Hanging gardens of Les Charassons

The starting point can be reached by bicycle (electric or not) and is located at the hairpin bend at the end of the tarmac road at Aulp du Seuil. Cars can be parked at Col de Marcieu, in which case you will need to reach the starting point via this tarmac road (the alternative of climbing along the ski slopes is not very pleasant).

(S/E) From the starting point, take the wide Combe Noire track to the north-east, which continues on from the tarmac road. After the first hairpin bend, a sign on the right indicates the Aulp du Seuil trail.

(1) Follow this path northwards, crossing two ski slopes and a ski lift track. The path makes a turn of more than 90º to head southwest and continues to climb until it rejoins the Combe Noire track.

(2) Take this track to the left (south-west), leaving a steep slope on your right, to reach a three-way junction in the track (this is actually a hairpin bend on this track).

(3) Leave the return path on your right and take the track on its right branch, which climbs gently, still heading southwest. Follow this track until you come to a fairly steep forest path that climbs to the right, heading northeast.

(4) Climb this steep slope for less than 100 m to reach the "Les Playères" sign.

(5) Turn left to follow the direction of Les Playères SW then SSW, still on a grassy track suitable for vehicles. Pass close to water tanks (plastic then metal). From here, look carefully on the right-hand side of the path, where a small cairn (less than 20 cm high) is placed on the side and marks the Charassons path.

(6) Take this path on the right, which winds a few times before heading NNE. The path climbs before reaching the base of the Charassons couloir, in small scree.

(7) The idea is to climb this couloir without ever taking the paths that branch off to the left of the couloir (these are paths that lead to the Pas des Charassons, which is now off-limits by the owner of the 750-hectare Hauts de Chartreuse nature reserve in the Marcieu valley). From time to time, old yellow arrows indicate the path to take.
Climb up the couloir to the north-west, passing short rocky outcrops that are not difficult but require the use of your hands. This will bring you to the base of an outcrop that is more impressive than the previous ones.

(8) Do not attempt to pass it, but retrace your steps for 1 or 2 metres to find a bypass trail that branches off to the right (left bank of the couloir, towards the east). After 20 metres, this path climbs steeply northwards towards the base of the rocks. Turn left (west) below this base to return to the couloir and continue climbing until you reach a fixed rope. This rope is mainly used for descending in bad weather and is not really useful for climbing the rock.

(9) Once you reach the rope's anchor bolt, you can take a detour to the right (well-marked path) to admire the foot of the cliffs under a typical rocky pillar ("pestel"). Then return to the couloir and continue climbing. The slope is steep and leads to a ledge. Just before this, cross the couloir to the right bank and head WSW, on a balcony strap passing under beautiful rock overhangs.
This ledge joins a path arriving on its left and passes in front of a rock on which yellow markings suggest the word "chimney". Continue on the path towards the SW, climb a few metres before reaching the base of a rock where a yellow cross indicates not to turn right (NE).

(10) In fact, you need to go right, following the path at the foot of the cliff that climbs towards the first hanging garden of Les Charassons. Do not stay too close to the cliffs (my GPX track makes an unnecessary detour) and aim for the foot of the rocky promontory towards ENE, staying on the passable grassy slopes. Reach the foot of the cliff and follow it to the ESE until you see the splendid double arch of the Astragale.

(11) After taking photos, return along the foot of the cliff WNW towards the corridor blocked by a clearly visible boulder that rises NE at the top of the hanging garden. Reach the boulder.

(12) Pass under it and climb the half-earth, half-rock chimney that leads to the grassy shoulder marking the top of the garden. Once there, it is worth taking a detour to the south on the rocky promontory to admire the path you have travelled. Return to the north and take the ledge at the foot of the cliff, which descends very steeply to the foot of the next hanging garden. Avoid walking along the foot of the cliff as you climb up, but head towards the base of the rocks, which is very easy to climb and allows you to gain a foothold on a steep grassy slope. An ice axe will be useful on this slope.
Climb the slope to the NNE until you reach the base of a rocky ledge that blocks access to the "easy" couloirs a little higher up. A weak point in this ledge is located very close to the foot of the cliff, just to the right (looking northwards upwards) of a dark cavity. Very good holds allow you to overcome this obstacle, but the climbing level reaches almost 4 in a single movement.

(13) Cross the climbing step and then climb up to the right ENE towards a small couloir that climbs northwards to what the IGN mistakenly calls the Pas de l'Écharasson (the pass is not there, and the name is also wrong). Explore at leisure the jumble of sharp limestone pavement and pine trees that cover the small plateau at the top of this couloir, then return to the barbed wire fence belonging to the owner of the Marcieu valley to pass near a micro-arch. To the north of this, a split rock serves as a landmark behind which (further north) a path runs along the foot of the cliff towards the Grésivaudan valley (east).

(14) Descend this path, which leads into a grove of pine trees. Climb down a few rocks to reach the ledge at the foot of the cliff, which runs north towards the Boulevard de l'Aulp du Seuil path (southern ledge of the Aulp du Seuil). Caution: these rocks overlook an impressive drop and great care must be taken when descending them.
At the junction with this summer pasture trail, once you have crossed the barbed wire, descend the switchbacks of the Aulp du Seuil trail and follow the well-marked path where you will encounter other people. Descend this path to an altitude of around 1,330 metres, and just before a steep slope, turn right to take the convenient wooden steps that lead to the three-way junction encountered on the way up.

(3) Take the route you took on the way up in reverse, leaving the Combe Noire track to dive right into the forest to the northeast, and follow the path to the crossroads marked with the "Aulp du Seuil" sign.

(1) It is possible to continue straight ahead, as indicated on the map, to pass through the forest rather than returning to the track on the left. Both paths lead directly to the starting point (S/E).

Please note, as indicated in the summary, this route is extremely difficult. If you are hiking with others, a short piece of rope (5 metres is sufficient) will reassure those who are less accustomed to rocky passages.

The ice axe will make novice hikers smile once they are back on the boulevard trail, but it is really very useful on the earthy slopes of the hanging gardens. The ice axe is not just for snow and ice (nor are crampons).

And yes, the word "sangle" is masculine and refers – only in Chartreuse – to a ledge passing over more or less vertiginous places.

The Pas des Charassons (located hundreds of metres south of the IGN sign) is unfortunately no longer "passable", i.e. you cannot set foot on the Marcieu valley without breaking the law on fencing, which has allowed many landowners to prohibit access to traditional paths and trails. However, it is possible to reach it and return by the same route to the Col de Marcieu. See Le Pas de L'Écharasson there and back (the name Écharasson is incorrect, as is the IGN location, as the IGN has no regulatory authority over its use - it is the locals and their town hall who decide, see the references provided on this subject).

It is of course possible, from the junction between the southern ridge and the Aulp du Seuil trail, to climb the latter for a few metres to reach the pass and the Aulp du Seuil cross. Please note that the ridge trail leading to the Pas de Ragris a little further north is closed to the public by the landowner. Only hunters are allowed (for a fee), with a few exceptions for shooting black grouse and chamois.