The Col Vert circular

This medium-altitude hike is ideal for discovering the flora and fauna of our beautiful mountains. Alternating between forest, meadow, scree and the coolness of the streamside.

Please note: comment from a user on 20 June 2024. Moderator's note.
- Landslide on the section from (6) to (7) => Péronnard trail closed (prefectural decree).
Contacted the town hall today, 20 June 2024: work in progress.
- Option: climb to Col Vert (6), via a return trip.
Alternatively, go directly from (5) to (7) to reach the Sentier Péronnard trail.

Details

n°23589294

Creation:
03 Jul 2022

Last update:
19 May 2025

Last review:
20 Oct 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 11.54 km
Average duration: 5h 30
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 763 m
Descent: - 759 m
Highest point: 1,756 m
Lowest point: 1,079 m

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Vercors, Dauphiné
District: Villard-de-Lans (38250)
Start/End: N 45.066528° / E 5.560778°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3235OT, 3236OT, 3236OTR
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Description of the walk

Park at the Parking de l'Amour car park on Rue de l'Échalure in Villard-de-Lans.

(S/E) From the car park, take the small road (Chemin de la Fauge) that goes uphill and continue on the path towards the Pont de l'Amour.

(1) At Pont de l'Amour, do not cross the bridge but continue straight ahead, climbing through the woods towards Les Touvières.

(2) When you reach Les Touvières, continue along the path that climbs opposite towards Les Plâtres.

(3) At Les Plâtres, continue climbing south/east towards Cabane de Roybon.

(4) You can take a shortcut by turning right to go directly to Bergerie de la Fauge.
- Alternatively, at the hut, on the edge of the meadows where cows graze in summer, there are tables and a toilet available. Leave the hut on your left and continue climbing the grassy path for 200 metres until you reach a crossroads.

(5) It is possible to climb to Col Vert (6) and back, following a landslide on the Sentier Péronard. Pass in front of a drinking trough, then the gate, closing it behind you, and continue climbing towards the east.
- Alternatively, turn right, then left and climb south-east to rejoin the Sentier Péronnard trail on the mountainside (altitude 1624).

(7) Head south. Take the time to observe the flora and fauna, including ibex and chamois, not to mention marmots. Stay on this trail for a while to enjoy the exceptional seasonal flora

(8) At Combe Charbonnière, turn right across the scree, staying on the yellow and green marked trail, which is easier than going straight down.

(9) At Les Banchauds, turn right into the undergrowth, heading north towards the Bergerie de la Fauge.

(10) This is where the shortcut from the Roybon hut joins the trail.
Leave the sheepfold on your right as you descend the path on the left, heading west.
Turn right until you reach a crossroads.

(11) You can stop for a break at the Abri de la Fauge, then continue northwards.

(12) Take the path that descends to the right through the woods, heading north towards the stream you can hear.

(13) A well-marked path descends towards the stream. A magical, cool spot. Follow this stream along its left bank, without ever crossing it, until you reach the Pont de l'Amour (Bridge of Love).

(1) Then retrace your steps and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,082 m - Parking de l'Amour Rue de l'Échalure
1 : km 0.77 - alt. 1,114 m - Pont de l'Amour
2 : km 1.6 - alt. 1,239 m - Les Touvières - Cascade de la Fauge
3 : km 2.31 - alt. 1,368 m - Les Plâtres
4 : km 2.7 - alt. 1,437 m - Roybon Hut
5 : km 2.91 - alt. 1,461 m - Crossroads. Option: return trip to Col Vert
6 : km 3.94 - alt. 1,753 m - Col Vert (1766m)
7 : km 4.92 - alt. 1,622 m - Peronnard trail. Altitude 1624 metres - Col Vert (1766m)
8 : km 6.39 - alt. 1,664 m - Combe Charbonnière
9 : km 7.31 - alt. 1,377 m - Les Banchauds
10 : km 8.04 - alt. 1,343 m - Bergerie de la Fauge
11 : km 8.41 - alt. 1,311 m - Abri de la Fauge
12 : km 9.56 - alt. 1,250 m - La Fauge
13 : km 10.23 - alt. 1,175 m - Fork in the road
S/E : km 11.54 - alt. 1,082 m - Parking de l'Amour Rue de l'Échalure

Notes

Uncontrolled water just after the Cabane de Roybon (4). Good shoes recommended for the scree.

Worth a visit

Visit Villard-de-Lans.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5

Based on 13 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5

Route interest
4.8 / 5

bruken

20 Oct 2025 at 11:05 7200

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hike undertaken after heavy rain and snow at high altitude. The Charbonnière valley was very muddy and slippery. The Péronnard valley was very pleasant, despite a few slippery sections, with beautiful panoramic views. Crossing the landslides was very easy. The climb to Col Vert was steep but enjoyable, rewarded with beautiful views.

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brunosabine

18 Aug 2025 at 13:36 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike done during a heatwave, very pleasant as it was mostly in the woods.
We were lucky enough to see griffon vultures at the Col Vert and marmots.
GPS tracking is essential to avoid getting lost, as the markings are random and numerous.

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PierrickBZH

04 Aug 2025 at 19:13 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with no real difficulty and superb views. We completed this loop in an hour less than advertised, taking time to take photos and enjoy a picnic.

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chazallet

08 Jul 2025 at 08:26 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, without any particular difficulties.
At the end of the hike, there is a short stop at the Fauge waterfall, which is very pleasant and refreshing in the hot July weather.
I recommend doing this hike in June/July, when the flowers all the way to the Col Vert are absolutely stunning!

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User 21594508

19 May 2025 at 10:43 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike with a beautiful view at the top... A challenging climb but well worth the effort... Lots of ibexes that day at Combe Charbonnière... A tricky but quick passage across the scree that cuts across the path on the way back when you walk along the foot of the cliffs... A must-do. Requires good physical condition.

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Frederique38

19 May 2025 at 09:19 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A magnificent hike. After Col Vert, we made a short round trip to the hut of the same name.
The Péronnard trail is still officially closed, but the scree is fairly easy to cross. We saw a beautiful herd of ibex in the Combe Charbonnière.

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lemarcheur65

09 Sep 2024 at 13:50 7200

Hello Captainpepe
The trail is still closed:
https://station.illiwap.com/fr/public/38...

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Captainpepe

09 Sep 2024 at 13:43 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A superb walk, with a wide variety of landscapes and views. Part of the route is theoretically blocked by a recent rockfall, but there are several possible options for getting around this obstacle. No particular difficulties, but walking sticks are useful for the descent (we didn't have any).

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Virello

20 Jun 2024 at 08:13 7200 • Edited: 20 Jun 2024 at 09:10 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Beautiful view from Col Vert

Landslide on section 6-7 (Sentier Péronnard), trail closed (prefectural order) and descent to Combe Charbonniere prohibited
We made a round trip to the ROYBON hut and reached point 9 from there.

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Hulotte61

25 Sep 2023 at 19:27 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The path is a bit slippery when it rains between Roybon's cabin and Col Vert.

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craco.35

28 Aug 2023 at 08:26 7200

Col Vert, not green wood!

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mail380

28 Aug 2023 at 08:11 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

The Col du Bois Vert route is very pleasant, sometimes shaded, sometimes open, taking us to the top of the pass where we discover a beautiful panoramic landscape
No particular difficulty

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samsonnet26

21 Aug 2023 at 12:16 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, requiring a little effort to reach the Col Vert. All the elevation gain is at the beginning, then it's a lovely walk back. I didn't know the path along the Fauge and I had never seen the waterfall. It's shady and cool. To climb up, we immediately took the path on the left that passes at an altitude of 1130-1132 metres to reach the Pont de l'Amour. This allowed us to avoid a short return trip. Thank you for this beautiful hike.

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marcrothko

21 Aug 2023 at 09:28 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with a challenging climb (quite steep) to reach the Col Vert. Not difficult, accessible with children. The second part after the Col Vert offers varied scenery and terrain (slopes, scree, undergrowth, walks along the river, etc.).

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mdajl

09 Jul 2023 at 12:34 7200 • Edited: 09 Jul 2023 at 14:09 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A very pleasant hike without any major difficulties. The climb up to the pass is well worth the effort as the view is magnificent. The flora is also very impressive. We only saw one chamois; the animals had probably moved away because on the Péronnard trail we came across a group of about thirty very talkative people! Otherwise, we only met a few people on the rest of the hike.
Between (10) and (11), there is no shade on the trail and it gets a bit hot!
We would happily do it again, hoping not to encounter another large group of hikers.
Thank you for this wonderful suggestion.

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Other walks in the area

Circular route via Roybon and the Fauge Waterfall, starting from Villard-de-Lans

Departure from Villard-de-Lans (Isère)

Escape to the majestic setting of Villard-de-Lans, where trails wind through breathtaking alpine landscapes, offering panoramic views, lush forests and fresh mountain air. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or looking for a leisurely stroll, every step reveals the wild beauty of the Vercors. Get ready for an unforgettable adventure in the heart of unspoilt nature.

Pas de l'Œille via the Vallon de la Fauge and return via Grande Combe

Departure from Villard-de-Lans (Isère)

You start from a place called Les Clots and head to the magnificent Vallon de la Fauge. At the bottom, you climb up the Combe Charbonnière, reach the Pas de l'Œille and look out over Prélenfrey at 1,960 m and the Lac de Notre-Dame de Commiers on the Grenoble valley side. The return route passes through Grande Combe, offering spectacular views, and follows the tracks down to 1,350 metres. You return to Les Clots via L'Aversin. A feast for the eyes, sometimes with chamois!

Villard-de-Lans: From Les Clots to Col Vert, return via Combe Charbonnière

Departure from Villard-de-Lans (Isère)

Climb from the very pretty spot called Les Clots towards the Col Vert and descend via the Combe Charbonnière, a scree slope that is a little tricky to navigate. View of the Belledonne massif from the Col. This allows you to get a good view of the Vercors landscapes and enjoy the variety of the mid-mountain terrain. Not to be attempted in winter! Between 6 and 7, there is a high risk of avalanches, especially towards the Combe de la Charbonnière.

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Author

craco.35
50 Walks

Visorando member

District: Saint-Marcellin (38160)

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