Le Margeriaz via the Col de la Verne and the Golet de l'Agneau

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

don't go down, it's better to climb up: it's safer (because of the stones or marbles).

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Date of your route : Nov 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

As mentioned by other hikers, it is preferable to do this circular in the opposite direction, i.e. climb up via the Golet de l'Agneau.

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Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

In my opinion, this route is very good, but I would not recommend doing it in this direction. It should be done in the opposite direction, as it is too dangerous in the "Golet des agneaux" section, where the path is very exposed and therefore easier to walk up than down, as it is very slippery. So, I would recommend it, but in the other direction.

In addition, this route passes through a lot of forest with very wet paths, so it is recommended in spring or summer.

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Date of your route : Mar 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did the route in the direction indicated: easy start in the forest, fairly steep but manageable climb up to the plateau. Beautiful view at the top. Steep and dangerous descent from No. 5: a via ferrata-style start with a ladder and cable, ending in a slippery descent over rocks. Please note that this section is not suitable for children, elderly people or animals. On the descent, we met a local who warned us about the number of accidents on this section.

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Date of your route : May 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This hike takes place in late spring, starting from the town hall in Les Déserts. The approach walk is a bit long on the road, but it avoids a few extra kilometres of road when coming from Chambéry. The route is generally easy and does not require a high level of fitness. However, the descent into the Golet de l'Agneau is a little technical and is not suitable for beginners. For those less experienced in descending, it is advisable to do the hike in the opposite direction to the one suggested. By climbing up the Golet, there will be no major difficulties.

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Date of your route : Aug 16, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The average difficulty rating does not correspond to the hike, as it does not warn of the last steep, technical and even vertiginous section, which we did not dare to attempt. We chose to descend via the station and hitchhike back to La Féclaz.
Otherwise, the views were beautiful.

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Date of your route : Jun 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We completed this route with two variations:
We started from the Déserts Town Hall (La Combe) and reached point "2" (Labiaz Reservoir) - which corresponds to the start of route No. 18035 "From the Déserts to the Col de Plaimpalais". If you are coming from Chambéry, this variation saves you a few kilometres by car, as you don't have to park at Col de Plaimpalais.
2- We preferred to turn clockwise, i.e. in the opposite direction to that described in the guide.

In the morning, the route is in the shade. The descent from "3" to "2" (in our case) benefits from the presence of trees.
Several steep sections. A very beautiful hike.

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Date of your route : Jun 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very original and interesting hike, but exhausting

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Date of your route : Jun 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike when done in the direction described.

80% of the route is in the shade, which is a significant advantage. However, be aware that the wind can be strong on the ridge.

The only downside is the lack of markings to find the descent from the summit, requiring a two-kilometre round trip to find the path.

The descent is pleasant (with a ladder), but there are no markings (or I didn't see any) until you reach the bottom...

The rocky section is very slippery and can be dangerous...

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

A fairly shaded route with beautiful views. I recommend it.

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Date of your route : Sep 23, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike, especially with the calm of this first weekend of autumn.
However, I do have a few comments:

First of all, I think the average rating should be revised to difficult, given the length of the route but especially the exposed sections (climbing under the bar, crossing the rocks, walking on the plateau before finding the path).
As others have already pointed out, I think it's safer to do the circular in reverse, so that you're fresher for the technical section and can find the passage over the rocky ridge more easily.
- Finding the passage remains complicated. As some have described, you need to take your time and not commit yourself without a way out. For my part, once I arrived under the bar, I came across a long cable and a path marked both to the left and to the right (in the direction of the climb). After trying the right, I finally went left, which was the best-equipped route.
More generally (especially when doing the circular in reverse), the signs and markings (including the GR) are few and far between. I got lost several times and had to turn back. For your information, I don't use a GPS, just a sheet with a map and a description of the route, the old-fashioned way.

In summary, this circular is really beautiful and varied, the passage on the plateau offers a magnificent view, but the whole thing is still quite challenging.

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Date of your route : May 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

It's a very interesting hike. However, below the Golet de l'Agneau, the slope is very steep. For this reason, we decided to do this hike in the opposite direction, so that we could tackle the steep section at the start of the hike when we were still fresh! In the end, everyone really enjoyed this hike.

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Thank you for these clarifications, which will be useful to the author and other hikers

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Date of your route : Jul 01, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello,

I did this hike yesterday. The explanations seem a bit vague to me:
- First, in the forest 2.5 km from the start, there are three paths with no markings. It would be good to indicate which path to take. I took the left one at random and it was the right one, but I was undecided until point 2.
- Then, to find the Golet de l'Agneau. There are no signs on the ground and it can be dangerous to enter a crevice that is not the right one.You have to look carefully because there is a cairn between two ski lifts (Agneau and Golet), then an old sign indicating the Golet de l'Agneau. The crevice starts at the foot of the sign and heads north. Once you're on it, it's obvious. Be careful not to descend without being absolutely certain of the route.

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Date of your route : Oct 29, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant hike, I did it in the opposite direction, starting at the Col de la Verne. The descent via the Golet de l'Agneau is dizzying and a little dangerous. It's best to start with this section and then go back up. Apart from that, the route isn't very complicated.

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