The Col des Thures

de fr

A short hike allowing you to visit the Italian village of Les Granges de la Vallée Étroite, situated on French territory. This pass, now entirely within France, must have served as a major smuggling route when the Vallée Étroite was part of Italy.

Details

n°1486407
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.59 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,430 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,430 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 7,195 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 5,764 ft
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Description of the walk

Park in one of the car parks at the entrance to the village of Les Granges de la Vallée Étroite.

(S/E) Continue along the road, which is closed to all vehicles except those of residents, to reach the hamlet, then turn left to reach the clearing at the Terzo Alpini refuge.

(1) Take the wide, straight track that passes three chalets, continuing on to reach the Combe de la Miglia stream.

(2) Cross it and begin the pleasant climb through the larch forest. The hairpin bends are easy to navigate and allow you to reach the mountain pasture below the pass without too much effort.

(3) Stay on this almost level path before tackling the final climb, which leads to the pass and Lake Chavillon.

(4) Follow the route you took on the way up to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 5,764 ft - Les Granges car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.25 - alt. 5,846 ft - Refuge Terzo Alipini
  3. 2 : mi 0.41 - alt. 6,017 ft - Combe de la Miglia stream
  4. 3 : mi 1.2 - alt. 6,864 ft - Mountain pasture
  5. 4 : mi 1.79 - alt. 7,195 ft - Col des Thures - Lac Chavillon
  6. S/E : mi 3.59 - alt. 5,764 ft - Les Granges car park

Notes

Fountains in the hamlet of Les Granges.

Worth a visit

This valley has a unique feature, which is partly explained here
There are numerous routes to explore in this valley; please search for them on the website.
There are two stopover lodges available for your stay:
Terzo Alpini Mountain Hut
Rei Maggi Refuge

Reviews and comments

5 / 5
Based on 3 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
kibler georges
kibler georges

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

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kibler georges
kibler georges

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

a magnificent walk in the shade of the woods. Very enjoyable

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bernardino
bernardino ★

Good evening
It’s true, the pass is lovely, and so is the lake.
Have a good evening

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DominiqueAIX
DominiqueAIX

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Thank you, Bernardino,
a lovely walk to a magnificent pass and the pretty Lake Chavillon. We’ll definitely be doing this again next autumn!

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