Crossing the Petit Bargy

Date of your route : Oct 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant parish-specific hike with beautiful scenery, alternating between forest, sharp limestone pavement and stunning 360° views of the Aravis, the Mont Blanc range and, on the other side, Geneva.
We did it in reverse. We took a detour to visit the Notre Dame cave (5-10 mins) on the way there and back.
Pretty colours in autumn. The descent through the sharp limestone pavement is tiring in the long run, so we decided it was better to climb up than down. Bargy was a wonderful discovery.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This beautiful route can be done in either direction.
I recommend going anti-clockwise, as it is more scenic.
Please note that parking is on the main road over the pass. There is a car park 200 metres before the fork, on the Rest House side. It can easily fill up at weekends.

The chimney under the Encrenaz pass may pose a problem for those who are not very comfortable (ascent and descent).

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful route, magnificent landscapes. The trail is good, as is the description. You need to be careful, but there are no particular difficulties.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Nov 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Take your time to carefully follow the minimalist blue circles on the sharp limestone pavement.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The departure point was actually a bit far from the path as access was prohibited, so we wanted to return to the starting point by the shortest route, but the last part was not easy. However, this saved us from having to return to the road leading to the pass

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with magnificent views from the summit. Without GPS tracking on the app, I'm not sure we would have found our way easily with just the directions, especially at point 3 across the sharp limestone pavement plateau (although the blue dots help you find your way back if you get lost) and then to find the discreet path that leads to the cave at point 5 (not visible and not marked). But in this case, there were no problems and it was a delightful route. Medium difficulty + because there are quite a few tricky sections in the sharp limestone pavement and scree on the descent. Sure-footedness recommended.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very good description. I had some difficulty finding my way through the sharp limestone pavement, but nothing insurmountable
A very beautiful hike with magnificent views at the end

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It is impossible to park in Saint Bruno and difficult to find a parking space.
The difficulty is rated as "moderate", but I found the passage through the sharp limestone pavement relatively difficult. It went well because it was uphill in dry weather. I think it would be much more complicated in wet weather. The view of the Mont Blanc range is the reward. The elevation gain indicated corresponds to the difference between the starting altitude and the maximum altitude; the actual elevation gain is greater.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful route with magnificent views.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

There is no parking at the start, but we found a place to park 4-5 minutes' walk below St Bruno. However, there isn't much space.
The path through the sharp limestone pavement before reaching Petit Bargy is not always easy to follow despite the blue markers and numerous cairns.
Very beautiful view at the summit.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful route, impeccable description.
A mountain goat, a partridge and a chamois (on the way down) were my only companions.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike that we would love to do again!

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, varied route.
A little more difficult than average due to a few steep sections.
Best done in good visibility as the path through the sharp limestone pavement (3) is sometimes difficult to find (blue dots and sky blue markings). A cross on the ridge marks the Petit Bargy.
The descent from the Col de l'Encrenaz requires the use of your hands.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I climbed up and down the Col d'Encrenaz, so only the section between points 1 and 2, there and back. This section, both on the way up and on the way down (identical), is not signposted at all. The last sign, above the Cha at the point marked "La Grotte alt 1550 m", indicates "Col d'Encrenaz 1h20". And that's it. The trail through the woods (on the way up) is unclear and the return is the same, with a descent through a barely visible trail in the woods, with a 45° slope, which is dangerous if you are not aware of it. Therefore, as far as the proposed route is concerned, the descent after the scree and down to La Cha is not marked at all and the trail is far from obvious.
Without a smartphone map with GPS positioning, it can become very difficult.
The signposting on this route definitely needs to be reviewed.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

The hike took place today in favourable weather conditions
I recommend it for the variety of the route and its superb landscapes, both close by (passages through sharp limestone pavement) and further afield (beautiful views of Le Reposoir, Pointe Percée and Mont Blanc). Some sections require caution (orientation and passages in a very rocky environment).
To make the most of the experience, we also took a detour to the Grand Bargy, where we encountered some ibex (more difficult route; follow the orange markings and cairns).

Many thanks to the author of the description.

Machine-translated