A circular route around the Croix du Lautaret via the Pas de la Plane and the Pas des Ampes

The hike starts on the 515 road in the Vallon de Combau, which can be reached
- from Grenoble and the Trièves region via the Col de Menée, turning right on the descent to pass through the hamlet of Bénevise;
- from the Drôme valley, heading up via Châtillon-en-Diois then Menée, and turning left on the ascent to pass through Bénevise.
Park after the Sauts de l’Eau, at a quarry on the left-hand side of the road at an altitude of 1,310 m.

(S/E) Walk back down the road for about a hundred metres.

(1) Take the first path leading uphill to the right. It climbs through the forest, fairly straight up the slope. You need to climb high enough for the views to start opening up. The path then winds its way up a few hairpin bends – still steep – before reaching the edge of the plateau at Pas de la Plane.

(2) The path then veers to the right, initially level and then slightly downhill, to Pré Bouzat, in the centre of which you can make out the ruins of a jasse.

(3) The path becomes unclear in this area; head northwards, following any visible tracks and keeping the Marichaume to your left. In the next valley, look for a narrow track on the right that climbs towards the Ranconnet and takes you past the Fontaine Colombette, a spring that can no longer be relied upon.

(4) Do not continue climbing towards the Ranconnet, but veer left to follow the southern edge of the Plaine du Tisserand. The path disappears but there are traces to follow: head westwards, either directly towards the pass near the 1,888 m mark at the foot of the Croix du Lautaret, or veering further to the left via the 1,949 m summit for the view, before descending back to the pass.

(5) From this pass, head up towards the clearly visible Croix du Lautaret.

(6) Descend south-west down a slope that is half grassy, half scree towards the pass at 1,861 m (a possible starting point for an optional round trip up to the Rancou) and veer right to descend a small valley where there is a cistern, leading westwards towards the Jardin du Roy, where you rejoin the track.

(7) After perhaps visiting the Bergerie du Jardin du Roy further west, rejoin the track heading south: it climbs slightly in places before descending to rejoin the Combe du Rancou, which it follows until a more rugged section near the Gouffre de Nouvelet.

(8) Continue down the track to the top of the Combe du Coureau, marked by a cairn on the left.
(From here, it is possible to take a return trip westwards to the edge of the cliffs overlooking the Cirque d’Archianne).

(9) Descend the Combe du Coureau to the left, heading east along a pleasant path which does not lose much altitude. It emerges at its end onto a scree slope at the Pas des Ampes.

(10) Carefully descend the path through the very steep scree, in several sections where you have to traverse, until you re-enter the forest at the bottom. The path then veers south-east and becomes easier. At a small junction (cairn), keep well to the left to maintain the same direction. After a section traversing steeper slopes, the path descends through the forest to the road. Turn left onto it.

(1) Continue straight on to return immediately to the car park (S/E).

There are no markings on this route and no information boards; only a few cairns may occasionally confirm that you are on the right track.

It is therefore a circular loop that really puts your sense of direction to the test. Tracking the route via GPS can be very useful.

Naturally, avoid venturing onto the Hauts Plateaux in fog or poor visibility.

The route really allows you to immerse yourself in landscapes where part of the appeal lies in finding the route or exploring alternative paths.

The views from the ridges and the summit are quite extensive, taking in the Vercors, the Dévoluy, the Écrins and the southern mountains as far as the Ventoux (in good weather)