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Departure from Col de Porte, reached from Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse or Le Sappey via the D512.
Park along the road that leads to the ski slopes.
(S/E) Continue along the road towards the slopes and turn left to climb the slopes for about 300 metres.
(1) Take the path on the left that climbs diagonally, east-southeast, into the forest.
It will make a wide circular before returning due south.
At the end of the forest path, the marked trail climbs to the left and then returns south to climb out of the forest to the hollowed-out tree trunk serving as drinking trough crossroads.
(2) Turn right, heading south-southwest, onto the Chamechaude trail, which starts at the same level.
After passing at the foot of some rocks, turn off after a gate onto a path climbing up the left-hand side. Leave this path after 50 metres to climb (a few tracks) towards the rocky ridge at the level of the caves visible from below. As you approach, you will see the double arch (3 exits) that marks the corner of the rock. You can climb to the right of the arch to cross it or (better marked) to the left to visit it on a round trip.
(3) After visiting, exit at the bottom (north entrance) to discover the Pas de l'Arche a few metres away, a small chimney whose first step is quite high and the top narrow (remove your rucksack to pass). At the exit, follow a vague path northwards which descends slightly to go around the next rocky ridge. When the terrain becomes passable again (more grass than rock), climb up the slope to join the paths coming from the north (from the normal route) and follow them southwards to the edge of the cliff. There, climb straight up to the next rocky outcrop, which has a clearly visible weak point: the Rampe de l'Écureuil or Rampe du Lapin.
(4) This ramp consists of a short, easy rocky passage, followed by a sloping path that leads to a lightly wooded meadow and a well-marked path (cairn).
Take it to the right to return to the eastern cliff of Chamechaude and follow it uphill on a ridge that is the reverse side of the cliff.
It joins the path (normal route) leading up to Brêche Arnaud.
(5) Climb up this wide path on the right, which passes the exit of Brêche Arnaud and connects to the normal route climbing up on the left.
Continue uphill on the single trail, following the markings carefully to avoid contributing to erosion in this area.
After passing a small barrier, the trail ends at the foot of the final cliff, which offers an impressive view.
It is actually very easy to climb, with a few metal steps, then newly refurbished cables and steps carved into the rock.
You will emerge onto the summit ridge and the cross.
(6) Enjoy the view, walking a little along the ridge to the north, then retrace your steps to begin the descent straight down the west-facing slope.
There are many tracks and paths criss-crossing this slope: follow the most practical one, avoiding straying too far to the north or south.
Towards the bottom of this steady slope, head for a detached rock, at the foot of which the canyon (or west chimney) begins.
(7) Descend this gorge following the tracks in the rocks, then the corridor becomes steeper, so you have to descend through scree, sometimes on the right bank, but more often on the left bank.
This is the most difficult part of the descent.
Halfway down the canyon, there are two options:
- a path branches off to the left and climbs slightly to pass some rocks near a fir tree, then descends a series of paths to the south, below the avalanche barriers, until it joins the normal route.
It leaves to the right to the distinctive Rocher de la Folatière rock (easier but less obvious to follow);
- or (marked on the map), continue down the canyon corridors, gradually veering to the left, until you reach the foot of the Rocher de la Folatière (more direct but also steeper).
(8) From the foot of the Rocher de la Folatière, follow the marked trail (avoiding shortcuts that cause erosion) which winds down to hollowed-out tree trunk serving as drinking trough.
(2) Turn right and follow the path you took on the way up for 50 metres.
Then, at the second crossroads, in an area prone to avalanches in winter, turn left onto a good path in the forest that leads to the top of the downhill ski slopes.
Descend at your leisure, either following the curves of the slopes or taking more direct shortcut paths, towards the clearly visible Col de Porte.
Reach an intersection passed on the way up.
(1) Via a flat section on the right, return to the car park (S/E).
Make sure you have good shoes to avoid uncontrolled slipping 
). The rest of the "passage" is not easy to follow either, as it is not very visible on the ground, until you reach the Ecureuil ramp, which is easily identifiable. It seems steep at first, but it's fine, especially as it's short (a few metres). Be careful, because you then walk along the edge of the cliffs several times (really), where those who are sensitive to vertigo may need to keep their distance. After that, it's easy to the summit, including the cable passage just before the finish.
, so I descended via the normal route, having had enough excitement for one day.
Visorando member
Extremely difficult 
Moderate 
Easy 
