Belvedere at the Évariste Chancel refuge

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I set off from the Meige cable car station, as the arboretum bridge was closed. Given the time of year, I only encountered deer and squirrels. However, the ascent route must be very busy in summer, with mandatory directions and no-entry signs for cyclists and pedestrians. This means you won't be able to follow the trail exactly on the way up, but the difference isn't significant. The views of the mountain ranges are magnificent. At the junction for the lake, I climbed up to the left to the Peyrou d'Amont cable car station, where the view of the glaciers is splendid. I then descended via a mountain bike trail on the other side of the station to rejoin the path leading to the lake, where I ended my ascent. The descent becomes very difficult in the forest with a narrow path that is sometimes poorly marked and slippery in places. There is a "dangerous passage" sign in one place, but for those going up ;-))). At the bottom, there is a "difficult path" sign. If you want to avoid this descent, you can join the ascent route via a well-marked path on the hillside that is shown on maps and is signposted. Once at the bottom, I didn't follow the main road back to the car park, but took a very pretty path, indicated by a wooden sign saying "la Grave par sentier" (La Grave by footpath), which runs between the road and the Romanche river to the Meige waterfall. Since you're there, go and see it, it's only 150 metres further and there's no elevation gain after what you've already done ;-))). There you go, a wonderful day.

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Date of your route : Aug 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

In July/August, tourists flock to the ski lifts, at least as far as the lake ;(
Try to avoid the mountain bike trails, as apart from being dangerous, they are not very passable (we found ourselves on them on the way down)...

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Date of your route : Jul 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant climb through the woods.
A few people at the summit.
A quick dip in the bag
You absolutely must see the view from the belvedere
However, we followed the route for the descent: the path is not very well marked, and we wondered if we had taken a wrong turn. We hesitated at a small stream crossing. Perhaps not recommended for people who are afraid of steep slopes. At the bottom, there is a sign indicating that the path is dangerous.

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Date of your route : Jul 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We continued past the Evariste Chancel refuge to the Pacave pass, then descended on the other side to reach Peyroux d'Amont station. The descent is steep but magnificent.
Be careful on the way back at point (7), as I couldn't find the path and ended up on a mountain bike trail, arriving between point (1) and point (2).

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Date of your route : Aug 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I climbed in July 2020 using a variation of the route, which involves climbing directly to Pierre Tarabo after reaching the Puy Vachier chalets (this trail connects points 2 and 7 on the map). This traverse climb is pleasant and easier than the one described in the guidebook, which involves passing through the cable car's intermediate station.
It should be noted that, as indicated in the guidebook, the final climb from the Chancel refuge to the belvedere includes a short, very exposed section. This section is not difficult in itself, but you must not be prone to vertigo and must be sure-footed, as you cannot afford to stumble in this spot...

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Date of your route : Aug 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We made the journey from the Peyrou d'Amont cable car station. An easy and very pleasant return trip. Don't miss the chance to take the cable car up to the 3,200-metre viewpoint to stand at the foot of the glaciers.
The break at the Refuge Chancel is very pleasant with a warm welcome. Lac du Puy Vachier is nestled in a rocky environment, which makes it different from the surrounding area. There are many fry in this lake.

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Hello and thank you very much for your comment. This circular path is indeed very pleasant and can even be done with very young children by using the cable car, as you mention.
As for the difficulty rating, this is a very subjective criterion that is actually aimed at the majority of hikers. I did this hike with a group of hiking friends and at the end of the day I received several comments ranging from moderate to very difficult. I therefore chose Difficult, which is somewhat confirmed by your comment about the length. This may also explain it.
Have a good evening and enjoy the rest of the site and the terrain.

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Date of your route : Oct 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Difficult? We didn't find it difficult... Long would be a more accurate description. But the route is so lovely once you leave the forest that you quickly forget the effort.
For families, there is a shorter, almost flat access point to the lake from the Glaciers cable car station.
There is no water along the route, so bring a good water bottle.
Enjoy your outing!
Luce & Jak

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