The Gardiole route

de fr

Visit a summit renowned for ski touring, but also in summer for the historical heritage associated with this place.

Details

n°97094
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.81 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,200 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,200 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,744 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,585 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Wall following the Gardiole ridge to the Porte de Cristol
View from the Col de Cibières
Lac de l'Oule
The trail to the Col de Granon seen from the summit of La Gardiole.

Description of the walk

Reach Névache, park at Le Cros, Fort Ville bridge car park.
(S/E) Cross the Clarée and head south, following the Longet ravine. You will reach a forest road.

(1) Leave it on your left and take theGR® 5C-57 on your right.
Stay on the hillside and then climb gently to reach a bend where the slope becomes steeper. You will reach a crossroads at an altitude of 2,090 metres where the twoGR® trails separate.

(2) Take the one on the left, which is theGR®57. Walk through the forest before coming out onto the mountain pasture.

(3) Walk along the Oule torrent before reaching the pretty Lake Oule.

(4) Continue southwestwards up the climb towards the Col de l'Oule, which will soon come into view.

(5) Leave the marked trails and follow unmarked tracks up the slope for an easy climb to the Gardiole, the highest point of the hike.

(6) Then begin the descent along the ridge towards the south-west and then west, arriving at the Porte de Cristol.

(7) Rejoin theGR®5C trailfurther down and take it to the right. Pass above the small Rond lake and come out at Cristol lake.

(8) Continue on theGR®, enter the forest and cross the footbridge over the Cristol stream.

(9) Take theGR® on the right. Return to the crossroads at elevation 2090.

(2) Take the same path you came on to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,588 m - Fortville bridge car park. - Clarée (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.75 - alt. 1,668 m - GR5C-57
  3. 2 : km 2.32 - alt. 2,082 m - GR57 crossroads
  4. 3 : km 4.02 - alt. 2,229 m - Torrent de l'Oule
  5. 4 : km 5.31 - alt. 2,427 m - Lac de l'Oule
  6. 5 : km 6 - alt. 2,545 m - Col de l'Oule
  7. 6 : km 6.51 - alt. 2,691 m - Gardiole
  8. 7 : km 7.61 - alt. 2,477 m - Porte de Cistol
  9. 8 : km 9.25 - alt. 2,251 m - Lac de Cistol
  10. 9 : km 10.53 - alt. 2,097 m - Cistol torrent footbridge
  11. S/E : km 13.81 - alt. 1,588 m - Fortville bridge car park.

Notes

Water flows constantly in the torrents. However, treat it as there are many herds here in summer.
Enjoyable stops at the lakes and at the summit of Gardiole (shelter without a roof).

Worth a visit

The Clarée Valley with its capital, Névache.
Numerous hikes starting from Névache (including Mont Thabor, Pointe des Cerces, and the Cerces crossing).

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 12 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
rabinovitch
rabinovitch

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Pretty lakes and spectacular panoramic views. That's what makes this hike so enjoyable. A very discreet trail leads to the summit.

Machine-translated

Gillou l ardechois
Gillou l ardechois
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful route: No one on the way up and two people at the summit, a few people on the way back from the Col de Port de Cristol
Very beautiful view of La Meige, Les Écrins and Le Pelvoux in particular
Very beautiful lakes
Worth doing as it's not difficult but with 1,200 metres of elevation gain

Machine-translated

sebmichelin
sebmichelin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike on a pleasant, wide and well-marked trail – we didn't climb up to La Gardiole but followed the GR between Les Portes de Cristol and Col de l'Oule. No difficulty and superb views of the Écrins, Queyras and Italy. Six hours of walking with a 10-year-old who is an experienced hiker.

Machine-translated

Chauvelinus
Chauvelinus

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Not very busy in October during the week, but given that the Granon Pass is accessible by car, a 15-minute walk away, it is best avoided during July and August. On the descent, you can go via Lac Rond instead of taking the GR trail, which leads directly to Lac de Cristol. From the Col de l'Oule, head straight up the slope towards the summit, following a few cairns, then join the trail coming from the Col des Cibières. Then, at a fork, take the left-hand trail, which is well marked with numerous cairns. View of part of the Oisans at the summit: Barre des Écrins, Montagne des Agneaux, Meije and Gaspard, as well as Aiguilles d'Arves, Thabor, etc.

Machine-translated

manissieux
manissieux

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike
The route there via the pass and Lake Oule is superb, as is the route back, although it is different.
Climbing to the top of La Gardiole requires a head for heights, but the view from the top is well worth the effort.
The scenery is fantastic all along the way.

Machine-translated

PhR08
PhR08

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Machine-translated

Pierre4274
Pierre4274

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

As other hikers have mentioned, the route is quite steep (and a little austere) until you reach the junction of the two valley trails. After that, the climb to the Oule lakes is pleasant and quite varied.
There are already several groups on the ascent (lots of holidaymakers this year) and an incredible crowd for a mountain lake. The proximity of the car park on the Granon Pass road is undoubtedly the reason for this.
From the lake, the climb to the Col de l'Oule and then to the summit is quite steep, with rocky terrain but no technical difficulties. The view from the summit is magnificent, with a 360° panorama.
The descent to the Cristol lakes and then Névache is easy. We set off on foot from our accommodation at the entrance to Névache (Roubion), which adds to the distance: 21.5km and 1210m elevation gain.
In summary, this is a varied hike offering a variety of landscapes, but is best suited to experienced walkers.
Pierre

Machine-translated

LALOY ERIK
LALOY ERIK

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Everything was fine except for the description and route map for crossing the Gardiole summit and the lack of information about the view from there.
As we couldn't see the route clearly, we went via the Col de Cibières, from where a fairly easy-to-find path leads to the Gardiole ridge descending towards the Porte de Cristol, on which a dry stone wall was built during the last war, I think. Fantastic view of the Ecrins massif from the Col de Cibières and then from this path.
This is an alternative route worth mentioning, as is the view. The route is slightly longer in terms of distance (15 km) and duration (7 hours' walking) but has a smaller elevation gain (960 m).
One last thing: there are a lot of people between Lad de l'Oule and Col de l'Oule coming from the large car park near the pass, which is accessible by car.

Erik and Jacqueline

Machine-translated

Netra
Netra ★

Hello Maurice and Jeannine, and thank you for your comments!

The hike is not classified as "easy"... It is rated as difficult, according to our rating scale.

Machine-translated

mauricejeannine
mauricejeannine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We didn't do the route because we were afraid that the shortcut off the marked trail would be too steep. So we climbed to the summit and descended via the marked trail: 45 minutes to climb and 1 hour to descend. For oldies like us (74 and 72 years old), I wouldn't describe this climb as "easy": three quarters of the way up it is, but the final stretch to the summit is rocky and requires a bit of experience. However, on the way down, there are plenty of good handholds all along the way. At the summit, there is a kind of watchtower and a magnificent 360° panorama of the surrounding mountains, the two Cristol lakes and Lake Oule.

Machine-translated

grand-nord17
grand-nord17

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant hike: the description is accurate, with a fairly steep start until the junction between Lac de l'Oule and Lac de Cristol.
Be sure to head towards Lac de l'Oule, as the hike is more beautiful on this side in the morning light.
The climb through the mountain pastures is absolutely beautiful.
After passing Lac de l'Oule, the climb to La Gardiole is a little steeper, but not particularly difficult.
The view from the summit is magnificent.
The path down to the Porte de Cristol runs alongside a small wall and is not very well marked, but it's sufficient.
The descent to Lake Cristol and then back to Névache is also very pleasant in the undergrowth, sheltered from the sun
Worth doing again

Machine-translated

pnobili
pnobili

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful, interesting and varied route; the estimated time of 6 hours 15 minutes is generous, as the whole route can be completed in 5 hours 30 minutes with breaks, without rushing. The route is very hot above Lake Loule and up to La Gardiole, so it is best to avoid it in the middle of the day...

Two small comments/suggestions:

  • At (4), you can continue along the marked trail, which is completely flat and very pleasant, to the bottom of the southern ridge of La Gardiole, where you rejoin the summit trail, which is also very well marked (steep at the end).
  • You can avoid the climb to La Gardiole and the descent to Porte de Cristol (both difficult in hot weather) by heading west/south-west at the start of Lake Loule (cairn): cross the ridge south of Pic de Longet, and follow the contour lines due west to reach Lac de Cristol, where the route crosses the GR 5C.

However, this means you miss out on the magnificent view from the summit of La Gardiole...

Machine-translated

bibi
bibi ★

Thank you for your feedback. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any information about the route that may be worth mentioning.
Kind regards

Machine-translated

Lena07
Lena07

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello,
Same as for the Cerces tour,
once you reach the Cristol pass, there are no signs for the climb to La Gardiole and the path is very discreet.
The area is steep, slippery and long.
otherwise, it is a beautiful hike offering stunning scenery on the other side of the Clarée valley
Best done in cool weather...
Best regards

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Lake Cristol

Visorando member
↔8.97 km ↗+710 m ↘-702 m ◔4h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Névache (Hautes-Alpes)
Visit a particularly pleasant lake nestled in the large cirque at the foot of the Gardiole.

Walking The Lake and the Porte de Cristol

Visorando member
Le Lac et la Porte de Cristol
↔12.99 km ↗+934 m ↘-925 m ◔6h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Névache (Hautes-Alpes)
A beautiful, not very difficult walk starting from Névache. It will take you from the larch forest to the very mineral landscape that forms the setting for this lake. The place is quiet and imbued with a great serenity, which is lacking in most of the lakes in the region, which are often very busy.

Walking La Clarée right bank: from Névache to the Laval car park

Visorando member
La Clarée rive droite : de Névache au parking Laval
↔9.87 km ↗+440 m ↘-15 m ◔4h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Névache (Hautes-Alpes)
Between forest, mountain pastures and the banks of the Clarée, this walk takes you gently from Névache to the upper Clarée valley. It is also an opportunity to discover the hamlets and isolated chalets scattered throughout the valley. Don't forget to admire the pretty Fontcouverte waterfall on the way! Please note that if you do this hike outside the shuttle bus operating period (information available from the tourist office), you will have to walk back to the starting point along the same route!

Walking Chavillon and Bellety lakes

Visorando member
Lacs Chavillon et Bellety
↔11.04 km ↗+731 m ↘-731 m ◔5h 15 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Névache (Hautes-Alpes)
A beautiful hike offering views of the Rois Mages massif and Mont Thabor, with most of the climb taking place in the forest.

Walking La Clarée with its banks and the Débaret waterfall

Visorando member
La Clarée par ses rives et la cascade Débaret
↔8.34 km ↗+258 m ↘-256 m ◔3h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Névache (Hautes-Alpes)
Discover La Clarée from the right and left banks. A pleasant walk, sometimes a little difficult but so enjoyable in the cool air. A route close to the river, with flowers and vegetation depending on the season. And, of course, the beautiful and impressive Débaret waterfall. You start by walking through part of an authentic village, with its weathered, exposed timber houses. Then, get up close and personal with nature at its most charming.

Walking Col and Lac des Thures from Névache

Visorando member
↔10.32 km ↗+614 m ↘-613 m ◔4h 40 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Névache (Hautes-Alpes)
In Névache in summer, the trails are very busy, especially those leading to the beautiful Lac des Thures, which is more accurately called Lac de Chavillon, but as it is located right at the Col des Thures, it is easier to associate it with this name.

Walking Chavillon and Bellety lakes

Visorando member
Lacs Chavillon et Bellety
↔9.82 km ↗+692 m ↘-693 m ◔4h 45 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Névache (Hautes-Alpes)
Visit two pretty lakes located on the link between the Névache Valley and the Vallée Etroite. The Lac de Chavillon is located at the Col des Thures, the crossing point between the two valleys mentioned above. The Lac Bellety above is on the border between the former provinces of Dauphiné and Savoie.

Walking Grand Aréa via the Col de Buffère - Lacs Ronds and Cristol

Visorando member
Grand Aréa par le Col de Buffère - Lacs Ronds et Cristol
↔17.66 km ↗+1,347 m ↘-1,345 m ◔8h 55 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Névache (Hautes-Alpes)
A viewpoint with a vast panorama stretching to the surrounding mountains, the summit of Grand Aréa at 2,869 metres offers a magnificent 360° view of the Guisane and Clarée valleys, as well as La Meije and La Barre des Ecrins.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.