The Grand Colombier circuit from Fénestré

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

At the Fenestré viewpoint, there is a superb view of the Rhône, Lake Bourget and Culoz.
A beautiful walk through the forest and alpine pastures. A short stretch on the road, which wasn't very busy (it must be busier in summer).
Passing under the pylon and over the ridges was a little more difficult, but nothing too challenging.
A beautiful reward at the summit with a magnificent view of Mont Blanc and the Alps.
Perhaps busier in summer, but otherwise a peaceful hike.

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Date of your route : Jun 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike at the end of May 2023. Access to Fenestré is complicated because the road from Culoz via the famous "hairpin bends" is no longer accessible to cars. This means that the journey time increases significantly if you have to go via Artemare (and you miss out on the arrival at the pass) or via Anglefort.
In addition, on the day of our outing, there was a car rally that had closed all the roads on the plateau. As a result, the route was slightly modified, starting at No. 7 without passing through Fenestré (route similar to the "Grand Colombier via Chanduraz" outing).
We followed the GPS track and IphiGénie, so there were no difficulties.
It should be noted that, despite the temptation, you should not stray from the road between "3" and "4". The ridge is easy to follow at the beginning, but the path eventually disappears into dense vegetation and small rocky outcrops that are not very inviting, and even dangerous.

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Date of your route : Oct 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Unfortunately, it was a very foggy day with strong southerly winds. But the route is interesting, with a 360° panorama at the summit of But de Nève, despite reduced visibility on that particular day. This route offers beautiful views throughout (except in the forest, of course), culminating in But de l'Aiglette, above the Drôme valley.

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Date of your route : Oct 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, easy hike. The beautiful autumn colours are beginning to appear on this 6th of October 2022.

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Date of your route : Oct 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hiking on varied trails, forest paths, mountain pasture trails and ridge trails, with exceptional 360-degree panoramic views: Mont Blanc, Vanoise, Lake Bourget, the meanders of the Rhône, the Monts du Lyonnais...

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Date of your route : Jun 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

superb hike and what views: Lake Bourget, Annecy in the distance, etc., and on the other side, the Jura Mountains

to avoid the road (points 6 to 10), I climbed up to the Col de Chambemenes (alternating between forest and pasture, very pleasant). From there, a path leads to the cross and back as indicated, but from points 6 to 1

there is indeed a tricky section near the pylons, but it's very short

Well done for the excellent signage!

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Date of your route : Jun 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

hello
we set off from La Sapette and had no problems, but as mentioned previously, you should point out that the section between km 4 and km 5 is difficult for hikers who are afraid of heights. We saw two hikers give up and clearly advise them to take the road instead
we went as far as the Col de Charbemenes and returned via Les Granges des Sioux, even though the path can seem a little long after Les Granges and before cutting across the road. We enjoyed being surrounded by daffodils, buttercups and cornflowers.
It should be noted that the AIN has finally put up signs for directions, which is great
helene

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Date of your route : Jun 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : No

The first part, from Fenestré to the Grand Colombier pass, is interesting despite the 400 metres on the road. Fortunately, there are few vehicles in mid-June. But the second part is completely useless. A very long descent on the road, then a steep, uninteresting climb in the forest. All in all, it makes for a very disappointing day. It seems that the return trip can be made via "Les Sioux" to the east, which is undoubtedly a much better option. This route is described here: https://bugeysud-tourisme.fr/noesit/!/fiche/randonnee-pedestre-le-circuit-des-scioux-443141/

It should also be noted that the climb from Culoz is reserved for bicycles every second Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. from June to September 2021: https://www.bugeyvelo.com/fr/circuits/le... Access to Le Fenestré by car is therefore impossible during these hours.

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Date of your route : May 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with superb views of the snow-capped peaks and Lake Bourget.
Just one small downside: I'm very prone to vertigo (even on a table) and when I reached the pylon, I froze, almost panicking. So we retraced our steps and took a path we had noticed on the way up, which led us to the road below.
I think it would have been wise to mention the risk of vertigo at this point in the hike.
We hesitated a little at point 10, but overall we are very satisfied with our day.
Pascalinette

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Date of your route : Apr 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Use the route from the bend in the access road to the car park (Croix du Colombier and Grand Colombier) to Fenestrez. The section along the ridges on the Grand Colombier side (pylon) is too high up for me as I suffer from vertigo.
Otherwise, no difficulties encountered and a beautiful walk. Thank you

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Date of your route : Oct 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

a very beautiful hike despite the unpredictable weather and no spectacular view at the cross, but we'll be back! I agree with the comments made on 12 July

Point 1: you don't turn left, but right
Point 3: the fork is much further than 400 metres, it's really far! So it's a long walk along the road

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Date of your route : Jul 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed with GPS guidance (track downloaded as a GPX file), so no problems
The exceptional view once you reach the summit of Grand Colombier is well worth the effort, especially in sunny, windless weather. Lake Bourget, Mont Blanc, the Rhône river, with the sound of cow bells in the alpine pastures in the background.
This route is easy for people who are used to GR-type trails.
There is a short section on the road leading up to the pass where you will encounter cyclists and motorcyclists (take care)
Everyone meets at the top to share this magnificent site.
So, a nice hike!

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Date of your route : Jul 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Point 1: Left? The well-marked trail goes right!
Point 3: the fork is much further than 400m, long walk on the road
Point 4: this section is difficult (climbing over rocks in the forest then along the ridge). This should be specified as it is not suitable for someone who is not used to hiking or is prone to vertigo
Point 5: lack of precision (next hairpin bend!!!). Personally, I couldn't find it, so I took the same route as on the way up, staying on the road to avoid point 4
This hike is well marked (which is rare for the Ain department), with names at each stage. It would be good to include these names in the description
If you are coming from Haute-Savoie, climb the pass from Anglefort (road on the right after the sign), it is much shorter than going via Culoz

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Date of your route : Apr 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Nice hike, a few small viewpoints, but nothing exceptional either. It's a shame Mont Blanc was hidden...
The GPS track is well done and the trail is fairly well marked.
There's a short section on the ridge at "Virieu le Petit" just before reaching the summit. It's quick, but people who are prone to vertigo need to take care.
Between points 8 and 10, the path is a bit rough and the slope is very steep.

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