Walking in the Tarentaise & Beaufortain Alps
Walking in the Tarentaise & Beaufortain Alps
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CHAPTER 1: Around the Col de la Madeleine
Introduction
The Col de la Madeleine road connects the Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys from the N90 near La Léchère to La Chambre on the N6 just north of St Jean de Maurienne. It is a narrow road which has recently been improved and gives access to the Massif de la Lauzière and to one route up the Cheval Noir on its south side. The Lauzière are unique in the region in being the only hills formed from igneous rocks and the scenery is in parts reminiscent of Scotland. The massif is increasing in altitude by some 1.8mm per annum and it is estimated that in half a million years or so it will be approaching the present altitude of Mt Blanc.
As will be seen from the map, the Lauzière ridge runs in a more or less straight line between the Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys. The highest peak, the Grand Pic de la Lauzière (2829m), is climbed up a small glacier in its north-facing combe and so is outside the scope of this guide. The whole ridge is very crenellated and its rocky spikes are very imposing when seen from the surrounding hills. The eastern slopes of the main ridge send down a series of spurs towards the Madeleine road, each enclosing a steep valley, and the walks follow these to cols, lakes or summits. The valleys are short, and it is a characteristic of the Lauzière that the walks are short but very steep. Access is facilitated by two side roads which zig-zag up the ends of the spur ridges and take you well above the forest line. The area is very quiet in summer and you will tend to be alone on these hills. This contrasts with the winter season when each of the side valleys may contain up to a hundred people making the climb on skis. The topography on the western slopes is similar to that of the eastern ones but they are much more extensively forested and so more difficult of access. The view towards the main glaciated mountains of the region is also much more imposing from the open, eastern slopes.
South-east of the Col de la Madeleine is a cirque which seems to have no collective name but has as its culminating point the Cheval Noir (2832m), which is much climbed by parties, often with accompagnateurs, from St Francis Longchamp. The east-facing cirque is very attractive and is well provided with flora in season. It is reached via a narrow road which climbs in zig-zags through the village of St Jean de Belleville and then follows a valley through the hamlet of Deux Nants as far as La Sauce. This in itself is a very pleasant drive which could well make a satisfactory picnic outing. The river running through this valley is the Nant Brun and Deux Nants is where two streams meet, both names with evident Welsh affinities. The Cheval Noir is quite isolated in its position and this gives it more stature than its height might suggest. It is not always evident how it came by its name - the Black Horse - but if seen from the direction of Bourg St Maurice with the lighting in silhouette in the evening sky, the outline of a dark horse’s head held high is unmistakable.
The whole of the region is covered by D&R Map No.11 except for part of Walk No.4. Two TOP25 maps are needed: 3432ET for Walks 1, 3, 4 and 5 and 3433ET for Walks 2 and 6 (the Cheval Noir).
1: Col du Loup and Lac Freydon
Grade: 2 to col, 3 to lac
Map: 3432ET
Time needed: 50min to col with height gain 150m; 1h 30min to lac
Height gain: 350m (total)
Comment: A pleasant walk to a tiny tarn situated in a magnificent craggy cirque
Approach: Drive towards the Col de la Madeleine from the N90 main road and climb past Bonneval. Shortly after Bonneval, the road swings into a side valley, across its river and back to the slopes of the main valley. At this point a junction on the right appears with little warning and this should be followed. A surfaced and reasonable, though narrow, road now climbs through the forest. Keep left at the first junction and continue past Le Biollay and La Pautaz (situated just below the road) to a second junction, where again go left and climb a series of hairpins until nearly at the farm of Lachat. At the last bend before the farm there is parking and a signpost.
Ascent: The map shows a complex of paths behind Lachat which are mostly, I think, herdsmen’s tracks. There is a gently rounded moorland dome behind the farm which is cut away sharply on its southern side, where it falls steeply to the Colomban Valley below. Walk up to the farm and cross the dome towards this edge and follow paths which run parallel to it and eventually start to descend to the valley below. Avoid this and keep right, aiming for the rocky ridge ahead. The path is not immediately evident but once you are on the ridge can be followed easily to where it descends to the Col du Loup.
From the left of the col an obvious path traverses a steep, grassy hillside to meet another path which climbs from the Colomban Valley. Continue up the stream and head towards the top of the combe on a path which rapidly fades out. Climb via a series of grassy slopes and ledges, keeping generally to the right until the little tarn is reached. The place is marked on the map as “Chalets de Freydon” though these seem to have disappeared.
Descent: By the same route.
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