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Park at the bottom of the ski lift run (elevation 1324m) leading to the hotel.
Warning: the cables at the Brèche Arnaud have been detached in two places since summer 2018. The cable is still there, but it is no longer attached to the rock. This makes the climb up quite strenuous. Metal splinters on the cable mean it is advisable to wear mittens or gloves.
L’Arche and the Écureuil ramp
(S/E) Climb up the ski run (east-southeast), keeping an eye on the edge of the forest on your left: at around 1,360 m, a yellow sign points to the path through the undergrowth leading to the Bachasson spring.
(1) Take this path eastwards then north-eastwards; it makes a wide circular loop before turning south-east and reaching the spring after a short hairpin bend.
(2) At the Bachasson hut, take the path which runs almost level towards the south-west, in the direction of the Habert de Chamechaude. Immediately after passing through a cattle gate, leave the path and head left (south) onto an ascending track (Yellow Cross). Look carefully at the base of the cliff on the left to spot the small Chamechaude Arch, which forms a dark hole (see photo). ⚠ Please note: the arch is small and therefore difficult to spot at first glance.
Continue for a few metres, below the arch, to get past a dead tree trunk lying across the path, then climb up the grassy slope dotted with small rocks to the right of the arch (east) and reach it.
(3) Pass under the arch, which turns out to have two openings. Opposite is the small vertical fissure known as the ‘Pas de l’Arche’ (see photo). Pass through this narrow fissure (be careful: large rucksacks won’t fit) to reach the grassy ledge beyond it. From there, head north on level ground (straight ahead, leaving the Pas behind you) for 50 metres to climb a rocky step, then veer right (north-east) and ascend towards a second cliff, at the foot of which there is a sling (see this term – masculine – below). Head back in the opposite direction, towards the south-west, along this sling, until you pass a large cairn. From there, scan the cliff to spot a weak point: the steps of the Rampe de l’Écureuil. If you reach the end of the sling facing large cliffs, look behind you – it’s right there (small cairn).
(4) The Rampe de l’Écureuil is a short 2-metre-high climbing section, resembling a steep flight of stairs with narrow steps ascending the small cliff from right to left (see photo and instructions; stow your walking sticks in your rucksack!). At the top of this, head straight north-east through gnarled pines and grassy areas, slowly climbing the slope to join the “Coca-Cola” path on the standard route at an elevation of 1,836 m (IGN). Follow this path for a few hairpin bends. When these hairpin bends give way to a straight stretch heading north-north-east, leave the path at the first bend and take one of the many parallel tracks leading down towards the base of the cliff overlooking La Folatière (see IGN map).
The ‘Sangle’ and the ‘Pas du Jardin’
Go round this cliff as close as possible to the rocks at the bottom, to reach a track crossing gullies and scree beneath the western “canyon” couloir of Chamechaude.
(5) The base of this couloir is marked, on the path, by a rock bearing the word ‘danger’ in red, along with a Yellow Triangle and a Red Triangle. Continue due north then north-north-east along the almost level ridge running alongside the cliffs and overlooking scree slopes where large numbers of chamois gather (see photo). The path then turns 90° eastwards (note that a trail also continues straight down at this point) and begins to climb, running alongside the northern cliffs of Chamechaude. Shortly after the bend to the west, the path passes beneath the ‘voie des trous’ (visible).
(6) It ends at the Pas du Jardin, where a few pine trees stand above a rocky ledge from which you can descend back onto the path at the foot of the eastern cliffs of Chamechaude (see photo taken after the descent to the bottom of the pass). Put your walking poles away in your rucksack before scrambling down the pass, then a second section that is half rock, half earth, to reach this path and retrieve your walking poles. Then follow the path heading due south at the foot of the cliff, without taking the numerous trails below (yellow markings, few in number).
The Arnaud Gap
(7) You will thus reach the foot of the Brèche Arnaud. This is easy to spot: the preceding cliffs are clearly impassable, whereas the breach is relatively short (see photo). It lies above the Habert de Chamechaude and, from its base, you can see the village of Le Sappey very clearly. After stowing away your poles, climb up the pass due west, using (or not using) the numerous cables (see photo of the upper exit).
At the exit of the gap, rejoin the standard route path and follow it northwards to the cable just before the summit.
The summit and its viewpoint
Once past the cable, you’ll soon reach the cross at the summit of Chamechaude.
(8) Continue north to the northern viewpoint of Chamechaude to admire the view to the north. As you pass, look out for the few cairns on the left marking the descent towards the western couloir. After reaching the viewpoint, head back south before turning right, heading due west up the slope, following the cairns that mark the winding path leading towards the couloir.
The western couloir or “canyon” and the Folatière “mushroom”
(9) The summit of the wide West ‘canyon’ of Chamechaude lies between two cliffs topped with pine trees (see photo). Descend this steep couloir (west-south-west), starting on fairly stable ground before ending in scree of small pebbles which can be crossed by scrambling.
This leads to the base of the couloir on the ‘sangle du jardin’ path, which you have already passed earlier.
(5) The path continues its descent in switchbacks and over scree, heading south-west.
You will then reach the distinctive ‘mushroom’ rock of La Folatière, at the foot of which there is a signpost marking the normal route.
The descent
(10) Follow this standard route path down to the Bachasson hut.
(2) Turn north-west and, shortly after the hut, take a gravel path on the left marked with a Yellow Cross, which descends steeply south-west towards the top of the ski slopes. You’ll reach a track suitable for vehicles. As soon as possible, after a hairpin bend to the right, leave this track and take a winding path descending to the left at the edge of the forest (the ski run is on your right).
A small cairn on the left soon marks the start of a path through the undergrowth (west), which allows you to avoid the heat and the crowds. When this path, after a right-angle bend to the left (south-west), turns into a forest track and then reaches a damp forest path with a spring running along it, take this path downhill towards the north (follow the water).
(1) This track joins the bottom of the hotel’s ski lift run.
Following this run, you’ll quickly reach the starting point. (S/E)
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