Valfréjus – Thabor mountain hut

de fr

An easy route to reach the Thabor refuge and spend a good night’s sleep before heading over to Mont Thabor and the Chalets de Laval.
This section is accessible by mountain bike.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Valfréjus - Alpe du Lauzet

Details

n°42861
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.37 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,952 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 0 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 8,202 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 6,250 ft
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Photos

Mont Thabor

Description of the walk

It is possible to drive from Valfréjus up to the hamlet of Le Lavoir via a track that is more or less tarmacked.
Otherwise, add 2 hours to the total walking time.

(S) We leave Le Lavoir (a goat farm in a former military barracks) via theGR®5, which follows a track that is sometimes steep at the start.
Passing old sheepfolds converted into renovated houses, theGR® takes us into a high valley with gentle terrain.

(1) Simply follow theGR®5to the Col de la Vallée Étroite, the former French-Italian border.

(2) Do not cross the pass, but follow the path north-west towards the refuge (E), which you have already been able to see for a good quarter of an hour.

Waypoints

  1. S : mi 0 - alt. 6,250 ft - Car park at the hamlet of Le Lavoir
  2. 1 : mi 0.91 - alt. 6,893 ft - Losa Valley
  3. 2 : mi 2.91 - alt. 7,989 ft - Col de la Vallée Etroite
  4. E : mi 3.37 - alt. 8,202 ft - Refuge du Mont Thabor

Notes

Thabor mountain hut: Remember to book in advance if you wish to stay the night.
Otherwise, the nearby Sainte Marguerite Lakes are an excellent spot for a bivouac.

Worth a visit

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

3.7 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
3.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.6 / 5
Route interest
3.6 / 5
6beryeti
6beryeti

I should point out that this description applies to summer, i.e. outside the snowy season. I walked the route in summer with a fairly heavy rucksack (a multi-day trek), and I remain convinced that the difficulty level is moderate.
However, as with any mountain route, winter often brings different conditions. A harmless slope can become a slippery slide or even become steeper due to wind-blown snow. The most important thing is, of course, to take into account the risk of avalanches. "And don't set off without your avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe, and the training you need to use them."
In this regard, the lower part of the route runs alongside risky slopes (30 to 45°) on the left bank of the torrent before Le Lavoir. And it is not certain that the right bank section (between Le Lavoir and point 1) is in the area secured by the slopes. So be careful.

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laurenttaillet
laurenttaillet

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 09, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

good climb from the wash house
easy further on to the pass
then difficult towards the refuge, good climb
very good walker

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User 26272247

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike. Walk with marmots. A beautiful discovery full of flowers and, above all, a lovely lake next to the refuge for picnics.

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BOLLARD
BOLLARD

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very well signposted and no problems at all on this walk
Kind regards

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bernardino
bernardino ★

Hello, despite all these issues and the negative comments about the description and the route, were you still able to reach the Mont Thabor refuge from Valfréjus? If not, please let us know the route you took so that we can correct it on the website.
Have a nice day

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poullaouec
poullaouec

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The software doesn’t seem to be very well developed to me; it’s impossible to work out which direction you’re facing, and the programme is slow.
other apps offer more accurate walks that are closer to those found in certain walking guidebooks; the difficulty ratings for the walks do not match the actual difficulty. I wouldn’t recommend it unless there are significant improvements; the subscription is too expensive given how it currently works.

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arlb
arlb

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 01, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A route via the Fontaine Froide and then the Col de Replanette is very pleasant. You could do it either on the way there or on the way back.

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