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When you arrive at the Plateau d'Assy from Passy via the D43, you will come across a strange wooden structure. Continue along the same road for 100 metres towards Praz Coutant, Plaine Joux. On your left, you will find a car park with around ten spaces.
(S/E) The trail starts here, where there is a sign indicating that the Refuge de Platé is 3 hours and 50 minutes away. Set off northwards and follow the trail to a new sign (Platé 3h45) on a tarmac road.
(1) Follow this road, which slopes slightly downhill, and at the next bend, you will reach the start of the trail leading to Charbonnière.
(2) From here, begin a steep climb towards the hamlet of Charbonnière.
(3) Once on the forest track, turn right and cross the hamlet of Charbonnière.
A low stone table marks the point where you should leave the forest track coming from Praz Coutant and take the path on the left. Join the crossroads with the path coming from Praz Coutant.
(4) Continue climbing to the left on the path, which is well signposted. Examples: Le fond des Lanches 1490m - Les pierres Chaumières 1585m - Sous le rocher des Miots 1695m - Les circulaires 1865m - Les Égratz 1895m. Reach this last point.
(5) Continue climbing and, as you leave Les Égratz, you will see the Chalets de Platé. Follow the signs: Le Bout 2000m - Le Poyeu 2023m before reaching the Chalets de Platé.
Reach the refuge (blue shutters) after finding a slightly flatter section for the last hundred metres. This is the entrance to the Désert de Platé, a vast area sculpted by the action of runoff on limestone rock, forming a sharp limestone pavement or lapiaz, cracks that can reach several metres in depth (E).
. You can start from the Praz Coutant car park to reduce the elevation gain in the first section, and then do some interesting circular loops from the chalet in 2 or 3 hours - Col du Coloney or Col de Portette. We saw around 50 ibex in mid-September on the Col du Coloney circular loop. Exceptional. 
Visorando member
Very difficult 
Tourist office
Moderate 
Easy 
