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From the A85 at the start of Gap, take the D944 towards Orcières, Ancelle and Chaillol. At the Col de Manse roundabout, take the D944 towards Orcières and stay on it all the way to Orcières. In the village of Orcières, after a bend, take the D474 towards Prapic. Park your car in the car park before entering the village.
(S/E) From the Prapic car park, head up towards the village, cross through it and follow the signs for Saut du Laire/Col des Tourettes. Continue along a lovely, wide path that climbs up to a first junction with a wayside shrine on the right. Lovely view of the village.
(1) Turn left, staying on this lovely track. At an altitude of 1640m, the first challenge: a steep climb.
(2) Pass the Chapelle de la Saulce. From here, there is a panoramic view of the Saut du Laïre in the foreground and the Mourre Froid at the back of the cirque. Keep left at the next fork.
Reach the Saut du Laîre, cross the footbridge over the Drac and turn left towards the Col de la Tourette (signposted).
(3) Once you have crossed the Drac, follow the riverbed on the left bank until you reach another footbridge.
On the right is a shepherd’s cottage. In summer, the flocks are present, as are the sheepdogs. Carry on your way without worry. The sheepdogs may ‘bark’, but there is no danger.
(4) Cross over and continue along the path on the right bank of the Drac until you reach the end of the valley. Admire the magnificent waterfalls cascading down the rock faces. Follow the path as it turns left and begins to climb steeply along the winding track to reach the Cabane de La Barre.
(5) The path levels out and becomes less steep. Continue due east until you reach a junction.
(6) Turn left until you reach another fork (signposted: Col des Terres Blanches to the left).
(7) Continue to the right, south-east (I reached this point after a 2½-hour walk). Pass over the rocky ridge of Les Rougnous. Opposite lie the Col des Tourettes and the Crête de la Dent. Magnificent torrents and waterfalls complete this wild landscape.
The final section before the pass is steeper with less stable ground.
(8) From the Col des Tourettes, turn right, off the path, onto the Crête de la Dent. A few cairns and some old blue markings remain, making it easy to find your way.
Right from the start, after the pass, the section is a little more technical; use your hands if necessary to steady yourself. Follow the Crête de la Dent. Be careful, as some sections are quite vertiginous. You’ll reach a fork (alt. 2,580 m).
At the foot of the summit, the path climbs quite steeply in switchbacks through scree, then reaches the summit of Mourre Froid at an altitude of 2,994 m, marked by a triangular pylon. It took me 5 hours to get there.
(9) The panorama is breathtaking, with views of the Mercantour to the south, the Ubaye, the Piolit, the Aiguilles de Chabrières, part of Lac de Serre Ponçon, Mont Guillaume and Pic Morgon. To the east: the Queyras and the Viso. To the north: the Ecrins, etc.
Head back to the previous fork.
(10) At this point, you can take a shortcut by heading down to the left, generally northwards, across the scree slopes, on the less steep section. This option shortens the route by 3 km.
A few cairns are visible. The landmark is the Cabane de la Barre (passed on the way up). But be careful: keep well to the right to avoid the Barre de la Cabane, and study the IGN map carefully. At the bottom of the scree slope, cross the pastures and the few streams, fed by numerous springs. Reach the path taken during the ascent.
(6) Head left, following the route in reverse to the one taken on the way up. Pass by the Cabane de la Barre, the Saut du Laîre, the Chapelle de la Saulce and Prapic, and return to the car park (S/E).
Visorando Member
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