Col de Grassaz

An epic walk which can be completed in a day

START: Rosuel
FINISH: Rosuel
DISTANCE: 11 miles
TIME: 6 hours

Of all the walks i have done in the Alps this year - maybe even of all the walks I have done in the Alps full stop - there have been none quite like this. This walk feels like Alpine walking more than any other - wild, ever-changing terrain with constantly beautiful, continually surprising views.

Indeed, this is one of the definitive areas of the Vanoise National Park. From the National Park portal of Rosuel there are just so many walks: from small terrace walks and investigatory walks to the tremendous waterfalls to morning walks to the Lac de la Plagne to treks to the various mountain passes, including the Col de la Sachette and Col du Palet, both of which have fantastic views. This col, the Col de Grassaz, is the most spectacular of the bunch.



Beginning at Rosuel, take the main track eastwards, along the south side of the valley towards the valley head. Already the views begin to open up: water tumbles off the opposite cliffs in impressive waterfalls; occasionally you may see the shadows of the Lamaguire, one of the alps' resident species of vulture, stalk those same cliffs. Above the various needles and Aigilles combine to create a picture of constant turbulence yet natural harmony. If there was a definitive alpine view (and there are many competitors on this walk alone) I would probably choose that one.


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The path continues, with two forks leading on to the terrace walk above; ignore both and continue along the bottom path. The path winds up first through the valley and then up through the forest. If this were a shorter walk I could spend ages just detailing the intricacies of this section: crossing the largely dried-up river; walking up the switchbacks along the (not severe) cliff edge; and finally entering the beautiful wooded section of the walk with its dappled sunshine and lush green grass. This final section offers some relief: a brief descent in the forest follows the previous continual ascent from the car park.

The view from Rosuel

Soon the forest begins to clear, and the gradient of the path becomes quite gentle. Trees hide the views across the valley, but it is here you begin to appreciate the alpine pastures, which will be a constant companion for much of the walk. Here, the colours are magnificent: pale yellows, deep purples and tiny white flowers brighten the walk.

After this brief meadow section, you ascend quite steeply and sharply through a gully, with high hillsides on either side. When you reach the end of the gully, you leave the relatively narrow valley and its tumbling waterfalls behind, and the hills around you open up in front of you. The hillsides of Mont Pouree are up to your left, and those of the great pyramid l'Allait to your right. In front of you, meanwhile, the alpine pasture mingles with a boulder field and a series of small streams; it is as if you had passed through a portal into another world. Continue along the path as it snakes round to the left, passing a hidden gorge down to your left, its cliff faces and pounding river making for an alpine valley in miniature.

Soon you will come to a fork on the road and a signpost. For some reason the Col de Grazza does not make an appearance on any of these signposts for a long time - you will be wanting the left hand path, with the right hand path leading to the Lac de la Plagne. Follow this left hand path through the remainder of the boulder field, and soon you leave it behind for a much nicer path through another alpine meadow.

This meadow is different to others, however. The white tufts of bog cotton (which until now I had not seen outside of the Lake District, let alone outside of the UK) to your right indicate the presence of marsh, so do not drift too far in that direction. However, the path itself is not wet, and the long green grass which makes this section particularly distinctive is nice on the legs to walk on. The views are also becoming teasingly tantalising: just beyond the brow of the hill in front of you the snow covered hump of La Grande Motte rises like the sun at dawn, while the cliff scenery to your right and the glacial views to your left are reaching the peak of their splendour. Continue through this valley meadow and you will pass a series of chalets, which appear to have been abandoned for some time – a shame, given the tremendous location.

After the chalets, the path starts to rise, and it is here the fun really begins. Follow the path round the curve of the hillside, and relatively soon you will come to a small hut. Take a break on the rocks here or continue along the path and you will have a fantastic view down into the valley below you: the gorgeous Lac de la Plagne sits sparkling in the sun, its popularity indicated by the enormous (by refuge standards at least) refuge plonked on its eastern shore. Above them, the buttress of l'Alliet's neighbour (the poorly named Mont Blanc de Peisey, which as far as I can see is not  particularly white but a heck of a mountain nonetheless) sits menacingly, as if it is about to let go of the mountainside it clings to and fall onto the lake below. Up to your left, all manner of glacier sit. Perhaps best of all, along this section of the path, the marmots appear very amiable and happy to have their photos taken. For once, it is a case of being very unlucky NOT to see a marmot, rather than lucky to see one.

There are a few small rivers you will need to cross on this section. I would advise just ploughing straight through them - when I crossed them the water was not deep enough to go over the laces of my boots, so if you have conventionally waterproof shoes these should prove no bother.

As you round the final corner of the hillside, the white lump of La Grande Motte once again rises into view. You will notice that one side of the Mott has ski lifts up it, while the other is nothing but unspoilt white snow and jutting black crag, a perfect example of the arbitrariness of this national park's boundaries.

As La Grande Motte once again rises into view, you come into another alpine pasture. And it is here, for the first time, you realise you are now truly in the wilds of the Alps. The refuge and the lake, the bog cotton marsh, the boulder field, the alpine meadow, the forest, the gorge of waterfalls: all of this stands between you and the car park. A lone shepherd's hut on the far side of the valley is the closest you get to such civilisation. Cliffs now guard both sides of the valley, those on your left casting a large shadow over the rest of the valley for much of the morning.

You will not have to go far before you have to make a crucial decision. Above you, in the very wilds of the Vanoise, are three cols. The left fork in the road leads to the Col du Palet, situated straight ahead. The Col de Grassaz, meanwhile, is up to the right. All three cols are worth visiting, but if you can only go to one I suggest the Col de Grassaz:  less frequented than the Col de Palet, partly due to it not being on the Grande Randonée 5, it has (as we shall see) absolutely gobsmacking views over the other side. Ergo, take the right-hand path up the steep hillside, towards our destination.

The path moves steeply up the hillside and into the final phase of the walk. After the short, steep ascent you come into a lovely alpine pasture, the variety and colour of the wild flowers very similar to those in the previous meadow, though with the added bonus of no trees to obscure the view. To your left, a river runs into a little lake, with perhaps a herd of cattle patrolling its shore, the bells around their necks joining the sounds of the river in creating a symphony in the mountain air. Above all of this, the jagged needles of the Aigilles Noire sit proudly over their kingdom. Rise up through this pasture, overcoming the undulating drumlin landscape, and you will have just one short, sharp pull up to reach the Col.

And wow! The blackest mountain ridge, so long that it extends beyond the bounds of visibility, behind the hills either side of the Col. High monoliths compete with pointed peaks and huge bulky behemoths clamour for your attention, with the comparatively tame Grande Motte looking on despondently in the very corner of the eye. La Grande Casse, the largest and most central of those rocky juggernauts, pervades throughout. And over this hall of kings, a white blanket is draped: the glacier fills every single nook and cranny of this enormous range: indeed, I have never seen so much glacier all in one place. The Grande Casse's glacier is just like the mountain it clings to, a big slab of ice which could cause terrible destruction if it saw fit. Whether in the middle of a perfect storm or below a brilliant blue, this range of mountains would probably always look frightening and awe-inspiring in equal measure.

Pictures cannot do it justice. The Grande Casse's range and glacier extend far to the left and the right.

And then step back. The col itself is extremely safe, a grassy meadow perfect for a picnic and to take pictures of the scenery in front of you. The view behind is not half bad either: icy peaks have begun to appear behind the Col de _______, and the near mountains and Aigilles are also very impressive. But it is that view, the one looking towards the Grande Casse and its neighbours, which always catches the breath.

The view on the descent from the Col de Grassaz

Take it all in, take stock, and return the way you came, appreciating every step and every morsel of view on what is a true epic, and one which can be completed in a day.

Suffice to say, if you can only do one walk in this area, do this one. The variety of terrain, the spectacular views and the tangible sense that, for however few precious hours, you are truly "away from it all" make this walk necessary for any discerning hiker.

Definitive.