Tour of Pic de Valsenestre

Description

Flirt with high peaks and experience the many facets of mountain life on this tour of agro-pastoral, forest and mineral landscapes. Five hamlets, home to 130 permanent inhabitants, a high-altitude refuge nestling against the foot of a slender north face, forests, meadows, mossy scree, alpine meadows, granite peaks and needles, névés... Take the Pic de Valsenestre tour is discover an exceptional area with a wide variety of landscapes. The entire Tour du Pic de Valsenestre takes place in a single commune : Valjouffrey. The first stage of this itinerary links the hamlet of La Chapelle-en-Valjouffrey to Valsenestre in less than two hours, along the left bank of the Torrent du Béranger. After a night in Valsenestre, you'll reach Le Désert-en-Valjouffrey. Agriculture and tourism keep this remote hamlet, where home to around twenty permanent residents year-round. The route follows the GR 54 over the Côte Belle pass (2290 m). On the way up, you'll come across the spectacular flakes of the limestone columns of Valsenestre. At the pass, you'll enjoy splendid views of Le Rocher de la Muzelle and the surrounding peaks. The third day takes you from Désert-en-Valjouffrey to the Font Turbat refuge. A gently sloping path winding through meadows takes you in 1h30 to the cascade de la Pisse. From here, the path becomes a footpath. You soon discover a characteristic glacial valley and the imposing north face of L'Olan, which will accompany you on the slow ascent to the refuge. The fourth day takes you back to the Désert via the wild route of the Petit Vallon. From the refuge, you climb up to the Col des Lauvets, which opens up a view of the route back to Le Désert and the Font Turbat valley. Take one last look at L'Olan before starting your descent. The last day of your journey will take you, in a more pastoral and bucolic atmosphere, to La Chapelle-en-Valjouffrey, after passing through the hamlet of Les Faures and crossing that of La Chalp. It's back to life on the valley floor.

Difficulty

Official rating: moderate, by Parc national des Écrins.

Before you go

• Two passages of over 2000m high : please check access conditions before setting off. Reservations are recommended if you wish to sleep in a refuge.

Getting there

Start: La Chapelle-en-Valjouffrey, Valjouffrey (38).

Sources

• Track: Parc national des Écrins, Licence Ouverte 2.0, Licence Ouverte 2.0 (Etalab) (destination.ecrins-parcnational.fr/trek/995181-Tour-du-Pic-de-Valsenestre). Time estimated by GPX Path with the Mac app rule, breaks not included.
• Official elevation gain: 2,576 m, Parc national des Écrins