Ascent of Charmant Som via the Cirque Ouest
Starting point: Charmant Som road Difficulty: 1 Ascent: 240 m Time: 2½ hrs Quality: **
The summit of Charmant Som is easily ascended from the roadhead, with just 200 metres of climbing over a distance of a kilometre. Many make the ascent, and during high days and holidays the summit tends to be very crowded. This walk also has the summit as its destination, but it is very much more pleasent than the walk up the north-east ridge, and far less busy. Although short, it traverses a lovely area, and is ideal for a short day. It has a slightly exposed traverse along a ledge near the beginning, but not sufficiently so to warrent a rise in its grading. The time allowed is on the geneous side to allow the walk to be savoured.
The route starts from the car park at the road head, and drops down to a path just below the western cliffs. It traverses the western slopes, and drops down into the Cique Ouest, the head of a valley that leads down to col de Charmette. It rises up the far side, and turns east to approach the summit from the north end. It then drops into the pastures on the west side of the north-east ridge, and returns to the car. (map).
Drive up the roadhead from the Col de Porte towards Charmant Som, at the end of which are two buildings, a fromagerie on the left, and a restaurant on the right. Park in the main car park. Walk around the open patch in front of the fromagerie, where there is a nice place to have breakfast with views of Grand Sure. At the far end of this patch a path drops steeply for a few metres, and then follows a thin ledge for a few metres to a path that rises up below the western cliffs of Charmant Som. Once on this path, all difficulties are over, and it's a pleasant wander along a flowery sangle.
At the top the path turns round the corner of a cliff, and one finds oneself looking down into the impressive Cirque Ouest. An easy path leads down into this, where a second breakfast can be enjoyed amidst the dramatic scenary. We once had the pleasure of watching a couple of buzzards wheeling around together a few metres seemingly oblivious of our presence. The ascent up the far side of the cirque is straightforward, and leads to a small prairie covered with great yellow gentians, and marmotte burrows. The easiest way from here is to continue into the valley, until a Y-junction is met, where one turns back towards the right. This path traverses soome slopes before rising steeply up a gully that leads abruptly arrive at the summit (1867 m), an hour or so after leaving the car. After the solitary ascent, the crowds on the summit will come as a somewhat rude shock. At weekends, it's a major exercise to negotiate one's way round the vast groups who are having photographs taken to celebrate their successful 200 m ascent from the car park.
One can find a quiet corner, however, and there are worse spots to have lunch, which you will probably have to share with the alpine choughs. The views are splendid. Chamechaude dominates to the south-east, and with a pair of binoculars you can pick out the traverse through the cliffs from le Jardin. To the north, you can see the monastery nestling beneath the dramatic western cliffs of the Grand Som. By moving along the ridge to the north for a few metres, you can get an impression of the splendid cliffs lying beneath you. To the west, you can see across the col de la Charmette to la Grande Sure.
You can follow the south ridge straight back to the car park, but a better option is to branch off this after 150 metres to follow a path dropping down into the obvious large pasture. At the bottom of the zig-zags, the chalets can be seen to the left, but instead follow an ancient ditch along the top of the northern cliffs of the fault valley, taking in fine views of the area just visited. At the corner of the pasture, follow the path round to the north back towards the car park. Your progress through this pasture will inevitably be observed by a herd of the beautiful native tarine dairy cows. When you have returned to the car park, it is worth popping into the fromagèrie to buy some of their fresh cream and tomme de Savoie cheese. The copper vat in the fromagèrie is a thing of beauty.