Mont Granier via the Pas des Barres and the Balme à Colon

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent landscapes. Best done in dry weather both on the ascent and descent as it is quite technical. Good physical condition is required.

Machine-translated

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

A Friday in August. A magnificent circuit with no difficulty in terms of the route, but not suitable for those prone to vertigo. In the morning, the number of visitors remains reasonable. You can have a drink on your return at the La Plagne guesthouse!
Saw two young ibex in the descent corridor above La Balle à Colon.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jun 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

We (two mature sixty-somethings and two fit septuagenarians) completed the hike on Thursday 19 June.
A beautiful but demanding hike with some technical and challenging sections:
Pas des Barres, where you have to use your hands, and a very steep descent that really works your thighs from La Balme à Colon to the Grotte de l'Ours.
At the summit, the superb view was slightly marred by heat haze in the valley.
I would recommend it, but only to hikers who are already fairly experienced. Personally, I would classify it as difficult rather than very difficult.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : May 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Machine-translated

Hello Jean and thank you for your feedback.

The ban on dogs in herding areas is not at all systematic. The general rule in herding areas is that dogs must be kept on a lead.

The ban on dogs in these areas can be motivated by the fact that, although a dog is not a wolf as you say, guard dogs can attack a companion dog, with mortal danger for the latter. Cows can also attack dogs, especially when their calves are present.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable
Very busy route : Yes

Dogs are not allowed in this area because of the herds. I don't really understand why, a border is not a wolf, strange, we've already done lots of hikes in similar areas, pastoral areas, where this restriction didn't exist, I don't see.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Sep 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Major hike: from the start to the summit via the pas des barres is superb (magnificent views of the mountain pastures and Mont Blanc). Be careful on the way back, as it is badly signposted on VisoRando (the route takes you through scree without a path). Follow the yellow signs for the path instead, even if it takes you away from the route! Apart from that, the descent is the most physical part!

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent hike with exceptional and varied panoramas and landscapes, rewarding the difficulty.
Done with 3 "normal" children aged 10 to 14. As someone who supervises children, I was apprehensive about the technical difficulties mentioned in the description and I was worried about the "very difficult" classification, but this hike doesn't require any particular techniques, the issue is rather its length and height difference, as is the case for most hikes with children. So you can rely on your usual abilities without any nasty surprises.
The only warnings are

• stones polished by frequent use can make walking difficult on damp ground
• real danger of stones falling on walkers downstream in the funnel on the descent from the balme à colon (this was the case for us, it could have been catastrophic) => walk carefully on the inside edge of the path.

Otherwise, a real pleasure!

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent but demanding! We did this walk in 2 parts (3 if you count the walk to Pinet from l'Alpette too!). We went up to the Col de l'Alpette to sleep (it's already a steep climb!) with our 2 children, aged 6.5 and 10 (fit and sporty), then did the 2nd section towards the Granier. Be careful on the Pas des Barres (the 2 children are rock climbers, but the steps and ladders can be quite big!), as well as on the fairly long and slippery descent. We really enjoyed the passage through the cave.
We were delighted to see a nice group of ibex basking in the sun! We also spotted two chamois, in splendid weather!

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A splendid circuit, fun and sporty in the Pas des Barres, the Balme à Colomb is a fun bonus on the descent, which is fairly easy even if you have to remain vigilant!
Magnificent views from the summit and the Cross! Bright weather and exceptional autumn light!
With the new layout of the Pas des Barres, the route can be rated as difficult rather than very difficult. But this is all very subjective.
ONE OF THE CHARTREUSE'S MAGNIFICENT CIRCUITS!!!

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent 😍
A demanding hike but well worth it

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I did the loop yesterday morning. In these hot weather conditions, I opted for the cooler option. So I left the forest car park at around 6am, by headlamp light, to watch the sun rise over the Col de l'Alpette. I reached the summit a little before 9am, and after a 45-minute break at the top to take a breather and enjoy - perfectly alone - the magnificent view, I was back at the base by 11.45am. I took my time, quietly, as usual, which leaves plenty of room for those who walk at a more sustained pace.
This hike is really beautiful, never monotonous, you cross a wide variety of environments and you're in the shade (at least in this time slot) for most of the way. The Pas des Barres requires you to be vigilant, as the rock is highly polished and therefore unreliable. At times it is steep and can be impressive, but nothing vertiginous. Pass. The same goes for the descent via Balme à Colon. It's demanding and a bit tricky, but it's fine. The diversions inside the cave, where it's almost cold, is pure bliss when it's already over 30°C outside.
All in all: a magnificent route, a splendid view at every moment, very few people at this time of day (around fifteen in all), and some challenging sections that spice things up a bit. Thank you to the author of this loop, and to Pascal Sombardier who inspired it (and many others before him, no doubt).
NB: I took the time to chat in the car park with two gendarmes who were also preparing to go up to the Alpette, but to dislodge and penalise any tented bivouacs, which have been banned in August since last year (€11 fine, €135 if there's a fire) in all the communes along the RN des Hauts-de-Chartreuse. And quod dicunt, no one is supposed to ignore the law...

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very fine hike, demanding in terms of its gradient and requiring concentration at the pas des Barres. A herd of chamois along the path to the summit. I can confirm that the descent to the grotte à Colon is steep and also requires concentration, but the view is superb! I'd recommend this varied hike, which also offers a beautiful panorama.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike that requires you to be in good physical condition and at ease with the cables and bars in the pitch of the bars. I'd recommend telescopic poles (which I didn't have) to reduce the size of your rucksack. Some of the rocks are smooth and polished, so I'd avoid climbing in wet weather. The descent via La Balme is steep but not vertiginous, and the return journey seems a little long, but the shade in the forest is welcome.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very fine, physically demanding route. At the Col de l'Alpette, do not follow the tracks down into the valley but take the path along the wall to the left. The Pas des Barres is technically easy but requires concentration and can be impressive. After the chimney, follow the yellow marked path. The descent to Balme de Colon is very steep in a scree corridor exposed to rockfalls. Dangerous if heavily used. After the cave, the path remains steep but is pleasant through the forest. I only met 5 hikers. Departure at 6.20 am. Return at 11.50am. Allow 2? hours for the ascent and 2 hours for the return. The view from the summit is exceptional.

Machine-translated