Mount Malinvern via the Terre Rouge Lakes.

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A technical hike starting from Isola 2000 that will take you to the highest point in the area, with breathtaking views of the resort and the Italian Alps. Up to the beautiful Terre Rouge Lakes and Baisse du Druos, this route is accessible to all; things get a little more challenging once you reach Italy.

Details

n°3178838
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.90 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 842 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 837 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,900 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,091 m
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Photos

Panoramic view towards Italy from the summit of Malinvern.
View of the Valscura lakes from the summit.
Summit
Final stretch

Description of the walk

Park in the car park in front of the Marano chalet. Going up the main road from Isola 2000, you will see marker 90 at a hairpin bend. Continue straight on to reach the car park.

(S/E) Marker 90a in the middle of the car park indicates the start of the hike to the Lacs de Terre Rouge and Baisse du Druos. Take this path.

(1) A sign at this point indicates the climbing school. Do not follow this direction, but continue east until you reach the resort's slopes.

(2) Turn left, following the markings and heading north-west until you reach marker 91.

(3) Turn right, heading due east, onto a small scree slope until you rejoin the path. Walk gently up the Terre Rouge valley to marker 92.

(4) Keep heading towards Baisse du Druos; the path on the right descends towards Col Mercière, Lac de Tavels and Mollières. You will soon reach the first lake and a magnificent view of Malinvern. Continue straight ahead.

(5) Ignore the path on the left that leads to Pas du Loup and continue straight ahead.

(6) At this point, you can descend to the largest lake, Terre Rouge, by following a few cairns. Otherwise, continue your climb over the rocks to Baisse du Druos (marker 94 and the Italian border).

(7) Beautiful view of the Valscura Lakes. Do not descend towards them, but follow the red markings due north. From here, the hike becomes more technical.

(8) This is the most difficult part of the entire route. You will need to use your hands to climb a few metres. The path is still well marked with red markings. However, it is not insurmountable and can be done without any special equipment. You will eventually reach a plateau flanked by two cairns, with Malinvern directly in front of you. Follow the cairns and red markings across the scree, keeping the summit in your sights.

(9) At this point, you will need to use your hands again to reach the summit, but the gradient is less steep than on the previous section. Just be careful, but again, it's no problem.

(10) You are now at the summit of Mont Malinvern. Enjoy the view on both the French and Italian sides before heading back down. Take care on the descent on the tricky sections (9) and (8). Retrace your steps back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 2,091 m - Car park in front of the Marano chalet.
  2. 1 : km 0.23 - alt. 2,128 m - Junction, straight ahead
  3. 2 : km 0.57 - alt. 2,165 m - Ski slopes
  4. 3 : km 0.74 - alt. 2,185 m - Marker 91
  5. 4 : km 2.09 - alt. 2,354 m - Marker 92
  6. 5 : km 3.03 - alt. 2,444 m - Pas du Loup junction, straight ahead.
  7. 6 : km 3.25 - alt. 2,468 m - Lacs de Terre Rouge (2452m)
  8. 7 : km 4.47 - alt. 2,618 m - Baisse du Druos
  9. 8 : km 4.73 - alt. 2,647 m - Delicate passage
  10. 9 : km 5.32 - alt. 2,866 m - Final ascent
  11. 10 : km 5.45 - alt. 2,900 m - Le Malinvern
  12. S/E : km 10.9 - alt. 2,092 m - Car park in front of the Marano chalet.

Notes

I only spotted one stream accessible by climbing up the Terre Rouge valley.

From Baisse du Druos, this hike is reserved for mountaineers accustomed to climbing. Good equipment is essential.

Worth a visit

(6) Terre Rouge Lakes.
(7) Baisse du Druos.
(10) Mont Malinvern.

Reviews and comments

5 / 5
Based on 8 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
Claire Maniez
Claire Maniez

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on Sunday, 7 September in beautiful weather with a group of eight experienced hikers aged between 66 and 80. The well-marked route is easy to follow both on the ascent and descent (red markers and cairns on the Italian side). In the climbing sections of the second part, the rock is very good and the risk of falling rocks is minimal. There are no truly vertiginous passages. We completed the ascent in 3.5 hours and the return in 3 hours, given the size of the group, which inevitably slowed down in the "technical" passages.
The summit is relatively narrow, and it is best to avoid doing this hike on a busy day if you want to enjoy the magnificent view.
On the way back, just before reaching the Druos descent, you can take the path that climbs to the right and quickly leads to two galleries carved into the rock, which offer a beautiful view of the Terre Rouge lakes.

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83.phil
83.phil

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Summit reached on 1 September. Up to the Baisse de Drouos, all clear. Beyond that, at the hairpin bend 100 metres away, continue straight ahead. There are no more signs, but the path is clearly visible up to the foot of the first wall. There is a 40-metre climb to be tackled using your hands. The red markings are clearly visible. The holds are good. Beyond that, on the plateau, there are two possibilities: to the right in the scree, or to the left where there is more grass. The two options meet before the final section, marked in red, where you need to use your hands again. No major difficulties, but not recommended for people prone to vertigo.
I continued my hike via the Baisse de la Lause and the Tavels Lakes.
There are many ibexes from the Terre Rouge lakes onwards.

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Jeremie0611
Jeremie0611

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike and superb views.

Between points 8 and 10, I highly recommend crampons depending on the season...

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nblr
nblr

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike, nice to have the 'technical' sections to spice things up, both of which are fairly easy to navigate. Completed in 6 hours and 20 minutes with my 8-year-old son - just the right amount of challenge to make it interesting without being too difficult. Surprised by the number of people on the hike (but it was a sunny Sunday, which probably explains it). Thank you for this beautiful hike!

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Eric06
Eric06

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 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, reserved for experienced hikers, with two tricky sections clearly indicated in the description. Nothing too difficult, but you mustn't fall, as any fall could be disastrous...
For those who find the route a little short, I suggest this option:
After the summit, retrace your steps to point (5), then turn right towards Pas du Loup, Cime de Vermeil, Cime de Lombarde, Col de Lombarde and return to the starting point via the station. Superb views of Viso, Malinvern and its lake, Gélas and other peaks of the Mercantour and the slopes of Isola 2000.
In total, approximately 19km and nearly 1700m of elevation gain.
7 hours of hiking at a steady pace, including breaks.
See Visorando "Cime de la Lombarde via Terre Rouge and Pas du Loup".

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Jubulbe
Jubulbe

Thank you! It's nice when writing a guide is useful to someone.

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Alvin14
Alvin14

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

In September, a few clouds clinging to the summit played hide-and-seek with the sun: but what a view!
And what a satisfaction to reach the summit! It was my first solo summit. The clarity of the description gave me confidence, especially for the two passages where you have to use your hands, but there were no particular difficulties, especially when you know that the reward is at the end. Thank you.

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Luan
Luan
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent journey from Isola 2000 via the Terre Rouge Lakes and Baisse de Druos to Malinvern. You will quickly leave the greenery of the ski resort behind and arrive in a completely mineralised world. The hike is very accessible up to Baisse de Druos, but after that it gets a little tricky. I don't recommend it for hikers who suffer from vertigo, as there are some really tricky sections that will require all your concentration and skill with your feet and hands, both going up and down, but the reward is so beautiful from up there at over 2,900 metres. There are a few sections of soft snow at the beginning of June.

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Patrick L
Patrick L

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2021
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 with magnificent views of the Italian and French Alps. I have no regrets!
Done in mid-September
Be warned, the trail is physically demanding (harder than climbing Mont Pelat, for example) and the final sections leading to Malinvern require flexibility and much greater effort on the ascent and descent (you need to use your hands and some of the holds require quite a wide stance).
But nothing insurmountable.
Personally, I didn't find the passages particularly scary (for those who are afraid of heights).
Overall, the grip is good (nothing like the last section of Mont Pelat, where the rock is rotten).
Thank you for the well-explained route description!

Patrick (68 years old)

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