Pointe du Banc Plat

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with a steep climb right from the start!
Beautiful views at the summit.
The return trail after the Charbon refuge becomes very difficult to find, so you need to know your bearings. No other difficulties on this beautiful route. Thanks to the author.

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Date of your route : Apr 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike made by climbing directly to the Charbon refuge due to the still heavy snowfall in the combe towards Ferme du Rosay, return the same way; the view from the top of the flat bench is truly magnificent, snack taken on the terrace of the Charbon refuge, which is open to all and serves as a stopover for the 2-day hike

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Date of your route : Jul 21, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A beautiful but challenging hike. The Combe d'Ire and its refreshing stream are well worth the detour. The journey (4 km of decent road) to this remote spot is already a change of scenery. To be picky: I don't agree with the description of the "magnificent view of Lake Annecy"; it's not visible from this peak, as it's partly hidden by the Roc des Bœufs and the Montagne d'Entrevernes. It's a very long hike (over 1,150 m) with scenery that doesn't vary much: an endless stony forest road, forest, forest and more forest... So where are the panoramic views? Well, after the tough climbs... in the forest, after a 750 m elevation gain, the scenery finally opens up. Although the climb is steep, it offers coolness (the Fayard torrent and fountain), variety (paths that cut pleasantly across the tracks), places to stop for a break (the Planay, Rosay and Charbon chalets) and many other attractions (fauna, flora) if, on the mountain pastures, you leave the wide track and take the path that winds through the grassy slope, crosses through groves of trees, and then offers a small balcony path to the Col de la Platières. Here, the assault resumes in earnest, finally arriving at the Pointe de Banc Plat and its characteristic rocks. All that remains is to savour the panorama: Petit Lac, the Tournette massif, Bauges... But soon it will be time to think about the descent. Below the Charbon chalet, things get complicated if you want to vary the route. There are few or no markings here. You have to read the landscape, follow the valley to the right to avoid the rocky outcrops and find a more clearly marked path. Unfortunately, we are already back in the forest, on rocky tracks, for another hour.

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Date of your route : Aug 13, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike!
We left our car in the car park and set off on a 1,200 m climb.
The start is steep, very steep, on a rocky forest road. The slopes are around 30% (+ or - depending on the section). After a quick stop at the fountain, we set off again into the forest, slightly to the left, onto a winding single track where raspberries are waiting for us! Pure bliss...
Arriving at the mountain pastures, we found a wider path with a magnificent view on this sunny day.
After a Pan Bagnat break, we set off again to tackle the last section, which is also very steep, but well worth the effort! What a 360° view at the top! It's just magnificent!
Lake Annecy, the Mont Blanc massif, etc...

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Hello,
As a mountain dweller myself, I was truly saddened by what happened to your son (I heard about it on the local news...) ...
This regrettable accident once again highlights the problem of trying to follow a summer route when there is snow (orientation, slipping... even a small, poorly located snowfield can be dangerous...). I've done it, what mountaineer hasn't...? Prudence means knowing when to give up, and unfortunately, we sometimes lack the clarity of mind to do so.
So yes, we must repeat that we need to be careful...

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Date of your route : Mar 26, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello,

I wanted to let you know that my 25-year-old son died on this trail. He went missing on Sunday, 26 March, and we didn't find his body until Wednesday, 29 April. I did the hike myself on Tuesday to look for him. Although the start is a bit challenging – steep slopes for the first few kilometres, nothing too difficult except after the Charbon chalet, where I got lost. There was still snow in the mountain pastures and it was impossible to see the markings. We will never know what happened to my son – he must have also got lost and fallen down a rock face. We found his camera and the last photo he had taken was of the Chalet du Charbon. The weather conditions weren't bad; he had set off around 11 a.m. and the photo was taken around 2 p.m. So he wasn't in a hurry or tired.

Be careful!

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Date of your route : Oct 24, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A bit of a "leg-breaker" at the bottom (ascent and descent); avoid wet and/or frosty periods (autumn) as the ground can be slippery. The upper part is very pleasant, both for the view and the variety of the landscape. It is possible to spend the night at the Charbon chalet, which is well maintained by a local association: crockery, wood stove, wood... (donations are welcome).

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Date of your route : Aug 05, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did this hike yesterday and it was really enjoyable!

First of all, we decided to park at Chevaline, as we didn't know whether the forest road was passable (there was a sign saying that motor vehicles were prohibited). You have to continue 3 km AFTER this sign to find the car park with the hiking map. This road is tarmac but narrow with a few potholes.
So it took us an extra hour and 40 minutes to get there and back for this hike, starting from Chevaline.

After a long climb through the woods, we were happy to reach the summit and enjoy the magnificent view.

The descent, however, is the only downside to this hike.
We had a lot of difficulty finding our way after the Charbon chalet. There are few markings in the transition zone between the mountain pasture (where you can still see the path from a distance) and the forest.
At the first yellow-red marker you see (in a sort of clearing), turn right and take the forest path described. After that, you will find the markings again. It is important not to continue straight ahead, as there are "false" paths where you can see that people have passed, but these are dangerous places in the woods, where we quickly turned back to go up to the first signpost we saw.

Apart from that, there are some beautiful landscapes and a fairly challenging hike up through the woods.

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Date of your route : Sep 27, 2014
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A superb hike with magnificent scenery, although the forest section may be a little long. Take care in wet weather, as the route becomes very muddy.

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Date of your route : Sep 13, 2014
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike that comes highly recommended.
A warm welcome at the Combe refuge, the passage carved into the cliff is impressive, as is the view from the summit.

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Date of your route : Oct 05, 2013
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hi, we did this route over two days this weekend, spending the night at the Charbon refuge.
The duration always depends on the people involved... To give you an idea: we're not experienced hikers, we weren't in a hurry and our rucksacks were heavy, so it took us about four hours to climb up and three hours to come back down.
The start is indeed very steep and steady: no respite! Then it calms down "a little". Personally, I prefer routes with more variation in elevation, as it allows you to lift your head a little (it must be said that the rain and the hood reduced visibility somewhat).
It's a great reward to reach the top, with a beautiful view! Especially when you've climbed all the way up in the rain and there's a little ray of sunshine waiting for you at the top!
A big thank you to the "Tous au charbon" association for this very well-equipped and well-maintained refuge.

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Date of your route : Sep 25, 2013
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I confirm the corrected elevation gain of 1,150 m instead of the 1,510 m announced later. Quite steep up to the Fayart fountain, then easier going. At the summit, beautiful 360° view from Lake Annecy to the Oisan massif. The weather was particularly mild. Beautiful sunshine, clear blue skies, no wind, ideal temperature for hiking. Question: has anyone tried to descend via the Combe refuge (see enlarged map) to return to Chevaline via a path that ends near the Combe d'Ire (starting point), passing close to the Trou de l'Enfer waterfall? It looks interesting on the map, but I haven't tried it. If anyone knows about it, it would be nice to hear your comments...

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Date of your route : Aug 11, 2013
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We were already familiar with this route, so we chose to start from Montgellaz (in the municipality of Doussard/Lathuille – see photo –
a beautiful section along the old mountain path, carved into the rock, with a superb view of Lake Annecy. At the La Combe mountain pasture, we received a very warm welcome and enjoyed a cheese tasting (Herens cows)

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