La Mortice from Sainte-Catherine

You return to the starting point by heading back into Sainte-Catherine just before Vars (when approaching from Guillestre).

(S) Take the forest track.
During the hike, a sign prohibited continuing the journey by car to the sheepfold car park (Cabane des Couniets).
Distance between this first car park and the sheepfold car park: 4.5 km.

(1) The track leading to the sheepfold is easy to follow by heading in the direction indicated by the sign right next to the car park.

2:: After an hour’s walk, we arrived at the sheepfold and it appeared that the forest track could be used by cars, as some hikers had parked at the sheepfold.

The path towards La Mortice joins up just next to it.
It winds upwards at the start and then heads towards the Crête des Couniets.

(3) The path turns towards the Laugier valley.

(4) At this point, it is possible to head towards Lac des Étoiles.
The path continues along the side of the valley. It is narrow but well-marked (take care in a few places where there has been some gully erosion).

(5) Upon reaching the Col de Serenne, the hiker comes to a crossroads.

At this point, you can:
- either head towards the Allon Laugier and the Al d'Escreins, or towards the Vallon de Serenne in the direction of the Ubaye.
-head towards Lac des Etoiles and Le Paneyron
- to climb up to Lac des Neuf Couleurs and La Mortice.
It is this last route that we will follow.

Take the path that climbs steeply towards Lac des Neuf Couleurs.

(6) Continue along the path after the lake (yellow markings).
During the hike, a patch of snow forced me to veer slightly off the path to find a more manageable route.
Once you’ve got past this steep section, a basin comes into view. It’s a temporary lake. Judging by its level that day, it’s likely to dry up quickly.
The path continues to the left of the lake, then climbs up through the scree.

(7) Two-thirds of the way up, a small path branches off to the right towards a chasm (about 100m deep).
At the end of the scree, hikers have two options:
- follow the cairns towards Mortice Sud or head towards Mortice Nord.

For my part, I headed south, following the cairns.
Reaching the ridge just before Mortice Sud is a lovely experience, as you are suddenly treated to a panoramic view of Chambeyron and the surrounding area.

(8) From Mortice Sud, follow the ridge towards Mortice Nord.
After the central peak (unmarked), hikers are treated to a beautiful view of the Vallon des Houerts, as well as the Lacs Vert and Bleu.
On the other side of this valley lies the Pic de Panestrel.
On that day, I was unable to climb Mortice Nord due to a lack of time (parking issues) and the weather, which was taking a turn for the worse.
Between the Mortice Centrale and the Mortice Nord, there is a slight bend in the ridge heading north (pass at 3,132m).

(9) Descend from this point towards the path to Lac des Neuf Couleurs, then return to the car park via the route taken on the way up (E).

Take the usual essentials for a mountain hike:
-> food and drink,
-> protection from the weather (sun, rain, wind, cold).

Mobile phone coverage is poor once you’ve passed Lac des Neuf Couleurs.
It is therefore safer to go in a group, as you won’t be able to make a phone call if anything goes wrong.

Depending on the time of year, patches of snow may obscure the paths beyond Lac des Neuf Couleurs.

If you arrive at Lac des Neuf Couleurs early enough, you might spot some ibex, which I missed by just an hour that day. According to the hikers who saw them, they were slightly to the left.

For the more adventurous wishing to add Lac des Étoiles to the itinerary, a very steep path climbs up to the ridge from the Col de Serenne. Once at the top, turn left towards the lake. On the way back, rather than descending towards the Col de Serenne, continue along the ridge towards the gap separating the Vallon Laugier from the Vallon de la Bergerie des Couniets.
This adds about 2.5 km.