Chaberton

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very good hike, definitely challenging and strenuous, but beautiful view once you reach the top. We encountered other people at a certain point, but most of them did not start from the same place.

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Date of your route : Jul 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Greetings,
an easy hike with no technical difficulties. To make it a little more challenging, keep going straight up the final slope between the switchbacks.
A hike that's worth doing for its historical interest. However, Visorando should mention that it's very busy, haha... Avoid weekends and do it during the week. There are far too many people on Sundays when the weather is nice, with buses to overtake on the way up and down, even though they all leave around 2pm and you stay longer at the top.
I went there, but I should have taken my helmet and harness and climbed the via ferrata (which is well equipped and open) on the south-east ridge, which doesn't look very difficult (I couldn't find the rating).
On the other hand, the summit is a real dump. People are definitely disgusting. :'(
Like an idiot, I forgot my crampons and didn't check my headlamp, which had no batteries... so I couldn't go down into the fort to see the famous ice corridors. I could only see the beginning of the frozen staircase.
it took 1.5 hours to descend and 2.5 hours at the summit, avoiding the many loud Italian tourists (about 95% of the people we encountered spoke Italian). I was able to find some peace and quiet by sitting at the end of the fort on the south side, then on the south-east ridge.
I'll do it again one day, maybe on the south-east ridge and during the week.
Happy hiking!

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Date of your route : Nov 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Starting at the bottom of a wooded valley, we begin the real climb towards the pass, which is very rocky and not particularly interesting, but with the majestic summit towering above us, drawing us towards it. Finally, we reach the top of the winding climb and are rewarded with a magnificent fort offering breathtaking 360° views

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Date of your route : Nov 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, unfortunately we were 70 metres from the summit when we encountered icy snow and didn't want to attempt the climb in those conditions. It's important to know when to give up when danger is present.
I want to go back to the route, which is in poor condition. You need to take the left bank halfway along, as the right bank is starting to collapse and is no longer accessible.
Otherwise, it's a great hike with different mountains and magnificent views, especially with the autumn fir trees unglasses.

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Date of your route : Sep 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Hike completed in early September under a blazing sun... despite everything, there was still ice in one of the tunnels.
An easy hike for any self-respecting hiker, with no technical difficulties. The descent can seem a little long, especially from the pass, which I ran down after climbing the Pointes des Roches Charniers the day before which was a much more interesting hike passing by the Pointe des Grands Becs, descending the combe that runs along the Pointe des Trois Scies on the east side to then climb back up to this pass and resume the classic Chaberton route downhill.

The interest of this circuit lies in visiting this former stronghold known as the "fort of the clouds", which has been French since a certain General 2G. A stronghold that was ultimately of little use, as six of the eight towers were rendered useless in a single day by the French army in full retreat.
There are 360° views of the Aiguilles d'Arves, Goléon, Meige and Barre des Écrins, as well as the Viso, to name but a few of the peaks, and the Fort d'Olive, much lower down on the north-western side.
It's something to do at least once.

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a very popular route, but at over 3,000 metres it can get cold very quickly. Make sure you have the right equipment.
otherwise, there are magnificent views of the Écrins massif
and the Italians say that the ruins have become Italian again!
however, Italian legend has it that two hunters were out hunting up there when they heard a noise. One of them was about to shoot what he thought was a chamois, but the other stopped him and said , "Don't shoot, Bertone, it's only a cat..."

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Date of your route : Sep 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nothing difficult except the distance/elevation ratio (7 km with a 1,200 m descent and the same on the way back)
-There is no water available from the chairlift at the bottom of the pass.
-A headlamp is essential for visiting the interior of the fort!
-a jacket is essential for when you're standing still up there.
-it gets very busy, but it clears off around 2 or 3 p.m
-Please do not use this place as a toilet...

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Date of your route : Aug 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

a very popular route, but at over 3,000 metres it can get cold very quickly. Make sure you have the right equipment.
otherwise, magnificent views of the Écrins massif

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Date of your route : Aug 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The appeal of this route lies partly in the 360° view from the summit and partly in its history. It's worth making the effort to immerse yourself in its history.
However, there is no respite from the elevation gain, and two-thirds of the route is on rocky terrain.

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Date of your route : Aug 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike, which is not too difficult despite its length and elevation gain, as long as you follow the well-marked switchbacks and don't try to cut across like some people do.
The contrast between the lower part of the route, which is quite green, and the upper part, which is completely arid, is striking.
The military ruins are impressive and worth the effort to learn about their history.
The trail is busy, but hikers are spread out along the entire route.
This is a recommended route, but make sure you take water with you as there are no water sources along the way.

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Date of your route : Aug 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

I started from the centre of the resort, which makes for a 17.75 km round trip. No particular difficulties, a very smooth route accessible to most people.

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Date of your route : Jul 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

As the car park at the starting point was full, I started from the forest road a little earlier.
you rejoin the route at the point (3). From the point (4) to the CHABERTON pass, I followed the path on the right bank of the torrent; the one indicated seems to cut off at one point. But everything was OK in the end. It was windy and cloudy that day

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Date of your route : Jul 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very good hike, the view from the top is magnificent
Visiting one of the turrets and the "fort" is a real bonus!
As for the hike itself, it starts off gently before encountering the first difficulties just before reaching the Chaberton Pass, with a few sections requiring the use of your hands.
Then there's a climb towards the fort, which can be made easier by using the switchbacks
A 5.5-hour round trip, not including breaks for the "less fit"!

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Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

An easy 3,000-metre peak that is culturally interesting and offers beautiful scenery. There are several possible routes during the final ascent, which can be useful when there is still snow on the trail. Beautiful views, opportunity to climb a turret and visit the fort if there is no snow inside.

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

Discover Fort Chaberton at an altitude of over 3,100 metres ;-)
⚠️ The complete hike 😍 with stunning colours (even with the clouds) 👌
⚡️ Discover this beautiful place here: https://youtu.be/RW-0ZURfqxc
📅 Mid-September 2022
⛰ 14.8 km 1,269 m elevation gain/loss
- 8 turrets + 8 cannons

The climb is fairly gradual but not easy until you reach the pass. Then there's the final climb to the summit.
The elevation gain is well distributed. There are rocks almost everywhere once you reach the cable car visible on the left (and after the paths with the forest on either side)!
There is a tricky section on the way up before crossing the ravine and before reaching the left-hand slope: it's tricky because the ground is unstable, i.e. there are loose rocks. You need to be careful. See the section explained in my video.
Otherwise, you can take the path on the left (actually the return route): I think you need to turn off before that. It's best to have an app or a GPS watch to know when to turn off.

I parked in a car park on the right and you can see a path with barriers on the left.

🌍 All my HD and 4K hikes 🎬 ALL OF FRANCE 💥 #toutelafrance
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