The Refuge and the Col de la Perrière

de fr

A pleasant hike in the Belledonne massif. Very pretty views and a wide variety of vegetation.

Moderator's note (Caution): The Val Pelouse road is closed to all traffic 5.5km from the car park: following a landslide in January 2022, a large section of the road has been washed away.

Details

n°360966
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.08 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 663 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 664 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,983 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,474 m
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Photos

Sorbiers des oiseleurs
Refuge de Perrière
Le Grand Small Pass

Description of the walk

Park in the Val Pelouse car park.

(Please note): The Val Pelouse road is closed to all traffic 5.5km from the car park: following a landslide in January 2022, a large section of the road has been washed away.

See the comment posted on 15 July 2022. See a suggested (but untested) route to reach the Val Pelouse car park on foot.

(S/E). Take the path on the right until you reach the first signpost.

(1) Turn right towards Col de Perrière and you will soon come to another sign at a trail junction.

(2) Turn right towards the Refuge de la Perrière. The path is very pleasant, with beautiful views of the Grand small pass and the Chartreuse mountains in the background. Further on, the path branches off to the left and becomes steep. Arrive at the Refuge de la Perrière.

(3) Head towards the Col de la Perrière via a steeper slope. Reach the pass, which is a crossroads of trails.

(4) Take the path on the right which descends north-east towards the Source du Gargoton. This pleasant path winds its way under birch and rowan trees. You will reach the spring, another crossroads.

(5) Turn left onto the path leading to the Gargoton chalet and reach the crossroads at Tavin de Jasseplagne.

(6) Continue straight ahead, leaving the path leading up to the chalet on your right. Begin a short climb towards the Jasseplagne mountain pastures, crossing numerous streams. Be careful, as many of the passages are quite slippery.

(7) Head back towards Val Pelouse. This section offers beautiful views of Les Bauges, La Chartreuse and as far as Dent du Chat. Return to the initial crossroads.

(1) Retrace your steps to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,694 m - Val Pelouse car park
  2. 1 : km 0.3 - alt. 1,718 m - Initial crossroads
  3. 2 : km 0.43 - alt. 1,751 m - Y-junction
  4. 3 : km 2.66 - alt. 1,860 m - Chalet de la Pérrière
  5. 4 : km 3.21 - alt. 1,975 m - Col de la Perrière
  6. 5 : km 4.98 - alt. 1,624 m - Source du Gargoton
  7. 6 : km 5.77 - alt. 1,491 m - Chalet du Gargoton crossroads
  8. 7 : km 7.46 - alt. 1,815 m - Jasseplagne
  9. S/E : km 9.08 - alt. 1,693 m - Val Pelous car park

Notes

There is a water source at the Refuge de la Perrière.
You will find blueberries and raspberries along this route; if you visit in early September, you can eat them all along the way.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 20 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Claryrose
Claryrose

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, and above all, a very clean and well-renovated refuge. Thank you to the "Tous à poêle" association, whose renovation work I often come across during my outings.
However, to continue to the summit of "Les Grands Moulins", you have to pay close attention to the signposts, which are, unusually, fixed to rocks rather than posts. I missed the trail and had to retrace my steps. Care and caution are also required to reach the summit, which I was unable to do due to rising fog that prevented good panoramic visibility.
To be repeated.

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BOUSSARD Daniel
BOUSSARD Daniel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did a really lovely hike in the other direction (from the source of the Gargoton stream then up to the Col de la Perrière). Beautiful views and panoramas. The climb up to the pass is magnificent in a wild setting. We stuffed ourselves with blueberries!

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sempervivum
sempervivum

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The forest road is open again following repairs. Although we didn't encounter any hikers, we did see a chamois up close. A beautiful hike combining forest (many birds including song thrushes, warblers, wrens, dunnocks, etc.), spectacular rock formations and birch trees between waypoints 3 and 5. The lawn at the Gargoton chalets is ideal for a picnic. Can be done in either direction, the views are very different. Possible extension to Les Grands Moulins from the refuge depending on the season

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Corbeau12_67
Corbeau12_67

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The access road to Val Pelouse is blocked approximately 5 km from the arrival point due to a landslide, and "for an indefinite period". Parking is available at the starting point of a trail that leads to Val Pelouse. The elevation gain is approximately 500 m, which is added to all hikes starting from Val Pelouse.

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Fluo
Fluo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful circular hike through varied landscapes: mountain meadows, birch woods, numerous blueberry fields and also lots of snowfields for mid-June. A wild environment with very few hikers, even on a sunny Sunday.
A loop hike to be recommended.

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jmmoul
jmmoul

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Hike to be undertaken in dry weather with beautiful panoramic views of the Arvillard mountains, Beaufortin and Tarentaise.

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savate38
savate38

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

ATTENTION!!!!!! In Chauplane, there are now wooden signs indicating how to get to the mountain pasture.
Do not take the first turn on the left = private = wooden sign saying "not here" but the second one with a pretty carved sign indicating how to get up to the mountain pasture.
as you gradually climb up to the mountain pasture, keeping to the path, you will reach the ridge trail at 1,418 metres.

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Fidel73
Fidel73

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A very pleasant and varied walk, offering beautiful views

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doucetol
doucetol

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful hike.
Following the comments, I chose to do it in the opposite direction and return via the ridges: superb view.
At the end of October, there are still blackberries in the large gullies after the Gargoton springs!

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griot-05
griot-05

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike, with views of the Chartreuse, the Bauges, Mont Blanc and Belledonne.
The ridge trail is superb.

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baujurando
baujurando

I am familiar with the area (GR738 in 2018) and am interested in this loop for the 2019 summer season.
Everything is still covered in snow at the moment.

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markopolo
markopolo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hike completed in good weather. Interesting, as it takes place in a preserved, wild environment. A suggestion: if I had to do it again, I would, but in the opposite direction. This would mean doing the most strenuous part in the morning, with the aim of having a picnic at the Col de la Perrière and then taking it easy on the way back in the afternoon, via Val Pelouse along the ridges, which are more scenic than the lower path.

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ndppg
ndppg

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant hike, varied in both its terrain (alternating ascents and descents) and its landscape (alpine pastures/forest/river). The path provides good footing, even in areas where streams meander. It was a bit lacking in sunshine

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babelli
babelli

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Once I reached the pass, I preferred to do the loop by staying on the ridges, as the view is magnificent all along the route.

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alain 73
alain 73

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

The signs and description up to point 6 (Gargoton chalet) are correct, but after that it's a bit hit and miss. Fortunately, the description is fairly accurate

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