Le Thabor

A wild itinerary winding between lakes and scree allows you to reach a superb summit where the mineral landscape becomes lunar, and the panorama exceptional on prestigious summits: Grandes Jorasses, Cervin, Grande Casse, Mont Viso.

Description

From Valfréjus or Le Lavoir, by the GR5, the hike is quite long but very varied.
The Thabor is a mountain range between Savoie and the Hautes-Alpes, with Mont-Thabor as its highest point at 3,178 m.
At the summit, the lunar atmosphere with a 360° view of the most beautiful peaks, from Viso to Mont Blanc, brings a feeling of plenitude.
The summit of Le Thabor is accessible to all, without climbing, and French and Italian pilgrims meet every summer at the chapel of Notre-Dame des Sept Douleurs built in the 15th century. A "3,000 m" easy from mid-July onwards (there are snow patches until this period) for all lovers of hiking in wide open spaces.
On this route over the Vallée Etroite pass at the foot of the Three Wise Men, one wonders about the origin of these names (Melchior, Gaspard and Balthazar, Thabor) and their meanings.
Possibility of doing the itinerary over two days, sleeping at the Thabor refuge

Environments

• Mountain location

Rates

Free access.

Itinerary

• Distance 23km
• Route type Round trip
• Elevation gain 1255m
• Negative gradient 1255m
• Daily duration 07h00
• Signposted itinerary Yes
• Nature of the land Ground, Not suitable for strollers
• Maximum altitude 3178m

Opening period

From 01/06 to 15/10.

Subject to favorable snow and weather conditions.

Additional opening

• Subject to favorable weather

• Subject to snow conditions

Location

Access and parking: after crossing the resort of Valfréjus, go up towards the gîte d'étape Les Tavernes. In the hairpin bend, take the right track leading to the car park of the Lavoir.

Animals

Pets allowed : Yes

Pets allowed with supplement: No

Guidebook with maps/step-by-step

• 0/: From the car park of the Lavoir, follow the GR 5 up the lock standing above, following by a few bends the carriageway.
  1/ : Reach La Losa next to a small water reservoir where the path then splits into a crow's foot.
  2/ : Leave the right-hand route towards Les Sarrasins to continue along the GR 5 to the Vallée Etroite pass (2434 m).
  3/ : At the Col, it is possible to reach the Thabor refuge on the right to spend the night. (Possible return the next day by the Sarrazin trail).
  4/ : Leave the GR 5 going down towards the narrow valley to cross the magnificent high altitude meadows. Reach the very colourful Peyron lake by crossing a few large boulders on a short descent and walk along its northern bank.
  5/ : Go around the rocky bar overhanging the lake then continue on the grassy plateau of the Chances du Peyron at the foot of the rocky needle of Grand Séru. The itinerary then leads to the Méandes pass, from where you attack the terminal slope leading to the Thabor.
  6/ : Just before reaching the summit, make a last stop at the chapel of Mont Thabor (ND des Douleurs), a high place of pilgrimage where Italians and French meet every summer.