Le Grand Galibier

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with stunning views from the summit.

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Date of your route : Jul 29, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

There were five of us on this hike on 29 July. First of all, thank you for the very useful details. Walking round Lake Termier on the left did indeed put us right on the route up to the summit, although it felt a bit counter-intuitive at first.
The scenery is magnificent and we spotted a few ibex.
Overall, I found the walk to be certainly long but physically manageable for people who are in good shape or who hike regularly. However, technically speaking, I hadn’t expected to have to use my hands in that way as we neared the summit. To put it plainly (and this might be useful for some people) I suffer from vertigo, am relatively short (1.70 cm) and, at my age (62), am no longer as agile as I used to be, so two or three sections proved difficult for me, especially when they required high handholds and were in exposed areas – and there are certainly a few where a slip-up would be unforgiving. Despite – or perhaps because of – the blue dots, some sections near the summit seemed to offer two possible routes, making it not always easy to find your way. Overall, I’d advise following the blue arrows and lines rather than the dots during the final ascent where both are present.
Otherwise, there are some very positive points: at the end of July, the trail is still very clearly visible and only disappears as you approach the summit, at which point the blue dots take over. The GPX track is excellent; I’d also recommend using it. So you can forget about the supposed difficulty – which isn’t really a problem at all – of the cairns placed everywhere. In reality, it’s easy enough to find your way at this time of year.
The route is really straightforward right up until after the Col Termier; it’s only during the final ascent that things can get a bit tricky – partly because the terrain is quite challenging and requires constant attention, but also because the final stretch involves what amounts to rock climbing. I don’t think the video does it justice. I was expecting an even tougher descent, but it’s actually fine, especially if you’re prepared to use not just your hands but also your bum in certain places.
So I agree with the comments saying that this isn’t for everyone and that you need to take the few final difficulties seriously. That said, the hike is well worth it in its own right, and even if you don’t make it to the end, it’s worth a go – the view from the Termier Lake plateau over the Ecrins massif is worth the trip in itself.
Of course, right at the top, the 360-degree view is simply sublime.

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Date of your route : Apr 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Contrary to what the guidebook says, I think that technically the final section is a proper technical climb.
A steep slope over scree before finishing with some scrambling (admittedly easy... but where a fall is not an option... and it’s easy to twist an ankle on the descent, especially if you’re tired).
... especially as at this altitude, there can be ice even during so-called warm periods.

Although the elevation gain isn’t huge for someone who’s reasonably fit, if that person is sensitive to altitude and not acclimatised, it can quickly become very difficult.

... so I’d just advise not to take this guide too lightly.

It’s a shame not to go via Lac du Grand Ban and the legendary Pointe des Cerces; it doesn’t add too many kilometres or much elevation gain (though Pointe des Cerces is a snowier area).

All this to say that I did it last year and it’s now one of my favourite routes... but be careful if you’re not used to tackling 3,000-metre peaks; you might be taken aback by the snow conditions (which can change drastically from one week to the next), the scree and the altitude.

Incidentally, via the Grand Lac, the route also looked nice and shorter – isn’t that better for people who only do the Grand Galibier?

And I can confirm that at the Col du Ternier, it’s easy to get lost: cairns everywhere pointing towards the eastern summit of the Galibier... the GPS track really came in handy for quickly correcting my course... because after that, you can’t carry on to reach the western summit... you have to turn back (in theory).

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Date of your route : Sep 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We set off from Les Mottets, a superb hike (thanks to the weather gods that day)! 360° views at the summit, fantastic! A long climb, certainly, but without any difficulties (see detailed guide) and superb views all day long. Be sure to turn left at the Termier pass and follow the path with cairns and blue markings to the top. We descended via the Plan de la Ja (path to the left/north-west at the Ponsonnière pass), which was simply magical and very wild. The path is clearly visible (orange dots help you find your way). We came across hundreds of sheep and the shepherdess, which was wonderful, as well as a beautiful weasel in the valley where the Ponsonnière river has its source! And we got back to the car right on time. A truly magical day. Thank you to the author for the detailed guide.

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Date of your route : Sep 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, quite challenging

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Date of your route : Aug 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A summit that must be earned...

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Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for this very detailed guide. We drove along the track to Le Mottet, at the foot of the path leading to Lac des Cerces. This saved us a very welcome 200 metres of elevation gain. There was plenty of space in the car park at 8.30am, and the forecast was for a beautiful day. There were four of us, all in good physical condition and aged between 17 and 51. The climb took us 3 hours and 15 minutes without any strain – we decided to take our time at the summit and at Lac Blanc and further down the descent (perhaps a two-hour break in total). We were back at the car eight hours after setting off. I mention this because it might be a good idea to adjust the 10-hour estimate in the guidebook – it had discouraged me when I first looked at it.

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Thank you for your feedback and for reminding us of what is stated in the paragraph
"During the hike and nearby" section below the route description.

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Date of your route : Jul 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Second attempt (see previous post, September 2023), this time successful, at this legendary peak in the region.
Practical information: the road between Plan Lachat and Les Mottets was badly damaged in spring 2024 and therefore impassable. On 30 July 2024, it had been repaired and I was able to drive along it.
There were few people in the upper car park at 6:45 a.m., even though it was the middle of the holiday season and the weather was beautiful.
The climb to the Col de la Ponsonnière via Lac des Cerces (where bivouac tents had sprung up) is magnificent, easy going and shaded for most of the morning.
After the pass, the path is clearly visible and marked with cairns.
At the Termier pass, with a view of Lake Termier slightly below, you have two options.
- 1) On the right, a large cairn of purple rocks marks a clearly visible path in equally purple soil that heads off to the right among the rocks. This path is shorter, but it passes through rocky outcrops that must be climbed without any real landmarks.
- 2) On the left, a path that is much less visible at first descends slightly to go around Lake Termier on the left and then climbs back up the scree of the large valley that leads to the summit via a clearly visible, gently sloping path dotted with small cairns. In any case, you should stay as far to the right of this valley as possible, along a large rocky outcrop. This route does not present any particular difficulties compared to the one described above (1)

Paths 1 and 2 merge further up into a single path well before the summit peak.
I set off from the Termier pass, taking path (2) at the same time as a group that had chosen path (1), and we arrived together at the fork...
However, I imagine that path (1) is interesting at the beginning of the season when there is still a lot of snow at the bottom of the valley and around Lake Tremier, as it avoids this lower section.

Continue up this valley to the blue markings (lines, dots and sometimes arrows) that are clearly visible from a first small couloir to climb on the right. An isolated blue dot a little lower down had misled me.
You can put your poles away, as you won't need them again until you reach the top...
After a few harmless acrobatics, you will reach the summit, where you can enjoy an exceptional panorama.
There are numerous ibexes just below the summit, roaming around on small ledges.

Thank you for this guide

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Well, that sunrise must have been fabulous. We were lucky to have such good weather this September. Thank you for your feedback.

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Date of your route : Sep 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike. I camped in Ponsonniere, then resumed my route with 800 metres of elevation gain remaining at 4:00 a.m. with my headlamp so as not to miss the sunrise from the summit!
All the magic of the mountains was right there in front of me!
I did this hike on 24 September 2023.
It was very windy, with some snowfields that were perfectly passable.
As I approached the summit, I followed the blue dots closely, otherwise a bit of simple climbing is to be expected.

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As the summit trail is not shown on the IGN map, I have just updated the route of this trail from Col Termier using the Open Street World map currently available on the website.

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Hello,
For the section between the Termier Pass and the summit, I recorded the route during the hike on the descent, as it does not appear on the IGN map.
However, recorded tracks can sometimes be inaccurate due to GPS satellite connections being disrupted by rocky outcrops, etc

From the Termier Pass, the description is more than sufficient to reach the summit. As indicated in the description, you had to take the path.
It's a shame you didn't reach the summit because at 3,150 m you were only 78 m away from the top, knowing that at this altitude you were supposed to already be on the summit bastion.

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Date of your route : Sep 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful weather and warm temperatures
Departure from Les Mottets. Long approach walk to the Col de la Ponsonnière via the pretty Lac des Cerces.
At the Termier pass, do not follow the path to the right marked by a large cairn of purple rocks, which seems to lead to the eastern summit. A clearly visible path below skirts the lake of the same name on the left (and not on the right as indicated by the GPX track)
After Lac Termier, at the foot of the combe between the east and west summits, there is still no sign of blue dots.
A few cairns indicate a path through the scree towards the left side of this valley (as indicated by the GPX track), while a visible path climbs steeply to the right of the valley.
I followed the GPX track to the left, but after an hour, at 3,150 m, there were still no blue dots, no more cairns, and it was impossible to access the clearly visible passage at the foot of the summit.
Perhaps a recent large rockfall had filled the passage with large boulders?
So I had to climb down some very sharp rocks...
I returned to Lake Termier, but it was now too late to take the steep path on the right side of the valley, which must be the right one since I saw a hiker coming down it.
I'll come back, and maybe this time I'll reach the coveted summit!

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Date of your route : Aug 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

You can start from the Mottets car park (2,140 m). The track is accessible without a 4x4, but the elevation gain is noticeable, especially on the way back at the end of the day!

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