The Grand Bec Refuge, and a little more

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike...!

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Date of your route : Sep 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, magnificent site at the Grand Bec refuge.
It had snowed heavily the week before, which made the view at the foot of the Grand Bec even more spectacular. However, we decided not to descend via Fontaine Froide because there were snow slides at the foot of the Grand Bec.

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Date of your route : Sep 26, 2022
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 in September, despite cloudy weather that prevented us from seeing the highest mountains and glaciers. The return trip via Fontaine Froide completes the loop. It's well worth the effort, without any significant additional difficulty.

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Date of your route : Oct 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent views from the refuge! The climb to point 3 is well worth the effort!

PLEASE NOTE: As of today, the bridge that should be at the Fontaine Froide stream crossing no longer exists!!! Timber is waiting on the side for a probable future reconstruction of the structure!
If you don't turn back here, you will have to cross just upstream of the bridge with your feet in the water, on slippery rocks and pebbles, using a metal cable and a piece of wood that has been placed across the stream.
The crossing is not safe and a fatal fall is likely if you slip.

Not wanting to try crossing the stream on the way back, we took the mountain path that starts at the refuge and leads to the heights of Plan Fournier. When you reach an old building, turn left and rejoin the original route downstream from point 1 for the last 500 metres.
The mountain path offers superb views and we saw ibex just 10 metres from the path. This added 2 km and 50 metres of elevation gain to the original route.

Thank you for this hiking suggestion!

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Date of your route : Sep 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

hike completed on 11 August 2020

a beautiful hike to do early in the morning – the last few metres are a little steeper, but arriving at the refuge is well worth the effort!

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Date of your route : Aug 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

moderately frequented
a pleasant hike, particularly worthwhile for its magnificent 360-degree view at its end point, just after the refuge.
it's quite a steep climb but the paths are easy and well marked/visible
i pushed on to the pass, where the view is beautiful but much less so
for the return route, the first half is uphill, which made my wife grumble.
if you're tired, come back down the same way you came up
as we are slow, it took us 5½ hours plus 2 hours for the pass
thank you for this hike

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Date of your route : Jul 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

With five of us, including an 8-year-old, it took us 2 hours and 10 minutes to climb up and 1 hour and 30 minutes to climb down. The return trip along the forest track isn't very appealing. Otherwise, the view is worth the detour, but the last 300 metres are tough in full sun. In my opinion, it's best to set off before 10am.

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Date of your route : Jul 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with no difficulties.
However, I think the time indicated is greatly underestimated for average walkers: I would say it takes between 5 and 6 hours if you go all the way to the pass.
The section between the refuge and the pass is tricky because it is quite long (it took us a little over an hour) and it is best if there is no fog, as you need to use the cairns to find your way across the numerous scree slopes with large rocks.

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Date of your route : Jul 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike, well marked, beautiful view from the refuge

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Date of your route : Jul 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful climb to the refuge, where the view is magnificent, stretching all the way to the Col de Chavière and the Aiguilles de Péclet-Polset! It's well worth the effort...

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Date of your route : Jul 29, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful hike. Easily accessible and well marked, it offers superb views of the Val Vanoise (Bozel, Courchevel, the peaks of Mt Jovet, etc.), then a more "high mountain" setting on the Pralognan side. Marmots and blueberries galore. A classic, popular climb. But return (no one on this side) via the balcony trail (aerial, narrow, interspersed with ravines and snowfields) to Fontaine Froide, then the Plan Fournier mountain pastures above.

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Date of your route : Sep 07, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Climbed at the same time as the clouds, arrived with obstructed views. Didn't go the extra mile. A few blueberries on the way down. Nice view of the surroundings.

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Date of your route : Aug 28, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A beautiful hike, one of its attractions being that it starts at a fairly high altitude and ends up in the high mountains without being too strenuous. It's worth making the extra effort, as you'll find yourself under the Grand Bec around a stream where you can dip your feet in the water and enjoy a beautiful view.

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Date of your route : Jun 28, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

With a little more... We set off from Plan Fournier and immediately climbed up through the undergrowth onto the suggested trail. Distance 8.8 km with an elevation gain/loss of around 800 m. Lots of people at the refuge.
A beautiful hike!

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Date of your route : Sep 03, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful hike to the refuge
Very warm welcome
We found blueberries along the way...
To be repeated

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