Tour du Thabor en un jour par Valmeinier
Notice to sports enthusiasts, go on an adventure by completing the Tour du Thabor in one day. Enjoy a wild hike where the show is at the rendezvous.
Route details
Description
In order to carry out this hike, we will use the refuges to drink a little and refuel.
For this tour, I favored the view and the physical commitment by choosing to go through Mont-Coburne, particularly because I did not know it. But I don't hide the fact that we can get lost because the path is not always well marked. Other routes are also possible at the start.
Direction the Col des Marches but without going there (it's shorter but you miss the Maurienne valley and the lakes). We go up the 4×4 track on a few bends to reach 2100 m. We will turn left onto a bad track, before reaching the slope of the ski lifts, level we reach a path above a few meters after the end of the track. We are heading towards the Méraloup chapel.
From the chapel, go up the steep path, not very visible (if you go straight the path ends in grassy slopes with chamois), at the level of the sign.
For a good hour, we will meet the Lac du Loup, the Lac des Grandes Combes on a fairly unfrequented path and farms. Near a ruin, go up a slope as best you can to reach Mont-Coburne on a path that climbs quickly. Read the field well.
From Mont-Coburne you can see the Lac de Bissorte (empty in 2015). We go down as best we can to the refuge of the steps to drink a little and refuel.
Direction the Batailleres pass and the Thabor refuge. We will meet the Lac des Batailleres and some ponds. A wild climb towards the pass and with the torrent at the start. We are approaching the Cheval Blanc which we could see in the distance from Mont-Coburne.
Turn right and go down towards the lakes to reach the Mont-Thabor refuge (12:00 p.m.). Enjoy a beautiful view to take a break and refuel.
We descend a little to pass through the pass of the narrow valley and follow the slopes to the right to reach the very green Lac du Peyron. We go up towards Tabor under detrital peaks and an aerial path. Beautiful.
We reach the Col des Méandes where we find more hikers. We go back towards the Chapel and on a path full of crosses. A little snow is still present. Afterwards, we continue towards the Chapel and the Thabor (add 30 minutes) where we go down directly to the other side on a path that is quite steep but passable when you get there. We follow the walls on the right to pass the Col de la Chapelle. You can find some snowfields to go down faster.
The view of the different massifs (Écrins, Vanoise etc.) is exceptional!
We follow the paint marks as best we can for the very long descent to the parking lot in this beautiful valley. The descent is bad at the start and there are several possibilities on the path afterwards. Times are indicated by signs. But be careful not to lose the traces of paint towards the Luncheon stone. If you have a little energy left, you can go (10 minutes max) to see the glacier lakes (beautiful color of the rocks).
Before arriving, 30 minutes from the car park and in 5 minutes, you can dip your feet in the green lake (with trout in it!).
From the car park, two choices are available to you: either continue the road to take the shuttle or join the road/path which takes you back to the starting point (Valmeinier 1900).
For this tour, I favored the view and the physical commitment by choosing to go through Mont-Coburne, particularly because I did not know it. But I don't hide the fact that we can get lost because the path is not always well marked. Other routes are also possible at the start.
Direction the Col des Marches but without going there (it's shorter but you miss the Maurienne valley and the lakes). We go up the 4×4 track on a few bends to reach 2100 m. We will turn left onto a bad track, before reaching the slope of the ski lifts, level we reach a path above a few meters after the end of the track. We are heading towards the Méraloup chapel.
From the chapel, go up the steep path, not very visible (if you go straight the path ends in grassy slopes with chamois), at the level of the sign.
For a good hour, we will meet the Lac du Loup, the Lac des Grandes Combes on a fairly unfrequented path and farms. Near a ruin, go up a slope as best you can to reach Mont-Coburne on a path that climbs quickly. Read the field well.
From Mont-Coburne you can see the Lac de Bissorte (empty in 2015). We go down as best we can to the refuge of the steps to drink a little and refuel.
Direction the Batailleres pass and the Thabor refuge. We will meet the Lac des Batailleres and some ponds. A wild climb towards the pass and with the torrent at the start. We are approaching the Cheval Blanc which we could see in the distance from Mont-Coburne.
Turn right and go down towards the lakes to reach the Mont-Thabor refuge (12:00 p.m.). Enjoy a beautiful view to take a break and refuel.
We descend a little to pass through the pass of the narrow valley and follow the slopes to the right to reach the very green Lac du Peyron. We go up towards Tabor under detrital peaks and an aerial path. Beautiful.
We reach the Col des Méandes where we find more hikers. We go back towards the Chapel and on a path full of crosses. A little snow is still present. Afterwards, we continue towards the Chapel and the Thabor (add 30 minutes) where we go down directly to the other side on a path that is quite steep but passable when you get there. We follow the walls on the right to pass the Col de la Chapelle. You can find some snowfields to go down faster.
The view of the different massifs (Écrins, Vanoise etc.) is exceptional!
We follow the paint marks as best we can for the very long descent to the parking lot in this beautiful valley. The descent is bad at the start and there are several possibilities on the path afterwards. Times are indicated by signs. But be careful not to lose the traces of paint towards the Luncheon stone. If you have a little energy left, you can go (10 minutes max) to see the glacier lakes (beautiful color of the rocks).
Before arriving, 30 minutes from the car park and in 5 minutes, you can dip your feet in the green lake (with trout in it!).
From the car park, two choices are available to you: either continue the road to take the shuttle or join the road/path which takes you back to the starting point (Valmeinier 1900).