Grande Épaule
- 0.7 mi
- round trip
- 860 ft
- climb
- 6,199 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
Grande Épaule is an out-and-back trail, 0.7 miles each way (1.5 miles round trip) in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. It runs between about 5,420 ft and 6,200 ft above sea level, with roughly 40 ft of climbing one way. It is a mountain path with steeper and uneven sections, so wear proper hiking shoes. Most of the way is dirt. The nearest town is Les Contamines-Montjoie, about 2.0 miles northwest of the trailhead. Peaks within about 3 miles include Mont Joux, Mont Joly and Mont d'Arbois. Cascade de la Stassaz is within about 3 miles. For camping, Aire de bivouac tolérée de Miage and Camping du Pontet are within about 6 miles. There are 12 other mapped trails within about 3 miles, so you can combine or extend the outing. Distances, elevations and the route shape here come from OpenStreetMap and the Copernicus 90 m elevation model. Trails, access rules and conditions change, so check locally before you go.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Sergey Ashmarin, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Tour du Mont Blanc - Itinéraire principal
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A 4.1-mile point-to-point route in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.
Photo: Pimove, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Sentier de la Tête du Véleray
~4 min drive
An out-and-back trail, 1.3 miles each way (2.6 miles round trip) in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.
Photo: Rémih, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Sentiero Colle della Seigne Colle des Chavannes
~16 min drive
An out-and-back trail, 1.7 miles each way (3.3 miles round trip) in Aosta Valley, Italy.
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Promenade du Bois Prin
~15 min drive
A 0.5-mile point-to-point route in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.
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Passage du Dérochoir
~15 min drive
An out-and-back trail, 1.1 miles each way (2.3 miles round trip) in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.
Photo: Riottoso, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Refuge des Mottets – Rifugio Elisabetta
~14 min drive
A 4.0-mile point-to-point route in Aosta Valley, Italy.
Photo: Rémih, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Chemin des Rognes
~9 min drive
An out-and-back trail, 2.0 miles each way (4.0 miles round trip) in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.
HIKE
Chemin du Rocher
~3 min drive
A 1.8-mile point-to-point route in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.
HIKE
Pas du Lançoir
~16 min drive
An out-and-back trail, 1.3 miles each way (2.5 miles round trip) in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France.
Photo: Rémih, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)La Thuile – Rifugio Elisabetta
~15 min drive
A 11-mile point-to-point route in Aosta Valley, Italy.
Also worth it near here
Photo: DimiTalen, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Boucle du Plateau de la Croix
~2 min drive
Photo: Rémih, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Mont Joux
~2 min drive
Photo: DimiTalen, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Les balcons du Mont-Blanc
~3 min drive
Photo: Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Chalet du CAF Contamines
~4 min drive
Photo: Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Aire de bivouac tolérée de Miage
~5 min drive
Conditions and forecast
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at Grande Épaule for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
