The Crête des Granges

Access to a bare ridge between Queyras and Briançonnais.

Details

n°8270

Creation:
26 Jul 2012

Last update:
09 Aug 2026

Last review:
08 Aug 2026

Activity: Walking
Distance: 4.47 mi
Average duration: 4h 10
Difficulty: Difficult
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 2,428 ft
Descent: - 2,421 ft
Highest point: 9,275 ft
Lowest point: 6,962 ft

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Queyras, Dauphiné
City: Cervières (05100)
Start/End: N 44.830432° / E 6.723469°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3536OT, 3536OTR
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Photos

View of the pass from the Route de l’Izoard

Junction of the two paths (on the right: Col Petit Peygu)

Description of the walk

From Briançon, take the road to the Col d’Izoard, pass through Cervières and then Le Laus, and park in the car park at a left-hand bend at an altitude of 2,130 metres.
(S/E) Take the wide track leading to the Chalets d’Izoard (signposted ‘Fort de la Lausette’). Head towards them.

(1) Pass the ruined chalets and leave the fort trail on your right to take a path through the mountain pasture that follows the dry stream.
Cross the stream and reach a small lake.

(2) Leave the main path on the right, which leads to the Col des Peygus, and head up to the left (the path is intermittent). The route is clear, however, as you can see the Col de la Roya opposite.
Climb in a zigzag pattern up the slope, sometimes over rocks, sometimes through the grass.
Emerge at the Col de la Roya.

(3) Take the cairn-marked path on the right leading to a first summit, then continue left along a rough track to reach the highest point, which is about 100m further on.

(4) Descend via the same route to return to the car park (S/E)

Waypoints

S/E : mi 0 - alt. 6,972 ft - Car park at the bend at 2130m
1 : mi 0.35 - alt. 7,175 ft - Chalets d'Izoard
2 : mi 1.21 - alt. 7,848 ft - Small lake
3 : mi 1.77 - alt. 8,825 ft - Col de la Roya
4 : mi 2.24 - alt. 9,150 ft - Sommet des Granges
S/E : mi 4.47 - alt. 6,972 ft - Car park at the bend at 2130m

Notes

There is no water along this route apart from a thin trickle of water emerging upstream of the small lake, which barely feeds it.
Essential hiking gear: sturdy high-top boots, walking poles.
This route is not recommended for those prone to vertigo and requires some experience of mountain hiking. As it takes place off the beaten track, it is also advisable to have a good understanding of the terrain to find the right path.

Worth a visit

The Crête des Granges offers a remarkable viewpoint over the Ecrins, the Queyras, the Chambeyron and also Mont Viso (when the clouds aren’t hiding it).

There is also a beautiful view of the nearby Col d’Izoard, a pass famous among other hikers, such as our cycling friends.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5

Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5

Ease of following the route
3.7 / 5

Route interest
4.5 / 5

User 30458147

08 Aug 2026 at 14:42 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A stunning 360-degree view from the summit.
A lovely walk; the mountain pastures at the start are very pretty,
then at the small lake (which was almost dry when I was there), the paths split: the one to the Col de la Roya heads left over a ridge, and the one to the Col du Petit Peygu goes right.
From there, the path is almost completely worn away; there are occasional traces left. I followed it using my GPS and the destination is clearly visible. The final ascent is to the left of a group of bright red rocks; it’s very steep and the path has completely disappeared at this point, so you need to be comfortable walking off-trail!
Instead of going right, I just carried on a little to the left as it was easier. You can see EVERYTHING: the chalets at Les Ayes, the Écrins, the Aiguilles d’Arves, Rochebrune and the Italian border.

All in all, a lovely little hike for those who enjoy peace and quiet and the views; I didn’t come across a single soul, and given that the path has disappeared, not many people must go there!

Yet this path deserves to be restored, as the area is really lovely.
In short, do go there to help bring this path back to life, but only if you’re comfortable walking off the beaten track.
That’s the aim of my review: to try and bring this path back to life.

You can combine this with a circular route by linking up with the other small neighbouring passes.

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brunissard

24 Jul 2023 at 11:20 7200

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A word of warning for those who are prone to this!!!

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beaber

28 Aug 2020 at 18:17 7200 • Edited: 28 Aug 2020 at 18:37 7200

Why are you reacting like this? And why do you think I’m inexperienced? Surprising for a so-called mountaineer. There was no cairn, but that’s not a problem as you can see the destination. Did you want me to find the route effective when it isn’t? And rest assured, I don’t need one to enjoy this sort of
hike. I’ll amend my comment, however, as it wasn’t meant to be negative, let alone critical.

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bernardino

28 Aug 2020 at 16:41 7200

Hello, and many thanks for this comment, which leaves me rather sceptical. The route is disappointing; the path is hard to find, but there’s no risk of getting lost. That’s pretty much what I mentioned in the description, noting that the tracks were very erratic. Furthermore, I mentioned that this route is best tackled by experienced hikers who know how to find their way. Perhaps that is why you found yourself alone on this route. Enjoy the rest of your time on the site.

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beaber

27 Aug 2020 at 20:59 7200 • Edited: 28 Aug 2020 at 18:36 7200

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Not a soul in sight in the middle of August – a real bonus! No sign of the trail, just a single cairn spotted. But we can see the destination, so there’s no risk of getting lost. A rocky landscape just the way we like it. Absolutely stunning.

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Britanicus100

18 May 2016 at 15:43 7200 • Edited: 18 Jan 2022 at 10:26 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely hike off the beaten track to a summit offering a stunning panoramic view.
I’ve made a video showing the route and the atmosphere of this walk.

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Jonathan Lelievre

09 Oct 2015 at 17:40 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely little hike with beautiful autumn colours! Do watch out for the sheepdogs herding the flocks as you cross the Aravet plateau on the Izoard.

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zweig100

12 Aug 2013 at 13:05 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2013
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A brilliant hike. No trouble at all finding the right route. I have a GPS and an IGN map. Your website helps me find circular routes so I don’t have to retrace my steps. I’ve only just discovered it, but it’s been really useful for exploring trails off the GR network. Thanks

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