Le Tabor
2,389 m
France
Also known as Tabor de la MatheysineAlso known as
Tabor de la Matheysine
- Elevation
- 2,389 m
- Prominence
- 1,022 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The classic walk from the abandoned ski resort of Saint-Honoré 1500 above La Mure: a long rising traverse to Lac de Charlet (1,920 m), then a winding combe through boulders to the summit ridge and a final 15 minutes south to the top. About 900 m of ascent and 4½–5½ hours return on a path waymarked in yellow.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 5.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +890 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,389 m
- Time Up
- 3h 37m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 26m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Park at the top of the former ski resort of Saint-Honoré 1500 (La Chaud, about 1,500 m), at the foot of the old chairlift. The yellow-waymarked path climbs through meadows and forest, then makes a long rising traverse north across the west-facing slope below a rock band to Lac de Charlet (1,920 m); a short detour leads to the lake shore. From the lake the path turns back south, then east up a short steep step, and north again into a curving combe. Cairns and paint marks lead through rocky ground and around large boulders to the summit ridge, which is followed right (south) for about 15 minutes to the top. The view takes in the Grand Serre, the Taillefer, the Écrins and the Matheysine lakes. Descend the same way, or make a loop south along the Crête des Barres over the Banc towards the Piquet de Nantes and back down long, gentle switchbacks (about 5 km) to Saint-Honoré. This route is Camptocamp's reference route for the T2 grade. Snowfields can linger in the combe above the lake into June.
Start
Saint-Honoré 15001,506 m
- No public transport to Saint-Honoré 1500 was confirmed; a car is needed.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint-Honoré 1500 → Le Tabor | 5.0 | 890 | 8 | 3h 37m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Saint-Honoré 15001,506 m
Car park at the top of the abandoned resort, at the foot of the old chairlift
- Feature: Lac de Charlet1,901 m
- Summit: Le Tabor2,389 m
Key Passages
- Long rising traverse to Lac de Charlet
- Combe through boulders above the lake
- Summit ridge (15 minutes)
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The Tabor (2,389 m), also called the Tabor de la Matheysine, is the southern high point of the Taillefer massif above La Mure. A waymarked 900 m walk from the abandoned ski resort of Saint-Honoré 1500 passes Lac de Charlet to a summit with wide views over the Écrins and the Matheysine lakes.
The Tabor rises at the southern end of the Taillefer massif, between the Matheysine plateau around La Mure to the west and the Valbonnais to the east, and is the area's best-known summit. With more than 1,000 m of prominence it stands clearly above its neighbours, and its summit gives a full panorama of the nearby Grand Serre, the Taillefer to the north and the Écrins to the east. It should not be confused with Mont Thabor in the Cerces.
The normal approach starts from Saint-Honoré 1500, a former ski resort whose abandoned buildings are now covered in graffiti. From there a yellow-waymarked path climbs to the small Lac de Charlet and on up a bouldery combe to the summit ridge. It is a moderate, non-technical walk of about 900 m of ascent.
In winter the same line is a popular ski tour and snowshoe outing, and the ridge to the south, the Crête des Barres, gives an easy loop back.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for a 5-hour day with 900 m of ascent is enough; there is no technical difficulty in summer, though the ground above the lake is rocky and the descent is long. The path is waymarked and cairned. Snow can linger in the combe into June: in early season carry poles and consider turning back if snowfields are hard. In winter and spring it is a ski tour or snowshoe route with avalanche risk in the combe; check the Isère avalanche bulletin. Start early in summer to avoid afternoon storms on the ridge.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Ski touring or snowshoes; avalanche risk in the combe
- Feb
- Ski touring or snowshoes
- Mar
- Ski touring
- Apr
- Spring snow
- May
- Snowfields above Lac de Charlet
- Jun
- Snowfields can linger in the combe in early June
- Jul
- Afternoon storms possible
- Oct
- First snow possible late in the month
- Nov
- Early winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Getting There
La Mure
Grenoble Alpes-Isère (GNB); Lyon Saint-Exupéry (LYS)
- Car: from Grenoble via Vizille and the Laffrey climb on the Route Napoléon towards La Mure; turn left at the Marais industrial zone towards Saint-Honoré 1500 and climb through Fugières to the top of the resort (about 55 minutes from Grenoble)
- Alternative start from Villard-Saint-Christophe (Le Ramet, 1,138 m), joining the normal route below Lac de Charlet
- No public transport to the trailhead was confirmed
Hazards
- Weather
- Avalanche