Circular route around Les Florins: between the past and the present

To reach the starting point, take the small tarmac road at Saint-André d’Embrun towards the Col de la Coche. 3 km before the pass, on the left, park near the wooden sign pointing to Les Florins.

(S/E) Start the walk by staying on the tarmac road towards the Col de la Coche.

(1) At the first hairpin bend, leave the road and continue straight on along the forest track. This track follows the Torrent de Palps without actually joining it. Do not take the paths that veer off to the right and climb steeply, nor those that join the torrent. Further on, cross the Torrent de Partenq, where you can see the water flowing over large rocks on the right.

(2) About 400 m after crossing the torrent, at the junction of the forest tracks, take the one on the right which climbs steeply. This track splits into several paths.
If you take the middle one, it will soon end at a path running perpendicular to it. Turn left (east). If you take the one on the right (less steep), leave it at the first junction to take the path on the left. This forest track will soon come to an end. Further along, you’ll come across the small, disused path that used to exist. It’s easy to follow if you pay attention and leads to a track suitable for vehicles.

(3) Continue to the left towards the Cabane de Valbelle. Walk past it and carry on to the^firstchairlift (Clos Chardon).

(4) At the foot of the chairlift, turn your back on it and head in the opposite direction (north). Take the slope (ski run) between the restaurant – which is only open in winter – and the Razis chairlift. You can make out a snowcat track leading north-north-east up to the Col de Valbelle, from where you can see the Écrins mountain range.

(5) Turn left, then at the Fork in the road a few metres further on, take the path on the right, which you’ll see winding its way up. The destination is the Belvédère de l’Homme de Pierre for its views. These are the buildings with antennas.

(6) Leave this path, which descends towards Risoul, and turn left to climb up to the Belvédère de l’Homme de Pierre. This is the group of buildings with telecoms masts on the promontory.

(7) On the side opposite the Écrins, you can see Lac de Serre-Ponçon. Directly below the ridge, head towards the barn (Cabane de Chérine) which you can make out to the south-east.

(8) At this point, follow the drovers' road on the right which descends towards Les Florins and passes through the gap. The path then descends towards the stream, crosses it, and follows it along the bank.

(9) Once you reach Les Florins, walk upstream along the small stream until you come to a magnificent waterfall overlooking the abandoned hamlet.

(10) Turn back and head down towards the hamlet.

(9) Walk past the renovated chapel, cross the Torrent de Palps, and head up the wide path on the right which leads back to the road, where your car is parked (S/E).

Bring water: there may be water at the Cabane de Valbelle (8), but it is sometimes dry.
Good walking shoes.
Trousers or gaiters are preferable, as the old, disused path leading uphill may sometimes have stinging nettles.

Les Florins is a magnificent, remote and abandoned hamlet; life there was simply too hard. We’ll follow the two paths that once connected its inhabitants to the rest of the world.

This walk brings together the old village, abandoned because life was too harsh, and the new mountain economy. A track suitable for mountain biking and a ski resort.
Les Florins is well worth a stop. If you can enter the restored chapel, a notice board recounts the history of this hamlet.
The small road over the Col de la Coche did not exist at that time. This is why the hamlet was more closely linked to Réallon and Vars, for which it became a summer grazing area for cows.