Furfande – Souliers

(S) From the Furfande refuge, take the^GR®541alternative route heading west. At an oratory (altitude 2,286 m), rejoin the^GR®541; turn left and cross the Granges de Furfande to reach the Vallette chalets.

(1) Continue to the left, heading due south. At the fork, turn left, leaving the^GR®541. Continue downhill. Then head north-east to pass through the middle of the Furfande chalets.

(2) Begin a gentle climb heading east, then follow the balcony path to the Col de la Lauze, where you’ll join the^GR®58coming from the Furfande refuge.

(3) Follow it for about 500 metres. Leave it at a place called Le Pervou and turn left towards Le Queyron via a second balcony path. Further on, rejoin the^GRP® Tour de la Dent du Ratier, marked in red and yellow. Follow it to the left. On reaching Le Queyron, an orientation table offers a chance to take in the scenery.

(4) Continue to the crossroads just past the Queyron car park; the path leads to a lovely picnic area.

(5) Leave the^GRP® leading to the village of Villargaudin and turn left, heading due north towards Les Moulins through a beautiful larch forest on a new balcony path. Cross the Torrent de la Combe and continue until you reach the Torrent de Pichal, ignoring the track and adjacent paths.

(6) Turn right onto the path, which is not very well marked but is indicated by a wooden signpost pointing towards Les Moulins. Head down towards the east, towards Les Moulins. You’ll soon come to a crossroads.

(7) Head straight ahead, following the signpost for Les Moulins. Ignore a path on the right. Reach this hamlet by crossing the Izoard. Follow the D702 road (Route des Trois Moulins) uphill, then turn left onto the RD902 (Route de l’Izoard) for 100 metres.

(8) Turn right onto a track signposted ‘Lac de Roue’. Join the^GR®5via a winding climb, which is steep at first but becomes less so further on.

(9) Turn left and, after a few hundred metres, you’ll reach Lac de Roue.
Continue along a relatively flat path heading due north, with the lake on your left, until you reach Souliers (E).

(5) The Queyron picnic area is a lovely spot to rest and recharge your batteries.
There’s a lovely fountain in the hamlet of Les Moulins where you can top up your water supplies before the climb up to Souliers.