The Col Vert circular

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This mid-mountain hike is ideal for discovering the flora and fauna of our beautiful mountains. The route alternates between forest, meadow, scree and the coolness of a streamside.

Details

n°23589294
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.17 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,503 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,490 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 5,761 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,540 ft
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Photos

Hike to the Col Vert
Hike to the Col Vert
Hike to the Col Vert
On the climb after the Roybon hut

Description of the walk

Park at the Parking de l’Amour on Rue de l’Échalure in Villard-de-Lans.

(S/E) From the car park, take the small road (Chemin de la Fauge) which climbs and follow it along the path towards the Pont de l'Amour.

(1) At the Pont de l'Amour, do not cross it but continue straight on, climbing through the woodland towards Les Touvières.

(2) Once 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) 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 m until you reach a crossroads.

(5) Pass a drinking trough, then the gate (making sure to close it properly) and continue climbing steeply eastwards. You’ll reach a fork after passing the hairpin bend.

(6) Continue climbing to reach the Col Vert.

(7) Head back down to the previous fork.

(6) Turn left and continue along the hillside beneath the cliff until you reach a fork in the path.

(8) Head straight ahead, southwards. Take the time to observe the flora and the ibex and chamois often found here, not to mention the marmots. Stay on this path for a while amidst the exceptional seasonal flora

(9) At Combe Charbonnière, turn right across the scree, staying on the yellow and green marked path; this is easier than going straight down.

(10) At Les Banchauds, turn right into the woodland, heading due north towards the Bergerie de la Fauge.

(11) This is where the shortcut from the Roybon hut joins the route.
Leave the sheepfold on your right as you head down the path to the left, heading west.
Head right until you reach a crossroads.

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

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

(14) A well-marked path descends towards the stream. A magical, refreshing spot. Follow the stream along its left bank, without ever crossing it, to reach the Pont de l’Amour.

(1) Then retrace your steps along the route you took on the way out to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,550 ft - Parking de l’Amour, Rue de l’Échalure
  2. 1 : mi 0.48 - alt. 3,655 ft - Pont de l'Amour
  3. 2 : mi 1 - alt. 4,065 ft - Les Touvières - Cascade de la Fauge
  4. 3 : mi 1.44 - alt. 4,488 ft - Les Plâtres
  5. 4 : mi 1.68 - alt. 4,715 ft - Cabane de Roybon
  6. 5 : mi 1.81 - alt. 4,793 ft - Crossroads
  7. 6 : mi 2.3 - alt. 5,433 ft - T-junction A/R
  8. 7 : mi 2.45 - alt. 5,751 ft - Col Vert (1766m)
  9. 8 : mi 3.06 - alt. 5,322 ft - Peronnard Trail. Altitude 1624m - Col Vert (1766m)
  10. 9 : mi 3.97 - alt. 5,459 ft - Combe Charbonnière
  11. 10 : mi 4.54 - alt. 4,518 ft - Les Banchauds
  12. 11 : mi 5 - alt. 4,406 ft - Bergerie de la Fauge
  13. 12 : mi 5.22 - alt. 4,301 ft - La Fauge shelter
  14. 13 : mi 5.94 - alt. 4,101 ft - La Fauge
  15. 14 : mi 6.36 - alt. 3,855 ft - Junction
  16. S/E : mi 7.17 - alt. 3,550 ft - Parking de l’Amour, Rue de l’Échalure

Notes

(4) A shortcut is possible by turning right to go directly to the Bergerie de la Fauge (11).

Unmonitored water source just after the Cabane de Roybon (4). Sturdy footwear recommended for the scree slope.

Worth a visit

Visit Villard-de-Lans.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 21 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
User 24431705

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with magnificent views.

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Annick84
Annick84

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Just follow the Viso track and you’ll be fine; however, a long scree slope may cause you to veer off course to a greater or lesser extent, as everyone chooses the route they find most passable (or least strenuous); as long as you keep your eyes on the summit, there’s no chance of getting lost; the reward awaits at the end of the trail; those prone to vertigo should take care, though; we did this hike in July – there were ‘a few’ people, but not enough to call it a ‘crowd’; we didn’t see any ibex, though it must be said it was already late when we passed through the area where they’re supposed to roam🤪

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Robert G
Robert G

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely hike starting from Villard-de-Lans, very early in the morning at around 7 o’clock, to beat the heat.
The climb up to the pass is long and at times very steep, so take it easy and warm up properly…
The reward at the top of the pass is well worth the effort: the narrow path that winds beneath the imposing rocky outcrop, the Sentier Péronnard, offers a magnificent view over the valley. It’s not difficult, but do take care on the scree slope – take your time – until you reach the Combe Charbonnière.
After an easy descent through the scree, the path through the forest is quite steep; make sure you stay on the main path, which descends steeply.
The rest of the route to the Bergerie de la Fauge is fairly wide and very stony in its first section.
Back to the car park – 14 km for me, with 800m of elevation gain.
This hike requires a good level of fitness.

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Fred-42330
Fred-42330

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Walk completed on 12 August 2026
Very pleasant, but be warned: it climbs steeply right from the start and has a significant elevation gain
Marmots to be found
Take care on the scree slope on the way down
A very pleasant circular walk
No water source

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User 30190133

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk with some beautiful views
In my opinion, the suggested route is the best one
No particular difficulties. I’d like to do it again, perhaps adding some variations to extend the distance and make it even more enjoyable

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User 29606435

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A fantastic hike, best enjoyed in mild weather. There are some very technical sections involving ascents and descents, so it’s not advisable to tackle this alone on your first hike, but the scenery is breathtaking. If you’re lucky, you might spot some ibex at point 9.

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Nico_GNTT
Nico_GNTT

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk in glorious sunshine!
Easy to follow. It climbs quite steeply for the first few kilometres. The path is largely passable on the scree between points 6 and 7.
We saw quite a few ibex between points 7 and 8 (see photos).

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User 23163311
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely hike on Whit Monday. There were quite a few people at Col Vert, but we headed off into the Combe Charbonnière, which was much less crowded and absolutely beautiful.
We spotted ibex and marmots along the way.
The final section of the climb up to Col Vert is quite steep, but otherwise there are no particular difficulties for experienced hikers.

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bruken
bruken

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
brunosabine

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
PierrickBZH

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
chazallet

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

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
Frederique38

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
lemarcheur65 ★

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