. Pass the Tourist Office and continue until you have gone past the last chalet. Take the path that runs along the right bank of the Arc to reach the hamlet of L’Écot.
Cross L’Écot to the Sainte-Marguerite Chapel and head down to the large car park below.
(1) At the car park, keep left to join theGR® Tour de Pays de la Haute-Maurienne on the track that climbs up the Arc (signpost towards the Refuge du Carro).
(2) At the first junction, stay on theGR® and take the path on the left which climbs up through the mountain pastures (signpost to the Refuge du Carro). The path climbs quite steeply to a very beautiful waterfall.
(3) Continue up a fairly steep climb until you cross the Plan Sec stream, where the slope levels out. You’ll reach a crossroads at a place called Plan Sec.
(4) Turn right onto the balcony path to quickly reach the Carro refuge.
For the more adventurous, leave your rucksacks at the refuge to make the round trip to the Col du Carro.
(E) From the refuge, a sign indicates the start of the path, warning of the dangers of a high-mountain route. Don’t worry! Although unmarked (and not shown on the IGN base map but clearly marked on OSM), the climb to the Col du Carro remains a ‘classic’ hike; the high mountains lie beyond. Follow the cairns and the very well-marked path, passing first two small lakes, then a series of boulders and small slabs before reaching the pass.
Reach the Col du Carro and its superb collection of cairns.
(5) Follow the same route back to the refuge (E).
Visorando member
Moderate 
Tourism professional
Very difficult 
