Hike to Bec du Corbeau, Mont Joigny & Pointe de la Gorgeat
Around the end of spring, I went on a hike in the Chartreuse mountains above Chambéry: I reached the summits of Bec du Corbeau, Mont Joigny and Pointe de la Gorgeat.
Here is a map of the path I walked (download KML):
In the morning, I took a train from Annecy to Chambéry. At first, I walked the same path as the Promenade de Jean-Jacques Rousseau until Les Charmettes. I then took a trail towards Passage de la Coche and Croix de la Coche. From there, I walked on a ridge trail to Bec du Corbeau. There was a pretty good view from the summit. I continued in the forest towards Pas de la Fosse. There were a lot of box tree moth caterpillars (pyrale du buis in French) hanging from a thread and I was covered with them pretty quickly. From Pas de la Fosse, on the way up to Mont Joigny, the path followed a dirt road for a while. I took an alternate trail at some point, but it was mostly unmaintained forest management roads. I arrived at Col de la Gorgeat then went up to the summit of Mont Joigny. There was a great view on the Chartreuse mountains from there. I made a detour, following a trail on the ridge until a place where there was a good view on the southern Bauges, as well as the Lauzière mountains. I ate lunch then wen back down to the Col and up again to the summit of Pointe de la Gorgeat. After that, I started on the way down. Along the path, there were a few viewpoints to the north and Lac du Bourget. After a while, I got back to the dirt road I had taken on the way up, which I followed until Pas de la Fosse. I then took a series of trails to get down to Saint-Badolph, where I boarded a local bus back to Chambéry.
Update October 2020: I have been made aware that the trail described above goes through a zone used for firearm training by the army (Champ de Tir du Pas de la Fosse), between Pas de la Fosse and Pointe de la Gorgeat. It was inactive for a while but is now used again. It should be fine on week-ends (except some Saturdays…). This page has more details about the schedule and here is a map of the exclusion area.
Above, Chambéry train station.
Above, in the old town.
Above, Espace Malraux.
Above, Montée de la Fontaine Saint-Martin.
Above, view from the top of the Montée.
Above, Fontaine Saint-Martin.
Above, Parc de l’Etincelle.
Above, Dent du Nivolet in the Bauges mountains.
Above, Mont Granier.
Above, at Les Charmettes.
Above, Cheminée de la Cimenterie Chiron.
Above, Lac du Bourget.
Above, Passage de la Coche on the mountain ahead.
Above, Bec du Corbeau.
Above, at Passage de la Coche.
Above, Croix de la Coche.
Above, Chambéry and Dent du Nivolet.
Above, Lac du Bourget.
Above, Le Corbeley.
Above, stone quarry.
Above, summit of Bec du Corbeau.
Above, Pointe de la Lentille, Pointe de la Gorgeat and Mont Joigny.
Above, box tree moth caterpillar.
Above, Pointe de la Lentille.
Above, Mont Granier.
Above, looking back at Bec du Corbeau.
Above, at Pas de la Fosse.
Above, looking towards Montmélian.
Above, on the alternate trail.
Above, on the trail to the summit of Mont Joigny.
Above, cairn at the summit of Mont Joigny.
Above, Chartreuse mountains.
Above, Mont Granier.
Above, Dent de Crolle.
Above, Chamechaude in the background.
Above, Mont Outheran.
Above, La Savoyarde above Montmélian, with the Lauzière mountains still covered with snow in the background.
Above, Lac du Bourget.
Above, on the way down to Col de la Gorgeat.
Above, on the way to the summit of Pointe de la Gorgeat.
Above, summit of Pointe de la Gorgeat.
Above, trail markers on the way down to Pas de la Fosse.
Above, cliff below Pointe de la Lentille.
Above, Chambéry.
Above, Lac du Bourget.
Above, back on the dirt road.
Above, power transmission towers above Pas de la Fosse.
Above, ammonite on the way to Saint-Badolph.
Above, La Savoyarde.
Above, Mont Saint-Michel.
Above, Belledonne mountains.
Above, Mont Granier.
Above, bus stop in Saint-Badolph.