Tour du Thabor from Valmeinier - 5-day hike

A wild itinerary, bathed in lakes and scree, awaits you. Linking the Maurienne Valley, the Haut Val de Suze and the Clarée, this ancestral passageway promises sumptuous panoramas.

START: Valmeinier 1500 m DAY 1: Valmeinier - Refuge des Marches (2183 m) Duration: 5h / Difference in altitude: + 1225 m / - 542 m Head towards La Losa to climb up towards Les Vallons. After the Roche Noire lake, head for the Col des Marches. From the Col, all you have to do is descend into the Bissorte valley, with a view of the dam, to reach the refuge. Now you've arrived, all you have to do is enjoy a good craft beer. DAY 2: Refuge des Marches (2183 m) - Refuge du Thabor (2502 m) Duration: 3h30 / Difference in altitude: + 600 m / - 300 m In the morning, before setting off in the direction of the Thabor refuge, you can leave your rucksack at the refuge and take a walk around Lac de Bissorte (allow 1hr30). To climb to the Col des Bataillières, follow the path up the Bissorte valley towards Lac des Bataillières. To reach the pass, simply take the path that rises above the lake. From the refuge to the pass, it takes around 2h45. To get back down to the Thabor refuge, it's a 45-minute walk. Don't forget to stop off at the Sainte-Marguerite lakes above the refuge for a siesta before enjoying some home-made pastries. DAY 3: From Thabor refuge (2502 m) - Les granges de la Vallée Etroite (1765 m) with ascent of Mont Thabor (3178 m) Duration: 7h / Difference in altitude: + 676 m / - 1700 m At dawn, because it's so hot on Mt. Thabor, you'll need to descend for a few minutes to the Col de la Vallée Etroite to take the path up to the summit. From the Col des Méandes, the Way of the Cross begins, taking you to the chapel just below the summit. From the summit, you have to retrace your steps to the Col des Méandes, before plunging into the Vallée Etroite. There's still 1h30 to go before enjoying an Italian speciality in one of the two refuges in the Vallée Etroite (Refuge Terzo Alpini or Refuge I Re Magi). DAY 4: Les granges de la Vallée Etroite (1765 m) - Refuge des Drayères Duration: 6h / Ascent: +1000 m / - 650 m From the Etroite Valley refuges, head up towards the Fonderie bridge. Before the bridge, there's a fork in the road on your left which climbs up towards Prat du Plan (when you came down from Le Thabor the day before, you came down this way). At Prat du Plan, take the path heading towards Lac du Chardonnet. You'll come across the new GR from the summit of Le Thabor. On this GR, head for the Col des Muandes, 2828m. From the pass, head towards Lac des Muandes and Lac Rond, then on to the refuge des Drayères. DAY 5: Refuge des Drayères - Valmeinier Duration: 7h / Ascent: +500 / -1000 m For your last day, all you have to do is climb to the Seuil des Rochilles with its Lac Rond. After the lake, head for the Col de la Plagnette to descend to the long vaché overlooking Valloire. Be careful not to descend too far, as you'll need to take the path up to the Pas des Griffes. From the Pas des Griffes, descend to the Chenalette parking lot in Valmeinier, passing under Lac Vert. Book online at: www.refugesclareethabor.com