Grande Moucherolle and Pas de l'Œille via the Pré de l'Achard

(S/E) At the car park at the end of the Bordeaux forest road, go through the barrier and continue along the forest track which climbs southwards. At the first hairpin bend, a sign indicates the path leading to the Baraque des Clos. This path winds its way westwards through the forest before heading south-west.

On leaving the forest, it crosses two scree slopes before reaching the Baraque des Clos.

(1) Pass this shelter and you will soon reach a junction where a sign points towards the Pas de l’Œille. Follow this by turning left onto the upper path heading south. After a few bends, you will reach a second sign pointing towards the Pas de l’Œille to the north-west (do not follow this).

(2) At this sign, take the path on the left heading south-west. After 300 m, the track winds in wide switchbacks as it climbs towards the cliff. At the foot of the cliff, it turns into a comfortable but exposed ledge, see this view. Shortly afterwards, a cave suitable for a bivouac shelter opens up at the foot of the cliff.

(3) Continue along the ledge, still heading south, and join the path ascending from the Col de l’Arzelier. Turn right (north) onto this path (note that the IGN topographic map – including the online version – is particularly inaccurate at this point; see the ‘Practical Information’ section) to climb up towards the base of a gully of slippery scree. A few cairns mark the path, which crosses two rocky ledges before turning west and zigzagging up the gully leading to the Col des Deux Sœurs.

(4) From the pass, the Grande Moucherolle is visible (see this photo) to the west, as is the path leading to its base via the mountain pastures beneath the ridges separating it from the Deux Sœurs. Take this path, which climbs gently westwards, taking care of the ibex that often block it.

Shortly after a small pass, the path reaches the base of a steep, exposed couloir with good handholds for the final ascent of the Grande Moucherolle. Be careful: just before the secondary summit, the track appears to head down to the right to bypass a scarp (a snow-covered couloir late in the season). Do not follow this track but head straight up over easy rocks that lead to the summit ridge.

Cross this comfortable ridge, keeping your balance, and reach the summit.

(5) From the summit, retrace your steps to descend the rocks and reach the small pass marking the start of the path taken on the way up. Instead of following this path, stay on the ridge and follow it as close as possible to the edge of the cliff, due east, towards Agathe, the larger of the Deux Sœurs. You will thus reach the secondary summit of Agathe (2,167 m). From there, descend by sight across the alpine pasture among the ibex, heading towards a wide track, clearly visible to the north.

Once on the track, turn right onto the path that continues from the track and climbs towards the Col des Deux Sœurs. This path goes round a doline (karst sinkhole), the bottom of which is often covered in snow.

(6) Go round this karstic cave of the Deux Sœurs to join a faintly cairned and poorly marked track heading due north along the western flank of the ridges of the Vercors’ eastern balcony. Continue north on this track, which climbs gently before passing a small pass and entering a valley.

Descend, still heading north and keeping to the left-hand side, down this initially grassy valley until it joins a large scree slope. The path crosses this scree slope along the slope and climbs briefly to reach the sharp limestone pavement of the Pré de l’Achard (see this photo). A few cairns mark the route.

Cross the sharp limestone pavement, still heading north, which leads to a karstic cave marking the upper part of the Clot d'Aspres. The valley floor is blocked there by a small limestone cliff.

(7) Climb up to the right (east) to rejoin the main track, which heads north again and descends beneath large boulders towards the ruins of the Clot d'Aspres sheepfolds, of which only the bases of the walls remain visible.

(8) After visiting the ruins, retrace your steps for a few metres and take the wide path that climbs due east towards a small pass facing the ridges of the Gerbier (see this photo). Continue east on this well-marked path, which descends slightly towards the summit of the Grande Combe and joins the Sentier Péronnard there.

Turn right onto this path to climb the south-facing valley. After a few rocky sections, the path emerges from the valley at the foot of grassy slopes on the left.

(9) Leave the path and climb these slopes by sight, heading east towards the ridges and a small pass beneath the rocky cliff marking the southern end of the Gerbier ridges (see this photo).

Once at the pass, turn right to follow the ridge running south as closely as possible, staying on its crest. The sloping peak of the Œille (not named on the IGN map, elevation 2105 m) serves as a landmark (see this photo).

This will take you to the pass known as the Pas de l’Œille.

(10) From the pass, take the steep path that winds down to the south. The path crosses some smooth rocks that are particularly dangerous in wet weather (a few bolts allow you to secure yourself if you have a rope). Once you reach the large scree slope at the foot of the pass, the path heads south along the slope, returning to the sign seen on the way up.

(2) Then retrace your steps along the path taken on the ascent, passing the Clos hut.

(1) Continue on to reach the car park (S/E).

?️ Park at the car park at the end of the Bordeaux forest road, at Gua N 45.016417° / E 5.595662°. By clicking on this Waze link, you can enter these coordinates directly into your favourite navigation app.

? There is no water available, as is often the case in the Vercors, so make sure you bring enough with you.

? Dogs are allowed in this part of the Vercors, but the hike is not particularly suitable for them due to several sections of easy scrambling.

?‍♀️ The difficulty of this hike lies on the borderline between ‘very difficult’ and ‘difficult’, depending on weather conditions and residual snow cover. In fine, dry weather and in the absence of snowfields, there are no major difficulties.

? In foggy conditions, it is easy to get lost on this route; the path is poorly marked and in places the route goes off-trail. In wet weather, the climb up the Grande Moucherolle becomes dangerous.

? The hike is too short to warrant a bivouac unless you wish to watch the sunrise or sunset. In that case, it is possible to bivouac in the cave just before the Col des Deux Sœurs.

? Standard hiking kit is sufficient. At the start of the season, an ice axe and crampons are useful on the Col des Deux Sœurs and the Pas de l’Œille.

⏰ At the start of the season, it is essential to set off very early to ensure the snow is hard enough on the pass, which faces due east.

? Finding your way is straightforward, but the trail is easy to lose between the karstic cave of the Two Sisters and the Pas de l'Œille.

⚠️ The IGN topographic map does not show the correct path coming from the Col de l'Arzelier and leading to the Col des Deux Sœurs, and is virtually illegible below the Deux Sœurs. The junction of the ridge with the switchbacks leading to the pass is also very inaccurate, with an error of over 100m.
At this point, refer to a usable map, such as OpenTopoMap or OpenStreetMap Hiking, for example.

? Alpine wildlife is present, particularly chamois, vultures, marmots and very numerous ibexes; seethe album mentioned below.

? The views from the summit of the Grande Moucherolle are magnificent; see this interactive photo.

The full photo album of the trip is available online.

? Several variations are possible. A slightly longer and more difficult route starts from the Col de l’Arzelier; see this description. To combine this route with the one described here, you must descend to the Croix Bressant from the Grande Moucherolle (you can pass by the Petite Moucherolle on the way) and climb back up via the Combe de l’Ourson to the karstic cave of the Two Sisters.

It is also possible to follow the wilder route of this longer version between the Col des Deux Sœurs and the Pré de l'Achard: once you reach the pass overlooking the Pas de l'Œille (stage (10) of this other version), do not descend to the Pas de l'Œille but instead head down towards the Pré de l'Achard.

? A few terms:

• a karstic cave is a sinkhole, an area of deeply fissured rock into which surface water drains (see also sharp limestone pavement);
• a karstic cave is a vertical chasm in limestone;
• the word Achard is often found in the Alps and is of Germanic origin; it means ‘hard blade’;
• an Œille or an Ouillon is a local term for a rocky spire;
• a ‘Sure’ is a local term for a cliff; the ‘Deux Sœurs’ take their name from this term, as the geographer misunderstood the local name ‘Deux Sures’, which referred to the junction of the two cliffs at that point;
• a sangle (masculine noun!) is a level path on a steep slope, usually at the foot of a cliff.

⚠️ Please note, there is a second Pré Achard above the Col de l'Arzelier, at the foot of the Grande Sœur Agathe, which this hike does not pass through.

See also this guide by Pascal Sombardier for a superb alternative route via the Crête de Sophie.