The Crête des Lauzières, starting from Monêtier-les-Bains

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A walk mainly through the forest, in the shade, which is lovely on very hot days.
The climb is steep, but the descent is easier, especially with walking poles.
You’ll cross several small streams, which have little flow in late August, but there may be more water in spring when the snow melts.

Machine-translated

Hello,
I always appreciate the insight and relevance of your comments, which are also very informative. The Visorando website is of a very high standard and we’ve got into the habit of consulting it when planning our walks.
With regard specifically to the Crète des Lauzières, you do indeed mention a ‘steep’ climb, but what struck us was its length, and we didn’t feel rewarded by the beauty of the route (though this is, of course, a personal opinion). We do, however, have extensive experience of mountain walking. I highlighted how the route can prove challenging in wet weather, as, in many places, the paths are earthen and not stabilised by stones. Thank you for your very interesting comments. Kind regards.

Machine-translated

Hello
Thank you for your comment regarding this route through the Monêtier woods. You’re quite right to mention how steep the climb is. And yes, in the mountains, the paths do go up and down. This has two consequences:
- going uphill is hard on your breathing,
- on the descent, it’s hard on the knees.
That is, in fact, the point you’re making.
However, the technical details do clearly state that this route involves a fairly significant elevation gain, which gives a good idea of the difficulty you can expect.
You also mention the increased difficulty caused by rain; yes, mountain paths (as well as those on the plains, for that matter) are indeed more dangerous and slippery in such conditions. Thank you for this advice, which our friends will no doubt take into account.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing

The climb up to La Crète, as described, is very, very steep from the GR54 junction (3) and involves a very long ascent. A panoramic view opens up on reaching La Crète, where there are signposts (nature trail). However, La Crète is heavily wooded, so the view is limited. Furthermore, on La Crète, we follow the snowshoe route, which is rather unpleasant. The descent along the Grand Tabuc is a little more pleasant but, on the whole, this route is rather disappointing and, in any case, very tiring on the knees. Best avoided in wet weather as the very steep paths are mostly dirt tracks which are likely to be very slippery when wet.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jun 29, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely walk – it’s a shame the restored chapels aren’t open...

Machine-translated

Hello
As far as I can tell, no, this walk isn’t in the Parc des Ecrins or its buffer zone.
Enjoy your walk
Bernard

Machine-translated

Hello,

I’d like to know if dogs are allowed on this walk?

Kind regards,

Claire

Machine-translated