Hiking to Charmant Som, Chamechaude and La Pinea

So, ever since I arrived in Grenoble, my husband has been wanting to go to Chamechaude. We tried going there once in winter with a few other people, but we weren't allowed to hike if we didn't have any tools such as snowshoes or skis. So we went to Charmant Som instead that day. Rather than taking the route through the forest, we walked on the snow covered road (due to the thick snow, no cars went through, instead there were many skiers). It was a beautiful hike, we didn't get to go all the way up to the peak due to the deep snow, but the hike was still one of the most memorable ones. It was like a wonderland, the roads, hills, trees, were covered in snow. It was the first time we saw snow since arriving in the Grenoble and the probably the first time I've seen that much snow (it doesn't tend to snow very much in the UK - well not in the city anyway), and also even in the city (in Grenoble) it wasn't snowing, so it was pretty cool.

Anyway, the reason I've put these three peaks together in one post is because they can all be reached from the same starting point and by going on the same bus from the Notre Dame/Museum bus stop in Grenoble city centre. You take bus 62 and stop at Col de Porte, which is the last stop. From there you just pick your route, whether to go to Charmant Som, La Pinea, or Chamechaude.

Chamechaude is the highest summit in the Chartreuse Massif, and to go to the peak requires climbing up some rocks, with ropes provided to keep your balance. It was one of my favourite hikes, there were a few rocks formation, beautiful wildflowers, and sloped grass area. When we went, the clouds were moving pretty fast at the top, and although it was a hot day in the city, up in the mountain it was still cold. I brought another layer of clothing but it wasn't quite enough, it would've been nicer to wear a jacket. Some of the routes were a bit rocky and slippery so make sure you wear suitable hiking shoes, and you will need it to climb the rocks to get to the peak too. But if you are not too confident in climbing the rocks, you will still get magnificent view of the city and other mountain ranges such as Belledonne and Vercors Massif. Although it was around 700m ascent from Col de Porte to Chamechaude, it wasn't a particularly long route so you can be back in the city by the afternoon.

La Pinea is located sort of across from Chamechaude, so that when you are at its peak, you see the face of Chamechaude (although really how do you dictate which side is the face?). It was a pretty nice hike, not too long either, although the signage weren't the clearest. We knew the path was the same as the path to Charmant Som but that at some point we had to take a turn to go to La Pinea, otherwise you would keep going to Charmant Som (at least that's what it looked like from the map). We kept expecting the turn but there was no signage to indicate it, so we kept going on the path. Sure enough, when it was time to turn, there was a sign indicating La Pinea in one direction and Charmant Som in another, so lesson learnt, just trust the signs. Just like Chamechaude, at some point before reaching the peak, we came out of the forest and it was an open, sloped, rocky, but beautiful area, and we had to climb some rocks to get to the peak (although there is no ropes because it is easier and not as steep). We managed to descend, caught the bus and arrived back at home in the afternoon.