Infournas, Col du Cendrier, Crête le Barry and Col de l'Escalier loop trail

From Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur, drive to Les Infournas Hauts and park in the car park on the left at the entrance to the hamlet.

(S/E) Head towards the hamlet and take the first track on the right towards Col du Cendrier (Cendrié on the map), which runs alongside the Torrent du Merdarel and then away from it to reach the Maison Forestière des Subeyrannes.

(1) Enjoy the surroundings and the freshness of its living spring. Leave the return path opposite and turn left towards the Col du Cendrier. Follow the recently repainted yellow signs to a crossroads of tracks.

(2) Turn left towards the Col du Cendrier. The slope steepens in the last 800m. At the pass, enjoy the view of the Écrins, Cuchon, Pic Queyrel, Vieux Chaillol and the Dévoluy Massif.

(3) Follow the ridge of Le Barry. Be careful, this part can be very technical and is not marked out at all. Follow the rocky bar for around 700 m.

(4) Leave the ridge to reach the Pas de l'Escalier, staying to the north of the rocky ridge. The path sometimes descends steeply and joins the track about 30 metres below the Pas de l'Escalier after a crossroads.

(5) Follow the track due south towards the Col de l'Escalier, visible from above.

(6) At the pass, it's usually time for a well-earned lunch break.
Continue along the track, which gradually descends south-south-westwards and then eastwards. After two hairpin bends, it turns south again to reach a crossroads of tracks.

(7) Turn right and you will soon come to the Merdarel 1868 sign.

(8) Follow the signs for "Maison forestière", and after a hairpin bend to the left, you will come to a crossroads signposted Soureou.

(9) Follow the signs for "Les Infournas". You are now on the GR®50, signposted in red and white. Go as far as the next crossroads in a hairpin bend to the left of the GR®.

(10) Turn left and continue along the GR® until you reach a forest track.

(11) At the Pré Braqs crossroads, turn right onto the forest track which descends to the north-west as far as the crossroads marked with the "Philibert 1621" sign.

(12) Continue downhill on the forest track to the right and find the crossroads you came across on the outward journey.

(1) Back at the Maison Forestière de Subeyrannes, continue straight ahead and take the opposite route to Infournas Hauts (S/E).

Fountain available at the Hameau des Infournas Hauts and the Maison Forestière de Subeyrannes.