Pic and Chamois Route, starting from Les Sauvas

On the D994 road between Veynes and Gap, head towards the village of Montmaur via the D320 or the D937A. Opposite the castle, take the small D320 road heading north, following the signs for “la Montagne” and “les Sauvas”. Drive up the winding road to the hamlet of La Montagne, then turn right, heading due east, onto the Les Sauvas forest track (easily passable).
Pass the Col de Gaspardon and, about 1.5 km further on, turn left at the junction towards the car park (signposted “Pic de Bure”). Park in the large car park above the lodges, just past the picnic area.

(S/E) From the car park, take the path leading up the GR® de Pays du Tour du Dévoluy, heading north-northeast (yellow and red markings). The wide track soon gives way to a path that crosses a mixed forest of conifers (larch) and deciduous trees (beech). You’ll reach a junction 800 m further on.

(1) Take the yellow-marked PR® path on the left, leaving the Bure GRP® route which continues straight ahead. Follow the winding path uphill to a wide track.

(2) Follow the track to the left, heading south-west, for about 700 m until you reach a path starting on the left.
Magnificent views over the valley and the Dent d’Aurouze (2,679 m). You can see the trails made by chamois in the scree. If you come early, it is not uncommon to spot chamois in the scree. In summer, the site is flown over by crag martins, which nest in particular at the Roc des Hirondelles.

(3) Leave the track and head down the path on the left, heading south.

(4) Continue left along the winding path that descends in hairpin bends through a pine forest. Ignore the paths branching off to the right and continue straight ahead until you reach the car park (S/E).

No reliable water source along the route. There is a fountain at the Maison Forestière des Sauvas, but the water is not guaranteed to be safe to drink.

Picnic tables below the Sauvas lodges.

Large unpaved car park; camping or access with a campervan is possible. However, this is a regulated forest area: check for any restrictions (forestry work, fire risk). Wildlife present (chamois, mouflon): keep quiet and respect the animals’ peace and quiet.

The hamlet of Les Sauvas once had its own chapel, dedicated to the Transfiguration, and its own cemetery. It also had a bread oven. A mill operated a few hundred metres away on the River Sigouste. All these facilities therefore enabled the community to survive self-sufficiently during the isolation of winter. The last farmer to live there was Joseph ROUX in 1873. But subsequently, due to severe deforestation, the site was expropriated and underwent extensive reforestation work from 1874 to 1894. Forest rangers lived there from 1875 to 1975. Today, it is home to mouflons (500 head) and hikers who visit the bread oven.
A beautiful stone fountain dating from 1913 stands below the Sauvas forest house.

On the access road at the start: the Château de Montmaur (14th century), a departmental estate, is a fine example of the various periods and artistic influences in the Dauphiné. Its development and decoration spanned four hundred years. Inside, the state rooms have retained their French-style ceilings, monumental fireplaces, carved doors and painted decorations, the oldest of which date back to the Renaissance. Noble families succeeded one another there until the Revolution, after which private owners in turn maintained and embellished the premises. This unique testament to the heritage of the Hautes-Alpes also became a key centre of the Resistance during the Second World War. Listed as a Historic Monument, the Château has retained its tradition of hospitality, where heritage and the arts intertwine. https://www.sources-du-buech.com/chateau-de-montmaur--226228.html