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Superb short forest walk above Modane and in Parc de la Vanoise. Wild animals (chamois mostly) can be seen in Spring when the snow is still low. The views as you go up reward the (small) efforts made during the ascent. The path is fully signposted. IGN map 3534 OT. 720m of ascent, 2h. The route is described as a traverse, which offers more views towards the opposite side of the valley and the Vanoise summits.
Start
Le Pré du Col, on the road to l'Orgère. Leave RN6 in La Praz and drive up to the Orgère Chalet (signposts). Le Pré du Col is 2 km after St Antoine. Park just before a small stone bridge. A path leaves the road 20m below (ONF signpost).
Route
Take the path to the left of the road and cut across a forest trail after 400m . At a fork, keep right ("Plan de l'Ours/ Sentier des Pierres"). After a 15-minute walk under the trees, the path comes out on the Plan de l'Ours trail. Turn right and then left after 100m (signposted "l'Observatoire"). Walk past the beautiful house on the Plan de l'Ours plateau and up the steepening path. Higher up, watch out for a signpost and another path to the left: it goes to l'Observatoire and the start of the sentier balcon. About 400m farther up, turn right at another signpost ("L'observatoire"). The rest is a varied succession of short climbs and plateaus. Keep an eye open for animals; they are numerous in that area, especially in Spring. At each clearing in the trees, look around to discover the widening panorama towards the south and the east. From the top, an undistinguished grassy mound scattered with rocks, the view extends to the south from Col des Marches to Pointe de Ronce, and to the east towards a few Vanoise summits and cols (Rateau d'Aussois, Aiguille Doran, Pointe de l'Echelle and Polset Massif).
Descent
Same route, but it is better and only a little longer on the way down to turn right at the last intersection, reach the start of the white/green sentier balcon and follow it until it comes out of the forest in the Côte Plane coomb. Turn left there (signposted "route forestière). After a steeper passage and a clearing, turn left at the next intersection. The path cuts across the Plan de l'Ours trail, goes past the superb Lacou chalet, across another trail and finally back to Plan du Col and the car.