La Pointe d'Escreins via the Vallon des Houerts

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Summit at 3,000 metres via the pretty valley and the Col des Houerts, with Lac Vert and Lac Bleu as a bonus.

Details

n°74471
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.67 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,320 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,315 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,018 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,744 m
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Photos

Cabane des Houerts
Cabane des Houerts
Panoramic view of Mortice, Pic des Houerts, and Lac Vert and Lac Bleu
Panoramic view of the peaks of Font Sancte, Pic de Panestrel and the summits of Haute-Ubaye

Description of the walk

On the D25 road from Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye to Maljasset, drive up to the hamlet of Saint Antoine, then continue for about 2.1 km. Park on the right. The starting point is on the left side of the road before crossing the Torrent des Houerts.
(S/E) Take theGRP® Tour de la Font Sancte, which initially climbs under a canopy of larch trees with the torrent on your right. The path leads to the Vallon des Houerts with the torrent winding calmly on your left.

(1) Reach the crossroads of the Lac Vert trail.

(2) Continue to the Col des Houerts, ignoring the path to the lake.

(3) Take the path on the right that climbs towards Pointe d'Escreins.
At the summit, you can see the path that leads to Lac Vert and Lac Bleu.

(4) Return to Col des Houerts via the same route.
Begin the descent and take the path with cairns on the right. The path passes the lake. Return to the lake once the descent is almost complete.

(5) Then return to theGRP® at the crossroads mentioned above.

(2) Take theGRP® on the right to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,744 m - Crossroads at the Houerts torrent - Ubaye (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 2.79 - alt. 2,400 m - Vallon des Houerts
  3. 2 : km 3.91 - alt. 2,676 m - Lac Vert crossroads
  4. 3 : km 4.8 - alt. 2,869 m - Col des Houerts
  5. 4 : km 5.33 - alt. 3,018 m - Pointe d'Escreins
  6. 5 : km 7.21 - alt. 2,679 m - Lac Vert (Ubaye-Mortice)
  7. S/E : km 11.67 - alt. 1,744 m - Crossroads at the Houerts torrent

Notes

At the beginning of July 2014, there were many snowfields, especially near the summit.
As the Lac Bleu was frozen at the beginning of July, we decided to just go to the Lac Vert for a picnic.
I recommend bringing walking sticks.

Worth a visit

In the first part before reaching the valley, there is a pretty waterfall on our right.
The Vallon des Houerts is splendid, with many places to stop near the stream, which we enjoyed on the way back to break up the descent.
The view from the summit is a wonderful reward.

The route is quite busy (about fifteen people during the day) for a hike in the Ubaye, but we had become accustomed to seeing almost no one on other hikes in early July in this area, which is still not very busy compared to some of the other mountain ranges in the Alps.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 17 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
L et N
L et N
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike with incredible scenery and snow from halfway through stage 1. From November onwards, it is advisable to bring snowshoes (1 metre of snow in places).
Once you reach the bottom of the peak, the hike becomes very technical, with steep slopes, unstable rocks and icy snow.
BUT once you reach the cross at the summit, the 360-degree panorama is sublime.
The hike took 9 hours (without snowshoes and with a small detour around the lake due to not following the Visorando route, and with a total of 1 hour of breaks)

I highly recommend this incredible hike.

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quito84
quito84

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Under a radiant sun and a cloudless sky... yes, it is possible , a superb 3,000-metre peak that is accessible despite the elevation gain! Superb view at the summit and a magical valley... We met two hikers during the day but no chamois or ibex... Too bad. You can't have everything. Thank you for this trail!

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La Sand
La Sand

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Everything has been said in the other comments. For my part, I would add that I made a mistake at the starting point (I misjudged the distance from St Antoine and there are several bridges). In fact, there are signs at the start of the hike. So you can't go wrong!!! Apart from a few marmots and a mountain goat in the distance, I didn't see many animals (perhaps due to the intense heat?). But the variety of landscapes and panoramic views are breathtaking. And the presence of the stream for most of the hike is really welcome for regular refreshment. From the summit, in addition to the incredible view, you can finally see the blue lake. The green lake can already be seen further down.

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sabinefebvre
sabinefebvre

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

Superb! Don't hesitate to go all the way to the blue lake...

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gym007
gym007

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you for sharing this trail.
The hike is magnificent, and it's worth it... yes, it's difficult, the slopes are steep... but the wildlife (in particular) is worth the detour and the effort.
For those who might be daunted by the elevation gain and the slopes, bear in mind that if you only do half the hike (up to the plain where the hut is), you will still reach the area where you can see marmots, chamois and ibex...

Enjoy your walk!

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Run13acp
Run13acp

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, alternating between the landscape of the Houerts valley and the more rocky terrain of the final stretch leading to the pass or the summit.
Exceptional view from Pointe d'Escreins
Recommended if you're not afraid of a bit of effort!

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canu.odile@orange.fr
canu.odile@orange.fr

Yes, you should go back, it's a truly magnificent hike. I also did the South and North Mortice, but starting from Vars Ste Catherine, Col de Serenne, Lac des 9 Couleurs. Very nice too.

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gillesmo
gillesmo

I'm very glad you enjoyed it. I didn't get to see as many animals as you did. I'll have to go back; you've made me want to

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canu.odile@orange.fr
canu.odile@orange.fr

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A breathtaking hike with exceptional views, the Vallon des Houerts is really lovely with its torrent and waterfalls and a few marmots and chamois along the way. We were able to go as far as the blue lake, with a few ibexes a little higher up. It's a 3,000-metre hike with no technical difficulty. A completely mineral world after the Col des Houerts. Thank you very much for this trail 😃🤩

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JPM004
JPM004

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very good weather. The final snowfields were easily passable. Wildlife (ibex and chamois).

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Pascale Boedts
Pascale Boedts

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

An exceptional, brilliant, superb, magnificent hike. An absolute must. It's a relatively easy 3,000-metre climb. You go from mountain vegetation (alpine pastures and woods) to mountains in all their mineral splendour. We saw several ibex 30 metres away from us.
It's best to set off early (6 a.m.) if you want to see them.
The view at Col des Houerts and especially at Pointe d'Escreins is exceptional.
We can't find the words to describe this beautiful hike.

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Randophil57
Randophil57

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike through the magnificent Houerts valley... We stopped at Lac Vert after climbing about 1,000 metres with two 9-year-old children.
We also made a detour to the very pretty Houerts hut, which blends into the landscape.
Thank you for the trail...

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vgiambag
vgiambag

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Superb hike, landscapes, torrent, lakes and chamois!
Don't miss the unusual hut that serves as a refuge. It blends into the landscape with its pretty stone walls, making you feel like you're in a film set...

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Nissart-Climber
Nissart-Climber

I won't comment on the description or route, as I haven't done this hike recently...
However, I have many wonderful memories of this walk, which I did some 12-15 years ago...
However, watching the video, I recognised the area, the route is well described, and the footage is superb and really shows off this great spot, which was wonderfully wild when I did it...
Well done to the author of this video, which is simply brilliant and very informative...:great(star)star(star)star:tar:

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ardechom
ardechom

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Beautiful hike, superb Houerts valley and its lakes, very beautiful panoramas. Thank you to the author.

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