The Pointe de l'Almet

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very brief description from Col des Fours to Tête d'Auferrand: beautiful ridge but not great for those who suffer from vertigo! Similarly, at the bottom of the descent from the peak, be sure to take the path that branches off to the left and not the one that climbs slightly and enters the forest. Otherwise, a very beautiful hike!

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Date of your route : Jul 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This superb hike can be done in the opposite direction, which is what we did. There were lots of flowers and around thirty chamois crossed the bottom of the valley between points 2 and 3.

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Date of your route : Oct 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I did this walk yesterday knowing that it had rained buckets the day before, but with good shoes and sturdy walking sticks, it went pretty well. The last ridge leading to Pointe d'Almet was snow-covered, so it would have been risky to go there without crampons, which was a bit frustrating as there was only a 15-20 minute walk left, but I preferred to have a snack on the Grande Combe peak. At the summit, I was alone in the world with a spectacular 360° view!
For the return trip, I followed the beginning of the circular indicated in the description but went directly to the Pointe de la Botte for a steep descent on the other side towards the Col de la Colombière.
There weren't many signs, but it was still difficult to get lost. A good old map or an IGN app can help from time to time to find the right trails.
Next time, I plan to cross the massif via the ridges, which is really tempting!

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Date of your route : Aug 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike, moderately busy for August (we were the only ones at the summit at 11 a.m.).
The climb up the valley is very physically demanding, with a steep slope. But the view is worth it when you reach the ridge.
On the way back, you can cut across to reach the Tête d'Auferrand by skirting the combe on the left, along the mountainside. The path is very steep and not necessarily well marked, but you save a good 50 metres of elevation. To do this, in the scree, when the path veers to the right, continue straight ahead.

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Hello,

I expressed myself poorly and perhaps a little too heatedly...

In other people's messages, I noticed that there were some difficulties between Tête d'Auferrand at point (4) and the Col de la Combière. Given this fact, it seemed more appropriate to me to tackle the difficulty right from the start, knowing that it would be less challenging on the way up.
I was a little confused from the outset about which direction to take: as the description was of no help, I navigated solely by following the GPS track.

I have the feeling that the GPS track indicated does not correspond at all to the description: the latter indicates "At the small pass on the left, take the path that joins a small stream, which you follow for a while, then follow the path that leaves the side after a small rocky outcrop". If you follow the GPS track to the letter, the fork begins on the ridge but much higher than the pass: there is no visible path, then you continue following the stream for a long time and not "a little" (as shown on the map).

After reviewing the map, I think the author was referring to the following track, which I have just reconstructed: see here. This seems to correspond better to the description (difficult to detect when walking the route in the opposite direction in an area that was unfamiliar to me). Alternatively, you can also follow the route of another hike that is similar at the start (but passes through Pointe de la Botte): see here
Given the confusion at the time, I rated the description as average. In reality, it would be the GPS track that would be average (and should be adjusted). On site (and without taking a step back), it was difficult to say whether the description or the GPS track was correct.

NB: on the last point, I noted that the point indicating the summit is slightly incorrect and would therefore need to be repositioned (we would be in a ravine not far away).

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Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to give your opinion.

You rated:

Reliability of the description: Average

And wrote:

I did the circular in reverse, starting at Tête d'Aufferand.

Isn't that a bit contradictory?

See you soon

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Date of your route : Oct 12, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike today with favourable weather conditions.
I completed the circular in reverse order, starting at Tête d'Aufferand.

At the start, I followed the GPS track as closely as possible (my only source of guidance): after crossing some pastures, I reached the stream and followed it to its end (with a few detours to avoid some difficulties) without crossing any paths.
Once the ridge line was reached, a trail was found and following it posed no further problems. The route between Tête d'Aufferand and Combe des Fours was quite pleasant.

The climb to the Pointe d'Almet is a little steep at times, but following the route is no problem (be careful if the ground is slippery).
From the summit, I didn't miss the views of Pointe Percée (and Mont Blanc just behind it) and Chartreuse du Reposoir (below).
NB: the point indicating the summit is slightly incorrect and should be repositioned (it would be in a ravine not far away).

The return via the Chalet d'Aufferand was quite pleasant, with a route that posed no difficulty.

Afterwards:
- I think it would be more accurate to describe the hike as "difficult" rather than "moderate".
- The route between Col de la Colombière and Tête d'Aufferand is not easy (or more accurately, not always pleasant): in my opinion, it could be improved.

Thanks to the author for this hike, which was generally quite positive.

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Date of your route : Sep 24, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello, very beautiful hike, people on the trails, not too hot because we had to search for the poorly marked trail, near the summit of Pointe Tres Gras, walking sticks were very useful, as well as for the descent through the scree.
Return via Pointe d'Aufferant and Pointe de la Bosse, very steep descent.
1½ hours to the summit of Pointe de l'Almet, from Col des Fours.
6 hours to complete the circular.

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Date of your route : Aug 16, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A big advantage of the ride is that you get away from the main roads in the Aravis.
However, I don't regret doing it the other way round.
We stopped at the small pass just before the peak (already a beautiful view)... it was high enough.

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Date of your route : Aug 22, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike. The view at the end is breathtaking.
However, the arrival itself is tricky and should only be attempted by sure-footed walkers!
The return journey is also quite complicated: I recommend returning via the same route you took on the way up!
And in my opinion, allow more than 6 hours for the return trip via the Col d'Aufferand.

Thanks to the author in any case.

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Hello, I'm not sure if the trail is well marked, it's more like a small stream to follow...
Thanks for the feedback anyway. Those who follow will need to be extra careful in that spot.

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Date of your route : Jul 29, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello:
We had difficulty following the route between Pointe d'Aufferand and Col de la Colombière.
We were unable to find the route that goes through the valley and followed the ridge line overlooking the pass.
The arrival at the pass was somewhat challenging.
Nevertheless, we would like to thank the author of this hike as it was very enjoyable.

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