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Tour of Pointe de la Vuzelle - 2-day hiking trip in an alpine environment

Tour of Pointe de la Vuzelle - 2-day hiking trip in an alpine environment
Tour of Pointe de la Vuzelle - 2-day hiking trip in an alpine environment
Tour of Pointe de la Vuzelle - 2-day hiking trip in an alpine environment
Tour of Pointe de la Vuzelle - 2-day hiking trip in an alpine environment
Tour of Pointe de la Vuzelle - 2-day hiking trip in an alpine environment
Tour of Pointe de la Vuzelle - 2-day hiking trip in an alpine environment
Tour of Pointe de la Vuzelle - 2-day hiking trip in an alpine environment
Tour of Pointe de la Vuzelle - 2-day hiking trip in an alpine environment

Description

Discover the wild and natural alpine landscape at the foot of the majestic Grand Bec. You will be amazed by the views that await you with this mountain in its purest form!

The hike starts from the alpine village of Plan Fournier, with views of the Bozel Valley in the middle of the coniferous forest. At the beginning, you will follow a path through the forest, which then leads to a valley where you will wind your way through blueberry bushes and rhododendrons. The refuge is located at the top of this valley. Once you arrive at the refuge, you will overlook the valley and enjoy a beautiful view of the Vanoise glaciers and the Pralognan valley, with a guaranteed high-mountain atmosphere. You will have the opportunity to meet the outspoken refuge warden and enjoy the delicious meals she will lovingly prepare for you!

After a good night's sleep, set off for the Col de Leschaux, surrounded by rocky scenery at the foot of the Grand Bec, which towers above. The climb takes you through a beautiful glacial cirque to the Col de Leschaux, where you will enjoy a stunning view of Pralognan.
You will then continue towards Mont Chevrier, where you will find lush green vegetation, and a little further on, the Vuzelle waterfall, over 100 m high, classified in 1935. The water here is collected and channelled through tunnels to the hydroelectric power station below.
The return to Plan Fournier will be through the forest taken on the way there.

Day 1 itinerary:
From Plan Fournier (1,723 m), head towards Refuge du Grand Bec, following the marked trail throughout. Cross through the forest before climbing up the valley below La Vuzelle towards the pass of the same name to reach Refuge du Grand Bec (2,403 m).

Day 2 itinerary:
Take the path up to the Col de Leschaux. Once at the pass, take the path that descends towards Pralognan (a slightly steep path), then a little further down, take the path that climbs back up towards Mont Chevrier. Head towards the Vuzelle waterfall, then rejoin the path you took on the way up the day before.

Please note: In June, some streams and/or snowfields may be difficult to cross due to snowmelt, so please check with the park ranger beforehand.
This hike is for experienced walkers, as there are some fairly steep sections along the way.

Access:
By car from Moûtiers, head towards Pralognan. Once you have passed through the village of Le Planay, take the small road on your left towards Chambéranger. Continue along this road, following signs for Plan Fournier (1,723 m), a hamlet where you can park.

Technical Information

Walking
Difficulty
Hard
Duration
7h30mn (2d)
Dist.
16 km
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Altimetric profile

Starting point

Plan Fournier , 73350   Planay
Lat : 45.431426Lng : 6.711129

Points of interest

image du object

Alpine pasture

Located between the village and the alpine pasture, on the sunny side, “les montagnettes” are really small villages temporary inhabited according to the transhumance of humans and animals: Gros Murger, la Rochette, Mollard, Pelapoët, Plan Fournier, Vers le Saut.The term “Montagnettes” indicates a group of houses that is located between the main village and the alpine pasture. It’s a temporary place for the families and the animals. They are occupied during different periods of the year, even when the snow is coming. Humans and animals are going up and down through the year; we are calling it transhumance or “tramoués” in a local dialect. For the families who were living like that, 3 going back and forth guided their trip : - At the end of May, each family were going up to settle in their “montagnette”, until cows were going to the alpine pasture. - Back to the village : field work and making hay - At the “montagnette”: Making hay until cows came down from the alpine pasture. Harvest of hay, and cows eat the second crop (“regain” in local dialect). - At the end of October people and animals were going down to eat the second crop. - In November, people and animals were going up again for 3 months. In February the farmer had to decide when they had to go down at the village. The decision was made according to how much hay they still have at this period. Sometimes they take the decision to go down even with the snow, that it was quite difficult. - In the village, family and animals stayed until the snow melted.

- Vallée de Bozel Tourisme -
Consulter

Additional information

Environments

Mountain view
Mountain location

Updated by

Communauté de Communes Val Vanoise - Vallée de Bozel Tourisme - 26/01/2026
www.valleedebozel.com
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Open period

From 24/06 to 11/09 daily.

Subject to favorable weather.

Type of land

Stone
Ground
Grit
Not suitable for strollers

Tricky passages

In June, some streams and/or snowfields may be difficult to cross due to snowmelt, so please check with the park ranger beforehand.
This hike is for experienced walkers, as there are some fairly steep sections along the way.

Guidebook with maps/step-by-step

Departure: Plan Fournier car park (1,723 m)

1/ DAY 1: from ‘Plan Fournier’ to ‘Refuge du Grand Bec’ / Duration: 2½ hours / Elevation gain: +680 m / From the Plan Fournier departure sign (1,723 m), head towards Refuge du Grand Bec, following the marked trail throughout. Cross through the forest before climbing up the valley below La Vuzelle towards the pass of the same name to reach Refuge du Grand Bec (2,403 m).

2/ DAY 2: from the ‘Refuge du Grand Bec’ to the Col de Leschaux Mont Chevrier– Plan Fournier/ Duration: 5 hours / Elevation gain: + 740 m and - 1380 m / Take the path up to the Col de Leschaux. Once at the pass, take the path that descends towards Pralognan (a slightly steep path), then a little further down, take the path that climbs back up towards Mont Chevrier. Head towards the Vuzelle waterfall, then rejoin the path you took on the way up the day before.

Animals

Yes. Contact the caretaker for overnight stays in the refuge

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Caution!
We have no information on the difficulty of this circuit. You may encounter some surprises along the way. Before you go, please feel free to inquire more and take all necessary precautions. Have a good trip! 🌳🥾