La Condamine

At the southern crossroads of Briançon (on the Route des Grandes Alpes between the petrol station and the ski lift access point), take the D35 towards Puy-Saint-André and then Puy Chalvin. The road turns into a track. Head to the hamlet of Les Combes, pass through it, then park 1 km further on, in the car park at the end of the track.

(S/E) Take the lane continuing from the track, then head for the junction at a hairpin bend (barrier, sign).
Leave the lane, head up to the left, and after the picnic area (benches, tables), follow the lane to the right until you come to a sign 300m further on.

(1) At the sign, leave the Lac des Partias route on your right and take the left-hand path towards the Col de la Trancoulette.
The well-marked path climbs through the larch trees and emerges to the west into a valley. It curves sharply to the left before heading south towards the pass.
Follow a winding ascent in this direction to reach the Col de la Trancoulette.

(2) Take the path heading off on a horizontal traverse to the right (south-west). You will reach two small lakes.
The path bends very slightly to the right (west-south-west) into the Peyre du Fey valley.
Climb up through the mountain pasture and then, following the cairns, reach the Col de Vallouise or Col de la Salava, marked by a larch sign.

(3) After a moment to take in the view of the Écrins, turn back and head up to the left towards the north-east.
In this direction, follow a path marked in yellow (markings on rocks).
Follow this path up through the scree, cross a rocky ridge, reach a flat area, then continue the ascent to pass a few gentle slopes.
Climb the final grassy slopes of the hill until you reach the vast summit area, topped by a cairn and a radio relay station.

(4) Follow the same route back to the car park (S/E).

This route, which is not particularly difficult, is almost entirely on trails. However, on the climb up to the Col de Vallouise, the trail gives way to a series of cairns.
There are no exposed or aerial sections, but there are two short sections where you will need to use your hands a little.
Make sure you note the path clearly for the return journey. A second path, not shown on the IGN map, leading towards Rocher Bouchard can be misleading.
Do not be tempted to descend via the scree slope into the Vallon des Partias during the summer months. This area is often patrolled by Écrins National Park rangers, who do not appreciate people venturing off-trail in the vicinity.
The duration indicated by the software is based on a pace of 350m of elevation gain per hour.
You may need to recalculate this based on your own pace, the elevation gain and the distance.

I completed this route in 2012. Here is one of my first videos in the form of a slideshow, showing some of the key points along the way.
I didn’t keep any photos of the summit; I only have the video. But I wanted to write up the guide for this beautiful route. Please feel free to post photos. Thank you.