Mont Colombier
2,045 m
France
Also known as Grand Colombier (Prealpi dei Bauges), Colombier, +1Also known as
Grand Colombier (Prealpi dei Bauges) · Colombier · Гранд Коломбье
- Elevation
- 2,045 m
- Prominence
- 1,095 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Sep–Oct
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: T3 (Camptocamp (descent via the S ridge and Col de la Cochette))
A sustained 1,130 m pasture-and-forest climb from the village of Aillon-le-Vieux up the Combe du Cheval to the Col du Colombier (1,799 m), then a steep, in places airy path up the north-west ridge to the summit. The classic return follows the south ridge to the Col de la Cochette and descends via La Bottière, a loop of about 10–12 km.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 3.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,125 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,045 m
- Time Up
- 4h 14m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 44m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the car park by the church (or cemetery) in Aillon-le-Vieux (about 920 m). Follow the yellow-on-green waymarks and Colombier signs up a track, then a steep forest path (slippery with leaves and mud, cattle in places) to the open pastures at the top of the Combe du Cheval. A cirque with a small pond (Le Lac) opens ahead with the Colombier behind. Leave the Col de Rossanaz (1,777 m) to the left and bear right to the Col du Colombier (1,799 m), passing above a large doline. Below a big rock near the col is the Tanne du Mineur, an old mine gallery: do not go far in, it is unstable. From the col a clear path follows the north-west ridge to the summit (2,045 m), steep and airy in places but without real scrambling. Fast walkers reach the top in under 2 hours; allow 2½–3½ hours at a steady pace. Descend the same way, or follow the south ridge to the Col de la Cochette (1,694 m) and go down north-west on old tracks past a ruined chalet and the La Bottière pasture to the hamlet of La Bottière, then about 1.5 km by road back to Aillon-le-Vieux. The descent is steep and stony and hard on the knees. The route is exposed to avalanches in winter. Herds guarded by patous (livestock guard dogs) graze the pastures in summer; there is no mobile signal above the Combe du Cheval.
Start
Aillon-le-Vieux918 m
- No practical public transport; Aillon-le-Vieux is reached by road from Chambéry over the Col des Prés or via Lescheraines.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aillon-le-Vieux → Mont Colombier | 3.8 | 1,125 | 0 | 4h 14m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Aillon-le-Vieux918 m
- Col: Col du Colombier1,801 m
- Summit: Mont Colombier2,045 m
Key Passages
- Steep forest climb above Aillon-le-Vieux
- Combe du Cheval cirque
- Col du Colombier (Tanne du Mineur)
- Steep, airy north-west ridge to the summit
- South ridge to the Col de la Cochette (loop descent)
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
A 2,045 m limestone summit in the heart of the Bauges above the Aillon valleys, one of the massif's '14 2000s'. A steep but straightforward day hike through forest and summer pastures, with a view from Mont Blanc and the Vanoise to the Chartreuse.
Mont Colombier, sometimes called the Grand Colombier or Colombier d'Aillon, rises between Aillon-le-Vieux, Aillon-le-Jeune, École and La Compôte in the central Bauges. Its summit is a perched syncline: a core of Senonian marly limestone framed by two crests of Urgonian limestone, cut lengthwise by two parallel faults that form a small graben. From the Aillon side it shows grassy slopes and combes; the north side above the Aillon ski area is steeper and rockier, with the Rochers de la Bade and the Roc de Poyez.
Its key col is the Col du Frêne (about 950 m), giving it nearly 1,100 m of prominence, and it is the twelfth highest of the Bauges' fourteen summits above 2,000 m. The usual ascent from Aillon-le-Vieux climbs through forest to the Combe du Cheval, a cirque with a small pond, and reaches the summit by a short, steep ridge from the Col du Colombier. Goat and cow pastures, the Rossanaz chalets with their cheese and the nearby Dent de Rossanaz make it a popular local outing.
It is a walk rather than a scramble, but a sustained one: about 1,130 m of ascent with a steep forest start and a stony descent. In winter it is a ski-touring and snowshoe objective with real avalanche exposure.
Climbing Notes
A good hiking day for anyone fit enough for 1,100–1,250 m of ascent and 5½–6½ hours on foot; no technical skills are needed, though the summit ridge is steep and slightly airy. Poles help on the steep, slippery forest section and the stony descent.
The most popular itinerary is a loop: up the Combe du Cheval to the Col du Colombier and the summit, then down the south ridge to the Col de la Cochette and La Bottière. Adding the Dent de Rossanaz makes an 8–8½ hour day. Expect cattle and goats with livestock guard dogs in summer: keep your distance, do not run, and close gates. Pet dogs are strongly discouraged by the tourist office. There is no mobile signal above the Combe du Cheval.
History
The mountain is mentioned in 1585 as 'Rupes montis Rossane que vocatur Colombarium'; the name refers to a high place where wood pigeons (colombes) perch. R. Godefroy described the Colombier and the Dent de Rossanaz in the Annuaire de la Société des touristes du Dauphiné in the late 19th century. An old mine gallery, the Tanne du Mineur, lies near the Col du Colombier.
Season
Best Sep–Oct- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Best
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Best (best window)
- November: Possible
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; ski touring and snowshoeing only, avalanche-exposed
- Feb
- Winter; ski touring
- Mar
- Spring snow; ski touring
- Apr
- Lingering snow in the combes
- May
- Tourist office lists the route from 15 May, snow permitting
- Jul
- Herds and guard dogs on the pastures; afternoon storms
- Aug
- Herds and guard dogs on the pastures; start early in hot weather
- Oct
- Tourist office lists the route until 31 October, snow permitting
- Nov
- Possible before the first snow; short days
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Pet dogs are strongly discouraged on the pastures because of livestock guard dogs (patous)
- Getting There
Aillon-le-Vieux; Le Châtelard and Chambéry for services
Chambéry-Savoie (CMF)
- Car: from Chambéry via the Col des Prés to the Aillon valley, or via Lescheraines; free car park by the church/cemetery in Aillon-le-Vieux (about 920 m)
- No practical public transport to Aillon-le-Vieux
Hazards
- Weather
- Avalanche