Tundra and lakes of Grand Galbert and Taillefer

Warning: although not particularly difficult, this hike covers more than 10km completely off-trail. It is therefore important to read the practical information before setting off on this route. A large number of photos also help you find your way around.

(S/E) From the car park, follow the red and white marked^GR®50route towards the plateau des lacs and Ornon.

(1) After walking for just under an hour, at a sharp bend in the path, leave the^GR® and take the path on the left (heading north-east). Join the southern branch of the peatland stream. At a fork, turn right and head towards the southern end of Lac Fourchu. Continue along this path towards the east until you reach the unnamed pass overlooking the Lacs de la Jasse.

(2) At the unnamed pass, do not continue on the^GR®50, but follow a path on the left that climbs up the shoulder separating Lac Fourchu from the Lacs de la Jasse. Follow the ridge of this hill towards the north-east until you reach the Pas de l'Enviou.

(3) At Pas de l'Enviou, continue north-east on the^GR®50towards the Refuge du Taillefer (red and white markings and signpost). This path remains level until it crosses the Ruisseau de l'Échaillon.

(4) Step onto the left bank of the stream and leave the trail to head north (left) along the stream until you find some shepherd's paths. Follow one of these parallel paths, still heading north, to go up the stream. After a few passages through scree, you will reach the grassy plateau dotted with numerous small lakes at Clos de Chambre. Pass half a dozen ponds and, when the slopes become steeper, veer right to climb northeast up the grassy slopes dotted with rounded rocks leading to Infernet.

(5) When you reach the Infernet ridge, turn left to cross a small pass to the north, and from there, climb the summit slope of Grand Galbert, where the grass becomes sparser and chamois more frequent.

(6) At the summit, turn left to follow the ridge that descends south-west towards the Chalvine peak and the Col du Treuil.

(7) At the pass, continue southwest to stay on the ridge and enjoy the impressive view towards the Romanche valley. Observe the lakes on the left, and when you reach the last of them, Lac des Aiguillons, take a path that leads to a rocky hillock to the right of this lake (south-southwest), the Pointe de Beauregard.

(8) When you reach the foot of Pointe de Beauregard (no need to climb it), turn left heading due east to pass Lac des Aiguillons and then Lac de Beauregard. Pass this lake on its southern side and continue due east until you come to a stream on a flat area. Cross the stream and then follow its left bank north-east until you reach the Lacs du Grand Pré lake system.

(9) At Lac du Grand Pré, turn right, heading due south, to follow a series of ridges running alongside small lakes and leading to Lac du Petit Pré. Le Taillefer shows you the way. Walk along one of the shores of this last lake (the right-hand side is easier) to reach its outlet, the Ruisseau des Viallets. Descend along this torrent, heading south-southwest, to reach the vast plateau of La Valette where the stream joins the Rioupéroux stream.

(10) The Valette plateau marks the end of the off-trail route. Turn right onto the path marked with yellow signs and head west until you reach some small waterfalls.

(11) Descend the switchback below the waterfalls and continue towards the Barrière chalets; an auxiliary trail branches off to the left and south before the chalets, allowing you to avoid civilisation if you wish. In any case, always take the paths on the left to stay on or return to a wide path that turns into a forestry road. This road leads to the starting point (S/E).

Regulations to be observed on Natura 2000 sites:
- swimming is prohibited,
- camping and bivouacking prohibited (except in designated areas),
- fires are prohibited,
- littering is prohibited,
- dogs must be kept on a leash.

Tips:
The best way to fully enjoy this hike is not to stick too closely to the itinerary. Once you reach the plateau of lakes (i.e. once you reach Lac Fourchu). Lac Fourchu, Lac Taillefer and Lac Grand Galbert serve as landmarks visible from everywhere: Lac Taillefer points south, Lac Grand Galbert points north, and Lac Fourchu indicates where to head to descend to Lac du Poursollet and the car park (S/E).

To climb Grand Galbert, follow the Ruisseau de l'Échaillon, which runs almost perfectly north-south. On its left bank (recommended for the ascent) is the ridge bordering the slopes descending to Ornon, a ridge that you never cross to the east. On its right bank is another small ridge, or rather shoulder, which you will observe carefully once you reach Grand Galbert before descending. This shoulder serves as a permanent landmark on the descent, because the further down you go towards Lac Fourchu, the closer you must get to it in order to easily find the notch of the Ruisseau des Viallets, which leads to the Valette plateau on a main path.

A quick look at the map beforehand and memorising these directions is all you need to explore the Toundra without the risk of getting lost or going the wrong way.

Visual landmarks:
The overall view shows almost the entire circular loop on the Grand Galbert tundra. It was taken during another hike to Taillefer. The largest of the lakes is Lac Fourchu (which can also be seen from its other end here).

On the way up, the route passes at the base (not visible here) of this lake and at the pass (2), which is barely visible in the sun, under the hillock to the right of the lake. It then climbs this hillock and follows the ridge to the right to the Pas de l'Enviou (3) — hidden by the hillock — directly above Lac Noir. It then follows the side of the next hillock down towards the^GR®50, until it reaches the large valley in the shade rising to the left below the Grand Galbert (the highest point of the circular route).

At the bottom of this valley isthe junction with the Échaillon stream (4). Follow this stream up its left bank to the small lakes in the shadow of Clos de Chambre (see the view of the Échaillon valley from the summit of Grand Galbert to locate the terrain). From there, you reach the ridge at the edge of the shade and the sun, then the summit of Grand Galbert (6) by following this ridge.

From the summit, follow the ridge overlooking the Romanche Valley, which separates our massif from that of Belledonne in the background. Pass through the Col du Treuil (7) and then follow a contour line until you almost reach the slopes in the shade in the right third of the photo, i.e. the Pointe de Beauregard at 2131m (8). From there, descend towards the centre of the photo, staying on the plateau, passing by a few lakes, then climb gently up the slope along the stream that lies at the exact boundary between shadow and light in the centre of the photo, until you reach the Grand Pré lake system (9).

From there, the Taillefer (in the background) but especially the Pyramide (peak on the left) and the Rocher Culasson (to the right of the Taillefer) serve as landmarks. From the Grand Pé lakes and then the Petit Pré lake (visible in the overall view, it is the clearest lake), you must always aim for the Taillefer massif to stay on the route.

Leave the plateau, still aiming for the Taillefer, following the Ruisseau des Viallets stream that flows from the Lac du Petit Pré. This joins the Valette plateau (in the shade in the centre of the overall view), where it heads due west, following the Ruisseau de Rioupéroux stream. Once on the Valette plateau (10), you are back on the marked trail.

Difficulty:
Only the length of the hike and the off-trail section justify the difficulty rating.

Equipment:
No special equipment is necessary. However, the plateau of the lakes is often waterlogged, so good waterproof shoes are useful. Trainers are not recommended. For sunrise enthusiasts, don't forget your head torch.

Water:
Water is abundant along the route.

Weather:
This hike must be done in good weather, unless you enjoy orienteering in the fog.

Dogs:
Dogs are allowed in this mountain range but must be kept on a leash in the mountain pastures, except in autumn when the herds have come down from the mountains.

The best season to visit this plateau is early autumn:
the colours are fantastic, cotton grass carpets the edges of the water, the weather is generally clear, and the sun rises later, allowing you to watch the sunrise without having to wake up too early.

Allow 1 hour from the car park to the first viewpoint towards Oisans in the east; as astronomical dawn occurs about 30 minutes before sunrise, you need to leave the car 1½ hours before the official sunrise to fully enjoy the spectacle. To do this, don't stop at Lac Fourchu (which remains in the shade for quite a long time), but continue on to the unnamed pass (2) overlooking Lac Culasson and the other lakes of La Jasse.

After admiring the sunrise, take your time following the route along the ridge that separates the Jasse lakes from Lac Fourchu, allowing you to watch it gradually light up.

The ideal spot for a picnic is Lac du Grand Pré, where large white animals frolic.

It is possible to return to Lac Fourchu from the Valette plateau (10). To do so, turn left (south-east) to climb up to Pas de l'Envious (3), where you will find a signpost. Turn right (west-south-west) to climb a path towards Lac Fourchu and reach it at its northern end. At this point, turn right (north) to follow the path that leads to Lac Canard, and then continue along this path until you reach the Ruisseau de Rioupéroux and its waterfalls (11).