The Big Corner

Hiking at Le Grand Coin in the Maurienne: our outing from Albertville!

Chantal and Marc

We're Chantal and Marc, a retired couple. We love walking in the mountains and discovering new routes in the Maurienne, often off the beaten track.

7.30am - Col du Chaussy car park (1530 m)

This morning we set off from Albertville to hike in the Maurienne. We love discovering new routes in Savoie, and the Grand Coin hike was one of the summits we’d been wanting to do for some time.

We spotted this hike in a guidebook we’d bought at the tourist office. The route is a loop: around 15.8 km, with over 1,200 metres of ascent, and an estimated walking time of 7.5 hours. We chose to do the Grand Coin ascent and return.

The starting point is the Col du Chaussy. Incidentally, this is the first time we’ve come to the Col du Chaussy by car, as we’re used to cycling up this pass along with the Col de la Madeleine.

We pack our bags and start walking. Leaving early is a habit for us: it allows us to hike quietly and enjoy the mountains before the heat.

Between forests and mountain pastures

We set off, the gradient making itself felt right from the start of the hike. The route is fairly demanding, with a steady climb that puts a lot of strain on the legs. We alternate between passages in the forest and more open sections in the mountain pastures. We pass some beautiful gypsum rocks.

We come across a herd of goats accompanied by a guard dog (patou). The dog comes to meet us: we stop, remain calm and let him identify us by sniffing us. We then waited for him to move away before resuming our walk. He accompanies us for a few metres, then returns to his herd.
We were lucky: he remained calm, simply curious to see who was approaching his goats.

We walked at a brisk pace, pausing regularly to drink water and nibble on some dried fruit. These stops allow us to recuperate and maintain a steady walking pace despite the difference in altitude.

As we climbed, the view gradually opened up over the surrounding peaks of the Maurienne. On one side we can see the Aiguilles d’Arves, and on the other, as in the photo, the Grand Pic de la Lauzière.
Below us, a number of small hamlets stand out on either side of the valley, giving us a clear idea of where we are.

On the ridges (2695 m)

Arriving on the crests of the Grand Coin, we almost feel like we’re on the moon. The light-coloured rocks and strong wind create a very special atmosphere. After the climb, our legs were feeling a bit tired, but the panorama soon made us forget our fatigue.

We took the time to look around us: to the left, the Bellevilles valley in Tarentaise, to the right, the Maurienne valley. The contrasts are striking and it’s quite rare in the area to have a view like this. We can even see the paths zigzagging down towards the valleys and realise just how high we’ve come.

The silence, the wind and the light that changes with the clouds all add to the impression of being alone in the world.

11am - Le Grand Coin (2730 m)

The last part of the climb is quite vertiginous, giving us the impression of literally climbing the mountain.

Once at the top, we took our time to appreciate the view over the surrounding valleys and peaks. We had a 360-degree view of Mont Blanc, the Vanoise peaks, Belledonne and the Écrins massif.

For a well-deserved picnic, we settle down on a rock below and take the opportunity to breathe and regain our strength before heading back down.

The descent

We descend slowly, without hurrying. After the climb, it’s nice to take a breather and walk at a more leisurely pace. On the way up, our heads were mainly in the effort, but now we can finally look around us.

We can see Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and the villages in the valleys. We took our time to enjoy the scenery.

Before getting back on the road, we stopped off at the Auberge du Chaussy for a well-deserved drink to round off the day.