Access to the car park: from Puy Chalvin, drive up the “Combes” track for 1 km. Leave your car in the small car park (elevation 1727m, wayside cross).
(S/E) From the car park, ignore the path leading down to the left and take the main track which climbs up the valley to reach the hamlet of Les Combes.
Walk through the hamlet and continue to the entrance gate of the Partias Nature Reserve.
(1) Turn right onto the wide path which climbs gradually through the forest on the southern slope, emerging into the mountain pastures at an altitude of 2000. Pass the start of the Rocher Blanc chairlift (altitude 2083).
(2) Climb more directly up the southern slopes (wide path) to the Chauvet plateau (start of a ski lift).
Climb the gentle slopes of the mountain pastures to the east and reach the ridge at an altitude of 2300.
(3) Descend to the right to the Chapel of Notre-Dame des Neiges, nestled slightly below the ridge at an altitude of 2292m.
(4) From the chapel’s platform, begin the descent via the Puy-Saint-Pierre path on the north-eastern slope (caution: the descent can be tricky early in the season if there is heavy snow).
The well-marked path winds its way down a steep scree slope. At the final hairpin bend (2,150 m), leave the path.
Cross to the right, heading south, off the beaten track, descending gradually to join a ski run at an altitude of 2050m (blue run ‘Le chemin’, marked by boundary posts).
Follow this run to the right for about 300 metres until you reach signpost no. 32.
(5) Head down to the left, due south, through the mountain pastures towards the forest. Keep the Charvet stream on your right and stay on the ridge running alongside it.
(6) At the edge of the forest, join a fairly well-marked path that descends directly down the slope to cross the Cime irrigation canal (1,850 m).
(7) Take the wide path and continue down to reach the car park (S/E).