Country:
District:
The departure point is in the centre of the village on the square in front of the church (parking available on the square or behind the church).
(S/E) Take the narrow street that goes around the church and up to the top of the village called "Pied du village". Continue past the last houses in the same direction on the paved road, passing in front of the cemetery. About a hundred metres further on, turn right until you reach a three-way junction.
(1). Leave the main road that descends to the right towards the Moulin and take the "railway track" towards the tunnels. You are now on the Transubayenne mountain bike trail from Larche to Serre-Ponçon.
The route is flat, passes an impressive viaduct over the Ubaye (via ferrata project) and arrives at the first tunnel, the Tunnel de Saint-Martin La Blache (1730m).
(2) Take the tunnel (headlamp or torch essential). At the exit, continue along the old railway line to the ruined hamlet of Roche Rousse.
This can be the end of the hike, in which case you return by the same route. You can also continue the hike, as shown on the map and described below.
(3) Continue along the track and pass through three more small tunnels to reach the D954 paved road towards Savines-le-Lac.
(4) Turn right onto this road and, 200 metres further on, turn right onto a track that climbs above the road tunnels and winds its way up above the lake. This track leads to La Roche, an old farmhouse owned by the Conservatoire du Littoral: recently renovated, it is now a lodge.
(5) At this point, you will join theGR® de Pays du Tour du Lac de Serre-Poncon. It is signposted on the electricity poles under the houses, along a low wall. Follow it up the Ubaye Valley, facing the majestic Séolanes, heading south-east. Now well marked and once again busy, it joins the hamlet of Champcontier via the mountainside without much elevation gain.
(6) Cross the hamlet of Champcontier and join the paved road that descends to Lauzet via the hamlet of Costeplane.
(7) You can choose to take the path through the hamlet or follow the road below and continue to the Roman Bridge, which is actually Roman! over the Ubaye Gorges.
(Alternative route: The ancient path that descends to Lauzet via the Cascades de Costeplane, a listed site (Ravin de la Blache), has recently been redefined and marked. You will then arrive at Lauzet via the Moulin and the cemetery road.)
(8). Once you have crossed the "Roman" bridge and the Ubaye, you can either take the path on the right and join the "Pied du village", or continue on the tarmac road on the left and turn right at the houses to return to the starting point in the village square (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Easy 
