Circular Three Valleys Tour in Saint-Etienne-en-Dévoluy

Three pretty valleys to visit, two passes to cross (without difficulty) and, as a bonus, a breathtaking view of the Pic de Bure cliff. You will encounter sheep, marmots and chamois. Water in the pools!

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.00 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 836 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 831 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,047 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,491 m

Description of the walk

Park at the lower station of the Bure cable car.

(S/E) Take the tarmac path that climbs opposite to join theGR® trail, which you will follow to the left for about 300 metres. Then leave the GR® trail and take the marked path (red dots) on the right that climbs into the Combe de Corne below the cable car.

(1) Leave the return path on your left and continue straight ahead.

(2) Climb up and head for the small pass that goes around the Tête de Corne (red markings).

(3) Do not turn right into the Combe Ratin but continue straight ahead. Then turn sharply left, continuing to follow the red markings. Descend a few hairpin bends.

(4) Leave the red markings by turning right towards the Vallon d'Âne hut. You will reach a crossroads before you get there.

(5) Turn right into the Vallon d'Âne and, at the bottom, climb a few hairpin bends on the left to reach a small, unnamed pass that leads to the Vallon Froid.

(6) Descend into the valley following the obvious, marked path. At the bottom, you will find a wide path.

(7) Turn left to pass under the Vallon d'Âne shepherd's hut, ignoring the path on the left that leads to it. Follow the yellow-marked path along the edge of the hillside. Pass the entrance to a farm on the right and continue straight ahead, going around it on the left. You will reach the junction with the path that climbs up to La Corne.

(8) Continue to the right and enter the undergrowth. Join the Combe de Corne path.

(1) Turn right. Continue on the left to pass under the cable car, then keep to the right to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,492 m - Car park at the Bure cable car station
  2. 1 : km 0.69 - alt. 1,551 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 2.91 - alt. 1,930 m - Bassin
  4. 3 : km 3.46 - alt. 2,047 m - Unnamed pass
  5. 4 : km 4.2 - alt. 1,878 m - End of red markings
  6. 5 : km 4.83 - alt. 1,766 m - Cabane Pastorale - trail junction
  7. 6 : km 6.55 - alt. 1,998 m - Unnamed pass
  8. 7 : km 8.38 - alt. 1,680 m - Wide path junction, on the left
  9. 8 : km 9.47 - alt. 1,715 m - Trail junction, on the right
  10. S/E : km 11 - alt. 1,491 m - Car park at the Bure cable car station

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
Prejean
Prejean

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very good route, but at the end of June there are too many electric fences for dogs, they are everywhere. They completely cut off the route with no way around them, so you have to turn back and walk extra kilometres (3 km on this hike).

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Ola
Ola

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An extraordinary hike, with great variety between mountain pastures, forests and rocky terrain, breathtaking landscapes and exceptional views. It's impossible to resist the urge to stop frequently to soak up the atmosphere of this place. The description is perfect and very useful. The GPS track is very helpful, especially on the pathless section leading to the shepherd's hut and on certain parts of the trail that are difficult to see.
A huge thank you for sharing this hike.

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JulieFJ
JulieFJ

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike beneath the Pic de Bure. What a view for a picnic! No technical difficulty.

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83Isa
83Isa

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route with varied landscapes. We are often impressed by the mountains that surround us, creating a special atmosphere, almost like being in the high mountains. For a "medium" hike, it's a lot of fun! However, the GPS track is very useful because some of the paths are not marked and sometimes barely visible. But it's nice to be able to follow the route "live" in the easy terrain. No great difficulty in finding your way. Thank you very much for this track.

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Pégourié
Pégourié

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful, varied route, and not too rocky, which was a pleasant surprise for our first hike in Dévoluy.
The climb up the Vallon de la Corne seems to be little used (apart from the work on the cable car), and offers a beautiful view of the Pic de Bure. We saw a lone chamois and lots of marmots.
There is no visible path after point 4: you have to aim for the hut, which sometimes disappears between the hills (we went a little too high at the beginning).
The Vallon de l'Âne is a mountain pasture, while the last one, the Vallon Froid, is wilder.
Thank you for this beautiful circular route.

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