Le Pied du Col - Lac du Pontet - L'Aiguillon

This hike is accessible to all without any particular difficulty and allows you to walk with the magnificent panorama of the Meije glaciers as a backdrop.
What's more, the remarkable exposure of the circuit and its relatively modest altitude mean that this loop can be completed as soon as the snow melts.
Moderator's note added on 26/07/2021: please note that part of this circuit is no longer passable. See reviews for an alternative route

Technical sheet

n°28642

Creation:
11 Jun 2013

Last update:
26 Jul 2021

Last review:
01 Sep 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 12.33 km
Average duration: 5h 05
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Vertical gain: + 559 m
Vertical drop: - 556 m
Highest point: 2,087 m
Lowest point: 1,666 m

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Ecrins, Arves, Dauphiné
District: Villar-d'Arêne (05480)
Start/End: N 45.030639° / E 6.362614°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3435ET, 3435ETR, 3436ET, 3436ETR
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Description of the walk

Park your vehicle in the car park near Pont d'Arsine.

(S/E) Follow the path north (newly marked^GR®) which leads to the hamlet of Pied du Col.

(1) At the exit of the hamlet, leave the^GR® which runs to the right and continue north on a path that joins the N91. Follow the road to the right for a few metres before crossing it.

(2) Head left, towards the west, along the path that leads to the hamlet of Les Cours. At the entrance to the hamlet, turn right towards the east and follow a path, then a trail that climbs steadily through the meadows (Cour Rambaude) and joins Lac du Pontet.

(3) Keeping the lake on your right, follow the yellow-marked trail that climbs northwards, then heads north-west. Pass several fences, making sure to close the gates behind you. The trail (yellow markings) joins the ridge at Col de l'Aiguillon.

(4) Take a break to admire the villages of the Maurian valley: Les Hières, Ventelon and Valfroide. To the north is the Goléon massif.
Follow the ridge towards the south-west, leaving the Valfroide trail on your right and climbing a steep path to the summit of Aiguillon.

(5) Magnificent 360° panorama. From this point, the route is no longer marked but is periodically signposted. Descend by retracing the ascent route for a few metres, then turn left and continue west for a few hundred metres until you reach a large cairn (stacked stones). Turn left and follow the path south-east, which descends rapidly in hairpin bends through a plantation of young larch trees.

(6) Ignore a path on the right and continue south-east towards the hamlet of Les Cours. Follow the path that climbs back up to the plateau before joining a wide track. Follow this track to the right until you reach the D307 road (tourist information sign).

(7) Turn right and follow this road south for about 500 metres, then leave it and take a path on the left to reach the hamlet of Les Cours. Then take the uphill route in reverse to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,667 m - Pont d'Arsine
1 : km 0.69 - alt. 1,707 m - Continue northwards
2 : km 1.8 - alt. 1,762 m - Turn left
3 : km 3.64 - alt. 1,982 m - Lac du Pontet
4 : km 5.88 - alt. 2,060 m - Col de l'Aiguillon (2059m)
5 : km 6.03 - alt. 2,087 m - L'aiguillon (2095m)
6 : km 6.9 - alt. 1,914 m - At the junction, continue south-east
7 : km 8.86 - alt. 1,851 m - Turn right onto the road
S/E : km 12.33 - alt. 1,667 m - Pont d'Arsine

Practical information

Please note: there is no shelter along the entire route.

Water points in the hamlets: Pied du Col, Les Cours.

A refreshment bar is open in summer at Lac du Pontet.

Essential equipment: sturdy shoes, rucksack containing sufficient water, windbreaker, hat, first aid kit, energy-rich food, etc.

Recommended equipment: walking sticks, binoculars, altimeter, GPS, telephone.

In the nearby area

Porte du Parc des Ecrins (no dogs allowed) near the start of the hike.

Col du Lautaret 5km away; Col du Galibier 15km away.

La Grave cable car 5km away (access to the Meije glaciers).

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5

Based on 19 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5

Clarity of route map
4.3 / 5

Route interest
4.6 / 5

cmb

01 Sep 2025 at 13:46 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Very beautiful scenery, but very crowded.
Same problem as already reported, between 6 and 7: we lost track.

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JOSETTE25

28 Jun 2024 at 15:41 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A magnificent hike, with superb scenery and a crossing of flower-filled meadows – truly magnificent.
The only slight downside is that from point 6 onwards, there are no more markings. We turned left towards COURS and then into the meadows, where there were no more markings. The route does not correspond to the one indicated by the GPS.

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fzutterman

20 Jun 2024 at 11:33 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A superb, easy route, superb weather, superb views of the Meije massif, but also on the other side of the Aiguille du Goleon. We preferred to descend from the Aiguillon via the wonderful little path that heads eastwards through the alpine meadow (flowers galore!) to the Col de l'Aiguillon, rather than via the rocky ridge on the south side, which requires a climb.

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Marmotte05

01 Jun 2024 at 13:34 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Hike completed on Thursday, 30 May, no one else on the trail. We climbed to the top of the peak without going around it. We descended via Les Cours, Villar d'Arène and then the foot of the pass on the road without any problems as it was outside the summer holiday period.

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Cilunea

28 Aug 2023 at 19:48 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

On the advice of a local resident, we did the circuit in the opposite direction (Aiguillon summit then Pontet lake) so that we could be by the water at the hottest time of day.
The hike was without shade, but we enjoyed a pleasant swim in the lake.

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bebert38

02 Sep 2022 at 18:26 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A very beautiful hike, starting at the Pont d'Asine bridge, passing through the village, continuing to Lake Pontet, arriving at L'Aiguillon, and returning via the same path to the lake to enjoy the sunshine. 12.3 km/537 m elevation gain, 3 hours 50 minutes

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eric.drapeau

26 Jul 2021 at 10:34 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

according to Visirando, there is a scree slope on the return leg of the Aiguillon. In fact, following a landslide, this passage is no longer passable. The path currently being traced (by hikers: unofficial and not very clear) climbs above the rocky ridge where the scree slope is located to rejoin the GR earlier than indicated in Visirando.
This is in line with the comment dated 3 July 2021

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chatelet

05 Jul 2021 at 11:07 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 16, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

a beautiful parish-specific trail through alpine flowers

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philippewarin38@gmail.com

03 Jul 2021 at 16:35 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very beautiful hike completed on 27 June 2021.
I couldn't find the trail marked at Waypoint 6 heading southeast (nothing on the IGN map). Going along the foot of the cliff as indicated seemed very risky to me, so I went around it by going over the top off-trail.

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bernardo2607

22 Jul 2019 at 11:20 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

beautiful hike
marmots on the trail

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collines26

22 Jul 2019 at 09:16 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We didn't do the suggested hike, we just went camping by the lake. The place is simply magical, with breathtaking views. It was during the first heatwave, and we were hot in the tent at night! A magical moment, the sunrise over the lake is wonderful.

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heredis

20 Jul 2019 at 13:44 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

superb hike! Superb view! Superb crossing of flower-filled meadows! In a word: SUPERB!

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missina

02 Jun 2019 at 22:17 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 29, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

We chose this hike as a "warm-up" for our long weekend of walking in the Alps. The circuit is very good for this purpose: moderate elevation gain, trails that don't require too much concentration, etc. We are "average" walkers and completed the loop in 4 hours and 45 minutes, including a picnic by Lake Pontet. We were there on 30 May, and I can confirm that there is a refreshment bar by the lake. The lake is perfect for a little family time by the water, where children can play safely.
Afterwards, the view from the top of Aiguillon is really nice, with La Meije as the highlight. It also allowed us to gauge the snow levels at altitude so we could plan our hikes for the following days. However, it's not exactly breathtaking either!
In short, the circuit seems accessible to everyone, including children. If necessary, there is a car park below the Pontet lake.

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andre.brioude

13 Aug 2018 at 15:51 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 13, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely little mountain lake with superb views of La Meije and the surrounding peaks from L'Aiguillon. The section before Lac du Pontet is less interesting.

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abaussan56

18 Sep 2017 at 19:31 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 04, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A good route with beautiful views of the peaks. There is an alternative route from the summit of Aiguillon, descending to Villar d'Arène. Then, crossing the Romanche, return to the starting point along the left bank of the river.

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The GPS track and description are the property of the author. Do not copy them without permission.

Author

Leguay Roger
24 Walks

Visorando member

District: Puy-Saint-Pierre (05100)

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