La Croix du Léat

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The hike begins with a forestry site and crossing a stream.
For about 300 metres, you will encounter thick, slippery mud in which, if you are caught off guard, you will sink 30 to 40 cm. The path has been completely destroyed by forestry tractors.
You could decide to go elsewhere through the brambles and thickets, along perilous paths, but the presence of the stream forces you to return to the footbridge and inevitably wade through 30 cm of thick mud.
On the way back, we cut left off the path through the undergrowth and crossed the stream barefoot and in our swimming trunks to the Q.
I do not recommend this hike for as long as the forestry work continues.
However, once these difficulties are overcome, then YES, it is a beautiful hike, and the author has described it perfectly.

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Date of your route : Jan 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike on 15 December 2024. Snow had fallen the night before! It was a treat for us, powder snow galore!
That said, part of the route had not been used before. We were the first ones there and we were blazing the trail. It was snowing again, which made access very difficult. It was slippery even with snowshoes!
We turned back 150 metres from the cross. That said, it was still great fun.

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Hello Randoneur38, and thank you for your comments.

Good point about the elevation gain! I've just recalculated the altitudes and the elevation gain is now shown as 732 m.

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Date of your route : Jun 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk, often steep. Beautiful views of La Croix and very beautiful forests. It is worth continuing on to Pic du Pin for even more beautiful views before descending to Lac du Leat.
The advertised 926 metres is overly optimistic... count on 780 metres instead.

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Date of your route : Mar 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful walk from Le Bout. Just after crossing the wooden bridge and climbing the steep slope that leads into the forest.
At the Bout chalet, the two Henri IV fir trees are remarkable.
We then pushed on to the Pierre du Pin with crampons. Return via Lake LEAT and its chalet.

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Date of your route : Mar 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Bring crampons or snowshoes, as there is still a lot of snow at the top of the hike.
Circular route around the lake, then pass by the cross before descending. The trail is difficult to follow from the lake to the cross because it is covered in snow, so I used an app to make sure I didn't stray too far.
The lake refuge was still closed at that time.

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Date of your route : Sep 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The detour to the Oule refuge is not compulsory; it is a round trip that adds to the elevation gain, but at the refuge you can enjoy a blueberry tart with a nice cup of coffee! The path to Lake Léa is a little slippery in places.

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Date of your route : Jun 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The climb is "serious" as indicated, see there is no passage without a climb!

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