Mont Grelle from Saint Sulpice

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Up to Mont Grelle, it's impossible to go wrong. Even if you're unsure, just wait a few minutes and a fellow hiker will come along to clear up any doubts. The only downside is that on the forest track below Mont Grelle, a sign on the right directs you up into the forest to reach the area of high-voltage power lines cleared under the ridge: Very good. There, the former GR (Gentil-etc) have marked out a new path to reach the ridge. Remember this for the descent. Because a little further on, in the work zone, there is another path marked with a yellow sign indicating the descent to Col St Michel. And if we take this path to descend, we find the forest track we left on the way up, but just above a small stone quarry with a steep 5-6 metre drop and small crumbling rubble. It's dangerous and could be costly for those with unsteady feet. We descend backwards, facing the wall.
Otherwise, it's a delight from start to finish, with brave mountain bikers, trail runners in full training, families marvelling at the view of Lake Aiguebelette, a long page of Savoie history, and almost 1000 metres of elevation gain covered without difficulty over the length of the route.
I highly recommend it!

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Date of your route : Nov 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, long hike (nearly 18km round trip and about 1000m of elevation gain). The view from the summit is well worth the effort. The forest trail is pleasant. However, the markings are discreet and sometimes insufficient. You need to pay close attention, especially on the way back, so as not to take a wrong turn. This happened to me twice. Work on the high-voltage power line has been completed, but the path from Pré de la Drogaz has been badly damaged. Let's hope that the companies responsible for the work will repair it. Ascent in 2:45. Descent (with two small mistakes along the way) in 2 hours.

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Date of your route : Aug 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, and the view at the summit of Mont Grelle is well worth the effort. One small downside for this season on the route: work on the EDF pylons is blocking the path (the high-voltage lines are on the ground). From point 7 (Pré Garrou), the detour requires you to follow the forest track to the left and descend before climbing back up to the right via the same forest track. This adds 3 to 4 km to the route (200/300 m elevation gain/loss). Please note that the work sites are monitored by security guards and dog handlers (work is scheduled to be completed in September 2023).

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Date of your route : Nov 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

very good hike, but lacks views of the lake.

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Date of your route : Apr 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike!
I highly recommend it.
three hours uphill and two hours downhill, I think.

A lovely climb through the forest, then a magnificent view of the lake!

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

A lovely day-long walk. The trail is well marked and easy to follow.
There are no particular difficulties to report. Some sections may be slippery in wet weather.
We were unable to enjoy the view because of the mist, but the atmosphere of the forest was very pleasant, and we had the opportunity to see some animals (perhaps young ibex?).
It is possible to extend the route by heading towards the Col du Crucifix from the Col Saint Michel and passing by the François Premier cave.

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Date of your route : Jun 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A great hike that is fairly accessible overall. We completed it in five hours without rushing.

Be careful between points 6 and 7, however, as the route follows a path that is difficult to walk on. Instead, follow the signs (arrows and markings) on site.

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Date of your route : Sep 27, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

superb hike with magnificent views at the summit

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Date of your route : Aug 06, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Not an easy hike, but it's worth the detour, the scenery is magnificent. Thank you for sharing.

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Date of your route : Sep 10, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike without too many difficulties. The climb is noticeable but not too steep
One or two walking poles will still come in handy
Most of the route is through the forest, without any particular views to enjoy, which I find a shame. I actually prefer it when it's more mountainous
That said, once you reach the top, the view is beautiful and your efforts are rewarded

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Date of your route : Feb 19, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A magnificent hike that I highly recommend! Beautiful views of Lake Aiguebelette, the Chambéry basin, the Chartreuse, the Bauges, the Belledonne and, as a bonus, Mont Blanc. What more could you ask for?
From the "Pré de la Drogaz", the snow slows you down a little. You can manage without snowshoes, but I recommend waterproof boots, waterproof gaiters and walking poles.
Many thanks to the author for sharing this beautiful route.

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Date of your route : Aug 07, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Our route: 17.1 km / Elevation gain: 948 m / Elevation loss: 928 m / 6 hours.
We set off from the car park at St Sulpice Church.
As mentioned in a previous comment, you don't really feel the elevation gain, which is around 1,000 m
We were on slippery ground, so we remained vigilant before arriving at Pré Garou (good shoes and walking sticks recommended). The same was true before arriving at Le Signal, where the vegetation is so dense that it is difficult to see the trail. As the Mont Grelle viewpoint was full (avoid lunchtime), we settled for a small plateau to the right of Les Pylones, which offered a magnificent view of the two lakes.
In short, this is a superb and easy hike for experienced walkers, offering breathtaking views of the magnificent Lake Aiguebelette, the Savoyard foothills and much more...
Many thanks to the author

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Thank you. So it's better to park in the church car park.

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No, I parked at the end of the road near a barn.
The farmer who was there when we arrived kindly let us park there.

But otherwise, you have no choice but to go back down to the church, especially since the farmer told us that they planted trees all along the road on purpose so that people wouldn't park there.

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Thank you, Maîtrezyan
So you parked in the car park of Saint-Sulpice church, as suggested by the author?

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