La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar - Refuge des Souffles

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Thefirst stage begins with a variant ofthe GR® 54 and takes you to the Refuge des Souffles via the Col de Colombes, Lac Lautier and the Col des Clochettes, avoiding the route through Villar-Loubière.
A challenging route with a 1,400-metre climb and steep gradients right from the start. A good way to get your legs going for thefirst stage and a good warm-up for the rest of the route.
The scenery is already exceptional, promising some fabulous stages ahead.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: A 13-day grand tour of the Parc des Ecrins via the GR® 54

Details

n°12969091
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.31 km
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 7 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Very difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,339 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 456 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,416 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,085 m
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Photos

The Refuge des Souffles
Camping area at the Refuge des Souffles
The Combefroide Waterfall
Lake Lautier

Description of the walk

(S) From the Lodge-Hotel de l’Olan in La Chapelle-en-Valgaudémar, take the D480 on the left which crosses the village. Cross the bridge over the River Sévéraisse until you reach a memorial stone.

(1) Leave the main road at the memorial stone, taking the path on the left. From the start, the gradient steepens rapidly until you reach the beautiful Combefroide waterfall.

(2) Continue the ascent, moving from a green landscape to an increasingly rocky one, until you reach the junction with the path leading up to the Refuge de l’Olan.

(3) Leave theGR® variant here and continue straight ahead, following the Torrent du Clot, until you reach a path junction.

(4) Ignore the path on the right and continue straight ahead to reach the junction with the variant coming from the Refuge de l'Olan.

(5) Continue left onto the red and white marked route and you will soon reach the Col de Colombes, thefirst pass on this route. Begin the descent to reach Lac Lautier.

(6) Pass the lake and continue downwards, before beginning the ascent of the second pass of the day, the Col des Clochettes.

(7) Finish with a descent to reach the Refuge des Souffles (E), today’s stop and campsite.

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 1,089 m - Lodge-hotel de l'Olan. Towards the bridge at - Séveraissette (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.83 - alt. 1,098 m - Memorial stone
  3. 2 : km 1.93 - alt. 1,330 m - Combefroide Waterfall
  4. 3 : km 3.62 - alt. 1,727 m - 1st junction (alternative route)
  5. 4 : km 4.93 - alt. 2,044 m - Crossroads at the Clot torrent towards Lac Lautier
  6. 5 : km 6.49 - alt. 2,282 m - 2nd junction (alternative route)
  7. 6 : km 7.66 - alt. 2,362 m - Lac Lautier
  8. 7 : km 9.1 - alt. 2,164 m - Col des Clochettes
  9. E : km 10.31 - alt. 1,964 m - Refuge des Souffles

Notes

(S) At the village exit, opposite a campsite, park your car so you can return to it at the end of the walk. Departure from the Lodge-Hotel de l’Olan in La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, where we spent our first night before setting off: a lovely establishment, run by very friendly and welcoming staff.
A very beautiful stage with nearly 1,400 m of ascent and 450 m of descent.
Water available throughout this stage.
(E) Arrival at the Refuge des Souffles, decent food. A lovely camping spot
As with all mountain hikes, bring binoculars, a camera, an IGN map and/or a guidebook.

Useful addresses and links:
Hôtel Olan
Email: hotel@mont-olan.fr / peperier05@gmail.com
Telephone: 04 92 55 23 03
Refuge des Souffles
Telephone: 04 92 55 22 91 - 04 92 50 09 97

Note: many flocks are guarded by Patou sheepdogs. Hikers are therefore strongly advised not to stray from the path. If you encounter a guard dog, remain calm and passive to reassure it.

Worth a visit

(2) The Combefroide Waterfall.
(6) Lake Lautier.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

5 / 5
Based on 1 review
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
le dd
le dd

Hello
When we walked the GR 54, starting from La Chapelle, we left our car in the car park at the village exit, just before the bridge and opposite a campsite. You can find the full description in the introduction to this route.
Enjoy the hike

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didou83
didou83

Yes; there’s a car park just on the edge of the village, about 500 metres from the start
Enjoy the walk

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annecxc
annecxc

Thank you for sharing this.
Is there anywhere to park the car at the start of the journey?

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didou83
didou83

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike on 12 August 2023, having booked accommodation at the Refuges des Souffles, so we weren’t carrying too much luggage . The start from La Chapelle is a bit tough as it’s not warm yet, but the view of the waterfall helps you climb!
Otherwise, the hike isn’t very difficult, with the added bonus of a long break by the lake
and, of course, arrival at the Refuge des Souffles with a warm welcome, clean facilities, and a hearty meal; what’s more, we were lucky enough to have a storyteller there that evening with some wonderful tales of the mountains
Enjoy your hike in these superb locations: Champsaur and Valgaudemard

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