Summit of the Agnellière (2,700 m)

Park in the large car park just before the Madone de Fenestre, at the hairpin bend where marker 356 is located.

(S/E) From the car park, head to marker 356 and follow the path signposted ‘Cime du Pisset 1h15’.
The winding path starts off quite steeply until you pass the last larch trees. After that, it levels out almost completely until you reach the Cime du Pisset.

(1) Take care at a short, tricky section (especially if it’s raining) where you cross a dry, deeply eroded stream. Do not climb too high up the right-hand slope (several trail heads lead to false trails) but cross as soon as the path reaches the level of the ravine.

(2) At the Cime du Pisset (marker 430), there is virtually no path left.
Head eastwards towards the visible summit. You’ll soon come across a more or less marked path, with cairns from time to time. The climb is steep again. Continue in the same direction, keeping the visible summit in sight at all times.

After 45 minutes, you’ll come out onto a flat area and begin to see your destination (not the grassy summit opposite, but the rocky massif on the right). Carry on climbing, keeping well to the right, and about an hour after leaving the Cime du Pisset, you’ll finally see the route leading to the Cime de l’Agnellière. Reach the Collet de Juisse and start traversing along the ridges (clearly visible path).

(3) This is where it gets a bit tricky: you need to continue traversing directly below the Cime de l’Agnellière, trying to spot a very faint path, then climb towards the summit by eye, following the route that looks most passable. A few cairns provide some guidance, but they’re easy to lose sight of. A large cairn marks the summit (about 1 hour from the small pass and 3 hours in total from the car park).

(4) For the return journey, you can either take the same route (which is what we did, but cutting across the grassy valley once we’d come down from the Collet de Juisse), or head down towards the Pas des Ladres and then join the^GR®52towards the Madone de Fenestre to complete a circular journey and return to the car park (S/E).

(Very good) cheese at the Madone dairy, situated just below.
Griffon vultures at l’Agnellière.