Lake Liael and the Col de Bramanette

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

A lovely walk, and the Bramanette mountain refuge is stunning. Above all, you must stop off at the farm – it’s a museum and the owners are really friendly.

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Date of your route : Sep 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

To begin with, it’s best simply to follow the signs for Alpage de Montbas, without necessarily taking the stony track or passing by the Lo Tasamaou refuge, which is, incidentally, very close to the Montbas mountain farm.
I recommend tracking your progress using the Visorando app with the IGN map background only, though this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a map in your pocket. Furthermore, it’s true that the trail does disappear here and there on the ground.
At the mountain pasture, we were advised of an alternative starting point from Le Planay
Where markings do exist, they are rather haphazard: directional signs, posters, spray-painted markings and yellow paint on the rocks, cairns, and occasionally yellow and red GRP-style markings.
It is best to do the route in the suggested direction, as the final climb to reach the pass is on tricky terrain.

The appeal of this hike could be described as exceptional.
A warm welcome at the Montbas mountain farm.
A friendly Patou dog near the lake, though it’s true that it keeps its distance.

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Date of your route : Aug 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike, but it’s best to follow the numerous signposts for Lac du Liael rather than heading to Plan de la Chasse (which we were advised against as there’s a risk of getting lost!) as indicated in the guidebook!
Watch out for the rather skittish sheepdogs near the lake – thank goodness the shepherd is nearby!
There’s a tricky section on the final few metres before the Col de Bramanette – bring walking poles, and it’s better to climb up this side than to descend.
Two lovely mountain huts along the route with very friendly wardens!

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Date of your route : Jul 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

1) The directions to the start are unclear

It is best to follow the direction indicated on the sign
Then, after 150 m, take the path under the trees at a green-painted gate
Once you reach the forest road, take the path on the left (signpost with markings)

2) After Plan de la Chasse, the path is not signposted and is difficult to follow (the path disappears and the painted markings fade)
It is easier to follow the signs towards Lake Liael

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Date of your route : Jul 26, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A superb hike with stunning views. The climbs are very steep, particularly at the Col de Bramanette, but it’s well worth the effort .
I’ve only given it a ‘good’ rating for the route description because we got lost almost straight away as the terrain doesn’t match the instructions.
- The description says to take “the forest track for 150m, passing under a high-voltage power line” to reach the Montbas mountain pastures, yet there is a path starting from the yellow signpost leading there.
- We followed the instructions anyway. The description continues: “Leave the forest track for a path climbing to the left. Follow this path, keeping to the left at all times”. So we took the first left 150 m after the car park, except that it wasn’t a footpath but another very steep forest track. As there were signs pointing to the Montbas mountain pastures along the track (there were at least five of them all along the way), we carried on. We eventually came across a path on the left (more pleasant to walk on than a track), but it seemed to be going downhill rather than uphill. So we went back onto the track. After a while, we came to another junction with a path crossing the track and an official yellow signpost indicating the car park downwards and the mountain pasture upwards. We assume this is the path we should have taken from the car park but hadn’t found. In any case, this path ends fairly quickly and rejoins the same track that eventually leads to Montbas.
- final inconsistency on reaching the farms: “Pass the first farm and continue towards the second farm. Pass the second farm and after 100m, take the path going up to the right.” The farms were on our left and we had to turn in front of the first one to reach Lake Liael. In other words, we should have arrived from the other side, but I really don’t understand how???
Apart from these initial route issues, which weren’t really a big deal since we reached the lake, everything went smoothly and we had a brilliant day .
Thank you for suggesting this route

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