Fort Janus

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hiking during the ski lift season.
very interesting. Combine with a visit to the fort if possible.
See here
Video link
https://youtu.be/3PPvY1HqIw4

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Date of your route : Oct 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable
Very busy route : No

To get to Fort Janus, you have to take two cable cars... which were closed when we arrived in Montgenèvre! You can imagine how disappointed we were not to have been warned about the closing times!
Perhaps next time...

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

The final stretch is a bit steep, but the reward is worth the effort: a magnificent 360° panorama of numerous peaks, including those on the Italian side.

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Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 26 June 23. Very good weather.
Sunny and warm. Excellent visibility: magnificent view from Janus.

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Date of your route : Aug 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike starting from the Fonts valley, which makes the route considerably longer but also much more enjoyable. A very beautiful day, even if the route is too busy for my liking from the Sommet des Anges onwards due to the cable car.

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You will receive an answer by contacting the Tourist Office or the municipality of Montgenèvre.
Have a nice day.

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Hello,

Do you know if it is possible to camp at Fort Janus?

Thank you!

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Date of your route : Aug 19, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike, fairly easy (starting from the top of the Gondrans chairlift). The climb itself is not particularly interesting (wide track), but the view from the top is magnificent. We took both chairlifts in succession: Chalmettes, then Gondrans. But on the way down, we walked back to the top of Chalmettes.

The description is a bit brief, but that's not a problem as you can clearly see the destination from the top of the Gondrans chairlift.

We'll definitely do it again.

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Thank you for your feedback. I have modified this listing so that the chairlift ride is no longer part of the hike. The elevation gain is not the same and is more in line with the difficulty level indicated (which I raised to Medium following Bob's feedback). This hike will attract a different audience.

Please feel free to suggest a hike that starts directly from Montgenèvre on foot.

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Date of your route : Aug 23, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The description of this hike indicated an easy level with a distance of 15.84 km and a cumulative elevation gain of 1,213 m. These figures were completely inaccurate, as they included the use of chairlifts. I did the entire hike on foot, climbing up the valley that leads to Small Pass, and the total distance covered was around 18/19 km with a cumulative elevation gain of around 1,000 m.
The IGN map proved to be all the more useful as my iPhigénie app decided to crash that day. In any case, I can't see how it could be any better than the IGN map.
The hike itself is superb and very spectacular. Thank you for recommending it to me.
I would add, however, that the climb to Fort Janus is not recommended for people who suffer from vertigo.
Overall, in its "entirely on foot" version, I would say this hike is of medium difficulty.

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Date of your route : Jul 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Montgenèvre is at 1,850 metres and Janus is at 2,530 metres, so there is a 680-metre elevation gain. The marker is at 2,565 metres
We walk there from Montgenèvre without taking the lifts.
The 1,213 metres of elevation gain... Someone will have to explain to me how that's possible, because we have a hiking GPS and it's about 680 metres for the climb.
It only takes four hours to get there at a leisurely pace – we've done it five times – the sunset is magnificent, as is the sunrise, but be prepared for low temperatures.

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Date of your route : May 18, 2016
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hike starting not from the top of the chairlifts but from Montgenèvre.
It is an easy hike to the fort, which offers a magnificent view of the Écrins, the Cerces and some Italian peaks. We climbed up to the antenna at the summit of Château Jouan. That day, the peaks were bathed in a sea of clouds.
Here is a video of our trip. https://youtu.be/gvxQwjOPWXc

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Date of your route : Aug 31, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello, in response to your question, the description of the hike is accurate and the route on the map is correct.
The hike is very easy, even with children. The trails, paths and military road are in good condition, with gentle slopes, except under the TK, but this is only for a short distance.
Beautiful scenery on the way up and down, with a magnificent 360° view of France and Italy from the summit, taking in the Clarée valley, Les Ecins, Le Grand Rochebrune, Briançon, Montgenèvre and Claviére.

Best regards

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Date of your route : Aug 31, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello, in response to your question, the description of the hike is accurate and the route on the map is correct.
The hike is very easy, even with children. The trails, paths and military road are in good condition, with gentle slopes, except under the TK, but this is only for a short distance.
Beautiful scenery on the way up and down, with a magnificent 360° view of France and Italy from the summit, taking in the Clarée valley, Les Ecins, Le Grand Rochebrune, Briançon, Montgenèvre and Claviére.

Best regards

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