Pointe de l’Aup du Pont

Introduction: see the practical information section for details on parking and recommendations for undertaking this hike.

(S/E) From Les Granges, take the easy path – sometimes marked in yellow – which climbs westwards on the left bank along the Torrent du Merlet. This will take you to Les Chalets de la Loze, where you’ll find a signpost indicating the Cols de la Lavoire and du Merlet.

(1) From Les Chalets, continue westwards, either on the left-bank path, the right-bank track, or – as shown on the map – by following the thalweg along the torrent until you reach the hamlet known as La Vieille Route.

(2) Cross the Vieille Route heading west, then turn south-west onto vague sheep tracks to climb up a morainic ridge. Stay on the ridge or its eastern flank, then head south until you reach a cluster of large boulders, which can be easily bypassed. Continue climbing due south up the scree-filled valley of the “Croza” (see IGN map). Take care not to veer off to the right (west) towards the Col de la Colombière. Climb up the scree, staying at the bottom of the valley, and pass through a rocky narrows (IGN elevation 2,283 m).

Do not take the faint cairn-marked path leading up to the Col du Villonet, but follow the stream southwards, then turn into a scree-filled cirque to the west to emerge via rocky terraces onto a plateau bordered by rounded boulders, upstream of the Col du Villonet.

(3) From the plateau, the Brèches de la Passoire are then visible due west, with two couloirs flanking the one leading to the geographical pass; see the reference photo. Head west towards the left-hand couloir, which is generally clear of snow by the end of the season.

Climb the steep couloir up to the pass.

(4) At the pass, follow the few cairns marking the ridge south-south-west to the summit. The route first skirts the ridge to the west (descend a little on the western side of the pass) then runs mainly through a sort of couloir on the eastern flank of the ridge. The easiest way is to stay on the left-hand side (right-hand side as you ascend) of this couloir and make good use of the rocks rather than staying on the loose scree at the bottom of the couloir.

You will then reach the summit without much difficulty.

(5) From the summit, after exploring the surrounding cairns, retrace your steps back to the pass and then to the plateau.

(3) From there, continue eastwards along the rocky shoulder towards the Col du Villonet, marked by a signpost.

(6) From the pass, follow the track along the hillside beneath the Rocher des Trois Doigts, which runs on level ground south-eastwards to the Col des Balmettes.

(7) At the pass, turn slightly back to the right, descending north-west, to find a faintly cairned track to the right of a small rocky spur, which plunges down into the Combe Rousse. Be careful, it is very easy to lose the track!

Continue along this path to reach the valley floor of the Combe Rousse, keeping to the left-hand side, until you reach a large cairn on a flat rock.

(8) At the cairn, take the path which climbs up the grassy slopes to the left, heading south-east. This path crosses a small rocky section just before reaching a flat area below the ridge descending to the south of the Pointe des Balmettes. A signpost marks the spot.

(9) Turn eastwards to follow the well-marked path along the contour line. When the path begins to descend, look out for a junction on the left (altitude approx. 2,240 m) which branches off north-eastwards along the contour line beneath the Combe de la Pointe des Balmettes; see the reference photo.

(10) Follow this very gently descending path, which turns due east after reaching a scree slope, thereby skirting a rocky spur to the south. When this path joins another ascending from the Planard de Combe Rousse, turn left, heading due north across a fairly wide plateau. As it reaches the steeper slopes, the path then cuts across to the left (west) to climb up towards a small pass (in summer, sheep pens mark the top of the pass). Climb up to the Collet des Balmettes, from where you can see the lake of the same name.

(11) Cross the small pass of Collet des Balmettes and descend the scree slopes to the north, following a few cairns, to reach the western end of Lac des Balmettes. Go round the lake to the north to reach a signpost on the path.

(12) At the signpost, take the path leading down to the north-east on the left bank of the lake’s outlet. Follow this path to a junction at the IGN elevation of 1,915 m. Then turn left (north) to follow the contour path leading to the Chalets du Balais and the Croix de la Charmette, set amongst beautiful mountain pastures.

Continue along the path northwards, descending slightly and crossing a small valley (le Balais) to reach a small, recently built shepherd’s chalet sheltered by coniferous trees.

(13) Pass the shelter and descend the steep path to the north, which turns left (west) after a spring. The path then descends along the hillside through semi-open terrain until it reaches the area above Les Granges. You will then arrive back at the starting point (S/E).

?️ Park on the track, below Les Granges, N 45.324032° / E 6.223958°. If the road is blocked by shepherds’ gates, the hairpin bend before the barrier allows you to leave your vehicle off the track

? Water is plentiful, except of course near the passes and summits.

? Dogs are permitted in this part of Belledone, but during the grazing season it is essential to keep them on a lead between (S/E) and (2) and after (12) so as not to disturb the herds

?♀️ The difficulty of this walk lies on the borderline between ‘very difficult’ and ‘difficult’. The slopes are steep beneath the gaps and on the ridge leading up to the Aup du Pont, and you may occasionally need to use your hands or an ice axe, but this is still a walking route.

? The hike is well suited to bivouacking, and it is easy to set up camp at the ruins of the Vieille Route at (2) to spend the night.

? The standard hiker’s kit should be supplemented with crampons (snowfield beneath the Brèches de la Passoire) and an ice axe. A helmet is always useful, as chamois give no warning before dislodging rocks.

⏰ At the start of the season, it is essential to set off very early to ensure the snow is firm in the Brèches de la Passoire, which face due east. Plan your departure time according to your ability to reach the snowfields by around 7 am; typically around 5 am.

? The IBP statistics for the route give an index of 154HKG, a distance of 13.5 km, a total elevation gain of 1,360 m, a walking time of 4 hours 18 minutes and an average speed of 3.1 km/h.

? Navigation is straightforward except below the small pass of Balmettes (11); a GPS – or, of course, the Visorando app – is recommended to ensure you stay on course.

? Alpine wildlife is present, particularly vultures, chamois and ibex, which I have seen on every one of my outings, especially between (8) and (9).

? The views from the summit are magnificent. See this spherical photo taken from the Pointe de l’Aup du Pont.

? Several variations are possible by combining this route with the hike to the Brèches de la Passoire. ⚠️ Please note that the starting point is different.

? An ‘aup’ is a synonym for ‘alpe’, meaning a mountain pasture. The Aup du Pont is the mountain pasture situated on the Grésivaudan valley side, below the Morétan Lakes. The Pointe de l’Aup du Pont is the summit of the mountain of the same name.