Lac Blanc and Col de la Sitre circular route from La Souille

Coming from Grenoble or Chambéry, at Lancey take the Route de Saint-Mury-Monteymond. On reaching Saint-Mury, take the Route du Pré Long. After Pré Long, head up a track that is barely passable by car to the Pré Comté car park (La Souille).

(S/E) Take the path opposite the car park towards Lac Blanc-Jean Collet. Follow this path along the hillside without gaining much altitude.

(1) At a fork in the road, follow the path on the right. Head eastwards and climb steadily. Then head south.

(2) Continue south-east, gaining height, and leave the Sentier de la Gorge on your left.

(3) At the next junction, turn left and take the footbridge over the Vors. On the other side, turn right, leaving the^GR® to head off to the left. Climb up the Ravin des Excellences and join a path coming from the north.

(4) Follow this southwards, turning right at the fork. Continue climbing, following a series of hairpin bends. This will take you to Lac Blanc. Panoramic views of the surrounding peaks: the Grand Pic de Belledonne, the Pic Central and the Croix de Belledonne, rising above the remains of the Freydanne Glacier.

(5) Descend via the same route back to the previous junction.

(4) Be sure to veer left to descend the Ravin des Excellences. Cross the footbridge over the Vors once more and you’ll immediately reach the junction you’ve already passed.

(3) Follow the^GR®738to the left (red and white markings). Head uphill and pass a shelter (Habert du Mousset) on the left. The slope becomes steeper.

(6) Turn sharply right, continue climbing, head west and reach the Col de la Sitre.

(7) Follow the^GR® to the left (south) for a few dozen metres.

(8) Turn sharply right towards the Refuge du Pré du Molard. Head west then north-west, ignoring a track on the right

(9) At the junction, take the path on the right and ignore the other two.

(10) At the next junction, veer right (north) and leave the path leading to Lac de la Grande Sitre on your left. Follow the ridge north-west, then turn right and descend via a series of hairpin bends.

(11) At the fork, keep to the left, leaving the Habert des Sabottes on your right. Continue west-south-west to reach the Refuge du Pré du Molard.

(12) Turn right onto the track leading downwards. Take a hairpin bend to the left. Cut across the next hairpin by taking a path to the right. Join the track again, follow it to the right and you’ll soon reach another hairpin bend.

(13) Leave the track and take a path on the right, descending in hairpin bends. Join the track further down and follow it to the right. At a junction, turn right to reach the Pré du Molard car park straight away.

(14) Leave the car park by taking a path on the right towards Pré Comté: be careful, as this path is difficult to spot at the start. After a left-hand bend, head north and descend to the Souille car park (S/E).