The best walks and hikes around Réserve Naturelle de la Grande Sassière

This old hamlet ("hameau") gives an idea of how austere life used to be for Alpine dwellers. In winter, people often shared a room with their animals, using their body heat for heating. When there was no work due to poor harvests, some residents emigrated to Alsace or Ticino to seek employment.

The hike to the Aiguille de la Grande Sassière (a 3,751 m high mountain in the Graian Alps) is easy. The west and east of this part of the Alps form the watershed between the Rhône (Isère) and Po (Dora Baltea) rivers, which also forms the border between France and Italy. Climbing to the summit also offers a unique opportunity to see a glacier and two glacial lakes. If you're in the area, don't miss this breathtakingly scenic hike in the Vanoise National Park!

Even hikers who aren't usually looking for altitude will find something to their liking here. A path runs along the reservoir, offering views of the mist-shrouded peaks. The University of Lyon is conducting studies here on the cute marmots, of which there are countless to admire.

The Aiguille de la Grande Sassière, or often simply the Grande Sassière, is a 3751 m high mountain in the Graian Alps, located south of the Mont Blanc group, or more precisely just southeast of the Petit Saint Bernard Pass, on the ridge that separates the west and east of this part of the Alps and forms the watershed between the Rhone (Isère) and the Po (Dora Baltea), and across which runs the national border between France and Italy. This ridge also forms the seam between the Aosta Valley and the historic Savoy in the Savoie department and, a few kilometers further southeast of the mountain, between the two adjacent national parks of Gran Paradiso and Vanoise, at the height where, within these protected areas, passes connect the north and south sides of the parks: to the west, the Col de l’Iseran Tarentaise (Isère) and Maurienne (Arc Valley), to the east of the Colle del Nivolet the Aosta Valley and the Orco Valley (Piedmont).

Our plan was to climb the summit with our bikes on our shoulders. As there was still a lot of snow and some light climbing was required, we parked our bikes along the way. I recommend the Aiguille de la Grande Sassière for hikers but not for bikers, as the descent is partly doable but not worthwhile.

From Les Brevieres, this mountain is a real challenge to your fitness, as you have to overcome over 2200 meters of altitude. You will be rewarded up there with a magnificent view of the great 4000-meter peaks in the Alps. My tip for this tour is to take crampons in your backpack; they were really needed on the last 200 meters as there was a lot of snow, which is possible at this altitude at any time of year.

As its name suggests, this charming little stream is located in the Grande Sassière nature reserve, at the foot of the eponymous needle. It connects the Sassière lake and the Saut lake in the magnificent alpine environment of the Tarentaise.

Lac créé par un petit barrage, accessible près du parking.