The Col de la Vanoise

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We have just completed the tour of the Col de la Vanoise via the Arollets route on the way up and the more traditional route on the other side on the way down, returning to the Fontanettes car park today, 18 October 2025. The weather was cold in the morning (3°C) and mild in the afternoon (15°C), with winds between 0 and 5 km/h and bright sunshine. We met a total of 10 people during this hike between the ascent and the descent.
We wanted to experience this route for ourselves and give our opinion.
We downloaded the GPX track provided on the website onto a Garmin GPSMAP 67.
First of all, the GPX track is reliable and accurate. As for the hike, it is clear that a minimum of mountain experience is required to tackle the Arollets route, and suitable footwear is strongly recommended. Some sections are a little tricky, but nothing out of the ordinary – it's the mountains. As for the path itself, the only real difficulty could be 20 minutes after the start of the Arollets trail, where there is a small ledge about 20 metres long that you have to cross, which could stop people who are afraid of heights. This does not pose a major risk when climbing in dry weather. Towards the top, we encountered icy rocks in the morning, which were easy to get around, with the GPS helping us to find the trail. As for the descent down the same valley, it could become dangerous if the rocks are wet and/or icy. This remark could apply to specific points on the descent. All in all, a magnificent hike in a mineral world, all in a high mountain atmosphere

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Date of your route : Aug 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike, very crowded until the Lac des Vaches. Arriving before point 7, there is a sign indicating to head back towards the Barmettes refuge, where you can take a detour to finish by returning via the same route you took on the way there. Some people took the planned loop and had difficulty getting through(the detour adds a little time to the hike and about 100 metres of elevation gain).

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Date of your route : Jul 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

I love this area. Every year, I climb the Col de la Vanoise and visit Lac de la Patinoire at least once, but I had never done so during the school holidays.
July and August are to be avoided at all costs if you enjoy the peace and quiet of the mountains and solitary hiking. This route is like Eurodisney in Savoie.
Pralo has embraced mass tourism. The chairlift (€15) is an invitation to hike without effort, and there's a charge for parking (€10). In short, you get the picture: it's overcrowded and noisy, with fathers and children splashing around on the cow lake or the round lake. The wildlife in May and June has also got the message, with ibex and marmots fleeing to the less frequented Lac de la Patinoire.
That said, the area is wonderful, but choose your time of year carefully depending on your relationship with the mountain environment.

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Date of your route : Jul 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The route is done in reverse, and no special equipment is required if the river you are climbing up is dry.
There is a small detour at the start of the walk, but it is well signposted.
The Fontanettes car park is paid (€10/24 hours), but you can park in Pralognan and take the free shuttle bus.
When you arrive at the refuge, you can visit Lac Rond and Lac du Col de la Vanoise, which adds about 45 minutes to the round trip.

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Date of your route : Aug 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

You'd have to be mad to suggest this route as a simple hike. I should point out that I did the original route, going up to the refuge via the Barmettes refuge and then the Lac des Vaches, and then "descending" via the Arolets.
I was frightened many times, as the chemin des arolets is simply not a hiking route, and several times I almost fell off the walls, which were so steep that I thought I was going to burst into the rocks 5 metres below. It's almost climbing in places. How could anyone in their right mind have thought that this was a recommended hike? It's dangerous and irresponsible, plain and simple! What's more, there's hardly any signposting, even in high-risk areas. At the tourist office, they tell me that you have to go up by the arolets, and down the other side, as specified by the many comments, and I'll try this reversed route the next time I come, with the utmost caution and climbing equipment.
But I would like to point out the lack of discernment and conscience of those who first recommended this truly dangerous route.

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Date of your route : Aug 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike, which we did following the advice = in the opposite direction.
And we were right to do so, as the climb we did seemed easier in this direction than on the way down.
The scenery is great, but there are quite a few people between the lac des vaches and the refuge des Barmettes (a little less between the refuge du col and the lac des vaches).

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Date of your route : Aug 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Itinerary in the opposite direction. Very good

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Date of your route : Aug 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Do the hike in the opposite direction, Les Fontanettes, the Chalet inférieur de l'Arcelin, etc etc.
This side is much wilder and less frequented.
Return along the GR 55 from the col to the Fontanettes car park; the descent is very easy but unfortunately very busy.

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This is a hike, and the itinerary is not suitable for winter conditions (especially as the Arcelin valley can be very avalanche-prone).
But I'm glad you enjoyed the walk.

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Date of your route : Feb 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Good morning, at the start, a hike to the Lac des Vaches! I went up to the Col and Refuge de la Vanoise. The description of the hike corresponds to a summer outing. It has to start from Pralognan, which makes it 01h00 longer if you do it entirely on foot. But you do have the option of taking a "pedestrian" package. Surprisingly, for a great classic, I found the signposting to the lake rather succinct (it has to be said that the lake is less than 30 minutes from the Génépy arrival station). But you should never be alone! Lots of skiers in "hiking" mode. After the lake, push on to the Col and Refuge. For the view and the beer !!!! According to my Strava, 17 km, 1220 of d+ and 3h30 of effective walking (crampons obligatory and snowshoes for the lake and the pass). Enjoy the walk

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Magnificent hike, but it's essential to do it slowly in the opposite direction as the descent is complicated.
Few people, snow and marmots on the menu
To do again

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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 : No

Beautiful hike, well described in Visorando. Our objective was the Lac des Vaches, so we didn't go as far as the Col de la Vanoise.

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Date of your route : Sep 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Excellent advice to do the route in the opposite direction
I'm not very comfortable with uneven terrain: and if I'd done the walk in the original direction, I would have really struggled on the descent,
Magnificent scenery

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Date of your route : Sep 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Must be done in the opposite direction
It's a good thing I had downloaded the hike, because the signs on the way down on the Lac des Assiettes side were very poor.
Magnificent Col de la Vanoise full of marmots
Very beautiful long lake as well as the wonderful Lac des Vaches with its reflections

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We only followed the "Col de la Vanoise" topo to get to "Lac des vaches". We have no comment to add, as the one proposed is complete. Date of the hike: 03/09/2023.

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