Copyright: © 1998 - 2008 John Gardner
| A Walking Guide to the Massif de la Chartreuse |
Charmant Som from the Col de la Charmette
| Starting point: Col de la Charmette | Difficulty: 1 | Ascent: 1160 m | Time: 6 hrs | Quality: *** |
This walk is an excellent round which covers the best of Charmant Som, and it is strongly recommended. It starts from the col de la Charmette (map), situated in the long, narrow valley which separates Charmant Som from the Grande Sure. This area is worth visiting in its own right, but it's a long drive round if you're based in the centre of the massif. If preferred, the walk could just as easily start at the car park near the top of the hill, which although easier to get to, wouldn't be as aesthetically satisfying a circuit. You would also have to end the day with the main ascent.
There is plenty of parking at the col de la Charmette (1261 m), although it is the centre of forestry operations, and commonsense is required during the week. From the col, follow the track leading north-east past a notice board. This is the Chemin de la Cochette. After 15 minutes, the track divides. To the left, the track descends a little, and is signposted St. Pierre de Chartreuse. We will eventually return along this, but we need to follow the track that veers right to ascend the hill. It turns into a path within a few metres, and a few minutes later, starts to follow a stream bed in a ravine which follows the line of a geological strike-slip fault, passing some drinking troughs en route.
Some twenty minutes after leaving the Chemin de la Couchette, the path leaves the forest to enter a lovely little valley, surrounded on three sides by cliffs, and wanders up the pasture to the left. After a further 20 minutes, you reach the first of two large shakeholes. The cattle have obscured the path at this point, but by rising up the flanks to the right, you'll soon pick it up again. In about 10 minutes you'll reach a narrow ridge with superb views on both sides. The path meanders on and around the ridge for a quarter of an hour through a floral wonderland, before dropping slightly into a pasture. This leads towards a valley (the continuation of the one we ascended), with the main path descending a little, before rising up to a terrace between cliffs on the far side. There is, however, a smaller path which branches off to the left towards the head of the valley, which is the one we need. It is marked with green and red way markings.
Once round the head of the valley, the path rises steeply, and we rather abruptly arrive at the summit (1867 m), some two hours after leaving the car. After the solitary ascent, the crowds on the summit will come as a somewhat rude shock. At weekends, it's a major exercise to negotiate one's way round the vast groups who are having photographs taken to celebrate their successful 200 m ascent from the upper car park.
One can find a quiet corner, however, and there are worse spots to have lunch. The views are splendid. Chamechaude dominates to the south-east, and with a pair of binoculars you can pick out the traverse through the cliffs from le Jardin. To the north, you can see the monastery nestling beneath the dramatic western cliffs of the Grand Som. By moving along the ridge to the north for a few metres, you can get an impression of the splendid cliffs lying beneath you. To the west, you can see across the col de la Charmette to la Grande Sure.
The descent route initially heads into the Valombré valley, to the north of the summit. Follow the track down the south ridge towards the car park, and from a small col reached after ten minutes, take the path off to the left. This descends a shallow valley, to soon reach a T-junction (1750 m). This is the ubiquitous Tour de Chartreuse: turning right leads to the summit car park; we turn left. This develops into a superb path, picking its way across the rocky eastern face which is so prominent from la Martinière. Beyond this, the path follows a line under the ridge, until an obvious junction is reached at a col on the north-east ridge - le Collet (1562 m).
Turn left down a path descending the north side of the ridge. This path turns under the northern cliffs, before reaching the floor of a cirque. It then follows the valley down at first through overgrown open scrub, and then through the forest which it descends in wide-sweeping zigzags.
Once the path starts to level out (45 minutes after leaving the col), it hits a newly-made forest track. You can descend this, but it is strongly recommended that you seek out the older path, which is far easier and more pleasant. You will cross the new track several times in the next 20 minutes - don't be tempted! The path eventually hits an older track marked by a signpost. Follow this to the right for a further 20 minutes, until you reach a lane, some hour and forty five minutes since leaving the summit. There are some fine views of the monastery from here.
Turn left up the lane, and keep going for quarter of an hour. A few metres beyond the Habert de la Malamille (929 m), the road turns to the right, and our track keeps straight on up the hill. A little way beyond a junction with a route to the left reached after ten minutes, the track develops into a path which ascends gently through the forest. As it ascends between the cliffs towards the col de la Cochette, it develops into one of the finest paths in Chartreuse - a section of zigzags supported on dry stone walled banks. The col (1220 m) is reached half an hour or so after leaving the road.
The path on the far side is equally well constructed, as zig-zags descend a steep and narrow gully, with cliffs soaring up on both sides. At the base of the cliffs, the path diverges, with one continuing down the hill, and the other traversing the forested flanks to the left. This is the other end of the Chemin de la Cochette, which takes us directly back up to the car within an hour of leaving the col. If you're in desperate need of a beer you'll find a buvette up the track towards la Grande Sure.