La Foux D’Allos – Refuge de l’Estrop

The^first stage of this two-day route. An easy day’s walk to get you properly warmed up for the next day’s stage. The ascent of the Baisse de l’Auriac is gentle. At the pass, there’s a magnificent view of the Tête de l’Auriac, the Bléone valley and the Mercantour.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: La Tête de l'Estrop sur deux jours

Details

n°24511287

Creation:
23 Jul 2022

Last update:
11 Sep 2022

Last review:
29 Jul 2024

Activity: Walking
Distance: 4.20 mi
Average duration: 3h 50
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: No
Ascent: + 2,215 ft
Descent: - 1,276 ft
Highest point: 7,812 ft
Lowest point: 5,728 ft

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Trois-Évêchés
City: Allos (04260)
Start: N 44.283751° / E 6.572326°
End: N 44.273492° / E 6.524864°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3439ET, 3540OT, 3540OTR
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Description of the walk

Before reaching the Foux d’Allos 1800 resort, leave the Route de la Foux and turn left onto the Route des Sources du Verdon. Park at the Abrau Bridge.

(S) Take the Chemin de la Selette, following the^GRP® Tour du Haut Verdon trail.
Please note: it is no longer possible to take the path starting from the ski lifts, marked on the IGN map as the ‘sentier de découverte’. The landowner has blocked access.
Follow this lovely path through the woods, which climbs gradually until you reach a junction.

(1) Leave the main^{GRP® trail}, which branches off to the left at Lac des Grenouilles. Continue straight on until you reach the junction with the former ‘discovery trail’.

(2) Turn left, pass the Auriac hut and continue along the alternative route of^{the GRP®} Tour du Haut-Verdon. After the woods, cross the pastures and begin the ascent of the Baisse de l’Auriac. The gradient increases gradually up to the Baisse de l’Auriac, also known as the Pas de l’Estrop.

(3) Begin the fairly steep descent and reach the Côte du Ceï junction, marked by a sign. Turn left to quickly reach the Refuge de l’Estrop (E).

Waypoints

S : mi 0 - alt. 5,728 ft - Pont de l’Abrau car park - Verdon (rivière)
1 : mi 1.15 - alt. 6,332 ft - GRP junction
2 : mi 1.5 - alt. 6,309 ft - Nature trail
3 : mi 2.93 - alt. 7,812 ft - Baisse de l'Auriac ou Pas de l'Estrop (2386m)
E : mi 4.2 - alt. 6,683 ft

Notes

This first day’s hike presents no technical difficulties.
Please note: the starting point for this route has been changed following the ban on crossing the mountain pasture near the Abrau Bridge chairlift.
Make sure you bring good walking boots, a camera, binoculars and, above all, warm and waterproof clothing, even in summer. Don’t forget that you are in the mountains and the weather can change quickly.
A sleeping bag is recommended for the mountain hut.

Worth a visit

(3) Descent from Auriac or Pas de l’Estrop: enjoy a sweeping panorama here of the Foux d’Allos to the east and, to the west, the Crête de Chabrières and the Bléone valley. To the right, the Tête de l’Auriac; to the left, the Tête Noire, the Sommet de Rougnousse and the Mourre Gros.

(E) Refuge de l’Estrop
Note: this council-run refuge is run by a young couple of exceptional kindness. A warm welcome awaits you over a nice beer on the terrace overlooking the Bléone Valley. Excellent food.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5

Based on 3 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5

Ease of following the route
4 / 5

Route interest
5 / 5

HélènO

29 Jul 2024 at 17:48 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It’s a lovely walk, but the sign at the Baisse de l’Auriac stating a 50-minute descent to the refuge was very optimistic. Allowing 1 hour 30 minutes or more for the walk was a reasonable estimate, given the difficulty of the path.
We received a very warm welcome at the Refuge de l’Estrop

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mz139232

05 Sep 2023 at 14:07 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, indeed, with beautiful views and a very cosy mountain hut. The route is very well signposted. I carried on straight back (after a brief stop at the hut) to La Foux via the Baisse de l’Aiguille, which adds another 3–4 hours’ walk.

That said, I’d be a bit more cautious about the difficulty of the route. Personally, I found it easy, but you do need to bear in mind that it takes you across some fairly technical scree slopes. There are people who, even if they hike regularly, feel very uncomfortable on scree, and the sections crossed here are potentially difficult, or even dangerous, for such people. I came across a few walkers who’d struggled with these sections, even though the walk was otherwise well within their capabilities. In short, whilst it makes sense to regard these scree slopes as a formality for walkers planning to tackle the ascent of the Estrop (as suggested here), the same cannot be said for those simply making the return journey between La Foux and the refuge, or descending to Prads Haute-Bléone without reaching the summit: something to bear in mind for those who are unsure of their footing on rough terrain...

Machine-translated

reveil85

23 Aug 2023 at 16:12 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
A round-trip hike. A superb walk through very varied scenery, completely uncrowded, and what a view when you reach the Baisse de l’Auriac!! A truly wonderful welcome at the refuge, with friendly and pleasant people, and excellent food
Don’t underestimate the length of the descent between La Baisse and the refuge; it’s quite long and, above all, quite technical (unlike the La Foux–Baisse de l’Auriac section, which is very easy going), so mountain experience is required.
But it really is a lovely hike!