Petit and Grand Croisse-Baulet

Departure from Le Plan, reached by a small road leaving the Col des Aravis road just above La Giettaz.
The car park at Le Plan is compulsory for hikers, who may not park in the following hamlets.

(S/E) Take the Crépinière road eastwards. When you reach La Crépinière, do not take the summer footpath through the houses, but simply walk past the hamlet.

(1) Go up into the meadow that follows the hamlet and, at the top of the meadow on the left, reach the entrance to the forest. Go up this fairly visible path, which passes a cross and then leaves the forest in the Tourste mountain pasture, where you will reach the chalet.

(2) Continue straight up the mountain pasture until you reach a chalet further up on the right, where the route turns south. A level crossing, sometimes cleared of snow, leads to the Ramadieu mountain pasture.

(3) Climb to the left over a ridge bordering a rocky bar overlooking the Tourste and continue north-east to pass the Tête de Ramadieu, after which a short descent leads to a junction of tracks.

(4) Continue straight ahead to climb the ridge which, in stages, leads to Petit Croisse Baulet.

(5) After enjoying the view, take the gentle slope to the north to reach the Col de l'Avenaz.

(6) Begin the ascent to the summit by following the ridge to the right of the large slopes criss-crossed by skiers. Following the tracks made, pass Sous Croisse Baulet and finish with a few hairpin bends using the terrain up to the summit of Croisse Baulet.

(7) After a look around, descend either on the track that led you up or, if there is still powder, straight down the slope towards the Cabane du Petit Pâtre, which is clearly visible just below the summit.

(8) Continue down using the folds in the terrain as far as the Col de l'Avenaz.

(6) Climb the hundred or so metres to Petit Croisse Baulet.

(5) Descend to the south of the summit and head east (with Mont Blanc in front of you) following the tracks down through a sparse landscape and finally into the forest as far as the Pré du Col de Jaillet.
Note here: given the amount of traffic, there are skiers' tracks everywhere: be sure to pick out a more regular uphill track to follow for this descent over a wide, semi-wooded ridge.

(9) Continue flat to the south-east to reach the Col de Jaillet.

(10) Turn right to take the path heading west down towards the Refuge and then the Tourbière du Jaillet.

(11) Turn left to cross the Tourbière and follow a track into the forest. The descent down the slope above the Torrent de Jaillet is long and involves fording several streams. At the end of the forest, a small rise leads to the Planet chalets.

(12) Continue east along a moderately steep path that crosses the hillside until you reach the Chemin des Iles.

(13) Walk down to a cross, approaching the valley floor and reaching the first inhabited chalets in the hamlet of Les Iles.

(14) Continue along the more or less snow-free road as far as Crépinière.

(1) Take the opposite route back to the Plan car park (S/E).

The route is not particularly difficult, but its length can be daunting.
It is possible to do the Petit Croisse Baulet loop by descending directly from (5) to (9) , which saves almost 400 m of ascent.

The route takes you past some beautiful chalets in the Aravis mountain pastures, but it's the views from the two peaks and the ridge paths that make it all worthwhile: Aravis, Fiz, Mont Blanc, Beaufortain, Mont Pourri and Vanoise, Ecrins, Etendard, Grande Lauzière and Belledonne, Bauges and Vercors in the distance.