On foot · Great St Bernard · August 2026
The Fenêtre lakes and three passes
A great classic, with some spice: from the Great St Bernard, three passes on the menu, Fenêtre de Ferret, Bastillon and Chevaux. Three times three hundred metres of climbing.
- Date
- August 2026
- Distance
- 13.3 km
- Elevation gain
- 1,045 m
- Walking time
- 5 h 01 min
- High point
- 2,757 m
The route · indicative
The lakes
Sheep and down jackets
Five degrees and a light wind at the start: out come the down jackets. We begin on the Italian side, so as to tackle the two passes that worry Emmanuelle on the way up. A first easy climb to the Fenêtre de Ferret, under a perfect blue sky.
At the Fenêtre lakes, a shepherd watches over his sheep and guard dogs, and hikers file past in long lines. There are three lakes: you can always find a corner of paradise.
The passes
Taming the scree
The Bastillon, then the Col des Chevaux and its steep gullies, with brand-new signs warning of increased rockfall risk. Thanks for the information. And as always, it goes perfectly.
The Grand Combin dominates the day. What stays with us: having gradually tamed one's fears in the mountains. Not without respect, but with much more confidence.
