La Cochette

de fr

A short mountain hike leading to an exceptional viewpoint.

Details

n°171867
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.94 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,371 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,371 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 5,295 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,924 ft
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Photos

View of Mont Blanc from the summit
View from the summit
View from the summit: Mont Blanc, Granier, Savoie
Cross at the summit

Description of the walk

Park in the Bruyères car park at the foot of the Déserts ski lifts.

(S/E) Take the D45 road on the left towards the village. A few hundred metres further on, you will come to a crossroads.

(1) Take this path on the left to climb up to the Chalets des Nantet, where a fountain marks a fork in the road. Keep left and continue along this path until you cross the Téléski des Bruyères ski lift. Then turn right and follow the ski lift until you reach a fork.

(2) Take the left-hand path, which is nicer than the ski slope, but the two paths rejoin a little further up. You will reach a crossroads at the top of the Téléski des Bruyères.

(3) Turn right, then immediately after, leave a path on your right and continue to reach the Col du Grapillon.

(4) Turn left at the sign for La Cochette and follow the path to complete the climb and reach the summit of La Cochette.

(5) Retrace your steps to return to the Téléski des Bruyères crossroads.

(3) Turn right to walk through the woods and then across a meadow, and follow a left-hand bend to reach the Bruyères car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,924 ft - Les Bruyères car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.23 - alt. 3,960 ft - Chemin du Nantet
  3. 2 : mi 0.88 - alt. 4,518 ft - At the fork, take the left-hand path
  4. 3 : mi 1.1 - alt. 4,636 ft - Crossroads of the loop
  5. 4 : mi 1.47 - alt. 4,944 ft - Col du Grapillon (1509m)
  6. 5 : mi 2.1 - alt. 5,295 ft - La Cochette
  7. S/E : mi 3.94 - alt. 3,924 ft - Les Bruyères car park

Notes

Good walking shoes.
Walking sticks.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 29 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Supermum
Supermum

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The climb is well worth it: a magnificent view awaits you at the top, whether it’s of the Chartreuse, Belledonne, Mont Blanc… or the vast plain (Isère, Rhône and Ain…). We did the walk in reverse to stay cooler during the ascent.
Thanks for the route

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User 25436705

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A brilliant hike! No problems with the family. It’s a bit of a climb – it is the mountains, after all.
For a more interesting experience – and it’s much prettier – do the hike in reverse: start in the forest and finish on the slopes (or avoid the slopes altogether!)
At the end of April, there were still a few patches of snow, despite the warm weather. But it’s easily manageable with good boots.

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Magali N
Magali N

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

I know La Cochette well, but everything has changed: a large part of the hike is on a very muddy track full of ruts. On the way down, I took the old path directly to the car park, passing in front of the restaurant. This shorter route avoids a lot of slippery mud. In my opinion, if it has rained the day before, it is better to stick to the "classic" route.
Hike completed on 14 September 2025. It had rained the day before.

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User 21654610

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

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Lire7lynx3
Lire7lynx3
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Alpine pasture/ski slope atmosphere, then forest to the summit. The first third, which is exposed, is quite steep, and it's still quite warm even at 6 p.m. Then, in the forest section, the slope is gentler and the air is easier to breathe. At the summit, the views of the Chartreuse and the plain are magnificent. We also enjoyed the return journey between 3 and the finish. An ideal short hike if you don't have too much time but already have trained calves and lungs.

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User 1368656

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike. Very beautiful view

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sjabret
sjabret

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done at the end of July. Started in the sun, which was the hardest part, then entered the forest where it was much cooler. Very nice view from the top. Apart from a bit of a tough climb if you're a beginner, but just take it easy and the rest is accessible. The starting point is easy to find and there is parking available. It's fairly accessible, with a paved road. We did it on a Sunday between 5 and 7 p.m. and didn't see anyone else.
There are very few signposts, but the trail is easy to follow at this time of year and you can get a signal all the way along, so you can use your GPS if necessary.

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GABY et OLIVIER
GABY et OLIVIER

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike and beautiful view at the cross.
The route was busy today and a bit noisy, but we really enjoyed the walk

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Zazamarche
Zazamarche

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice hike
It is best to start in the direction described
The climb is gentler and accessible to beginner walkers
Superb view at the top...

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ChristianNant70
ChristianNant70

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Last route of our week just before the rain...
We did it in reverse, but it didn't matter. Nice viewpoint in the middle for views from Granier to St Christophe les Grottes. The bad weather limited the view, which was a shame.
Worth doing for the scenery, in good weather of course...

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paquerette73
paquerette73

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Really nice, not too crowded and a superb view.
We did it in reverse but it didn't matter at all...
A beautiful day without snow, but very enjoyable!

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danielcandas
danielcandas

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 02, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

the circuit was very slippery at this time of year, and a light snowfall two days earlier did not make it any easier to find.
Beautiful view despite the lack of sun.

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gentonf@gmail.com
gentonf@gmail.com

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very good description, as always, but I think the start of the recommended route was impossible, with an impassable fence. So we turned back and took the usual route, next to the inn. Otherwise, a beautiful view, which makes the effort worthwhile. The slope is steep, especially before the Col de Grapillon. The altitude of the Pointe de la Cochette seems higher to me: 1,618 metres, which is a climb of more than 400 metres, which seems to correspond to the effort required.

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Mauro38
Mauro38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike, no particular difficulty.
The view from the top of La Cochette is magnificent.

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charlie38
charlie38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very nice hike, not very busy before the new lockdown. At the top, there is a beautiful unobstructed view of Mont Granier. There was still a little snow, but snowshoes were not necessary.

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