Lakes Mariande and Salude

Park at the Clot car park, which can be reached via the road leading off from the hairpin bend just before you reach Saint-Christophe (heading towards La Bernardière then Le Clot; see Waze).

(S/E) From the Clot car park, follow the path that runs alongside the road down to the Vénéon. Cross the footbridge and continue along the path until you reach the track that follows the left bank of the Vénéon at a junction marked by a signpost.

(1) Turn left towards La Gassaudière (south) and climb the steep slope along a shaded path that winds a few times before heading westwards. After two stone houses, the path descends to the Mariande stream, which it crosses via a footbridge, before climbing again to join another path ascending the left bank of the stream. A sign points towards the Vallon de la Mariande on the left.

(2) Follow this direction to continue the ascent towards the south-west. After a few hairpin bends, ignore a path leading uphill to the right and continue south-west until you emerge from the alder groves and reach a final signpost.

(3) Turn left, following the signposted direction for the Vallon de la Mariande, due south, along a path that becomes less and less steep and runs alongside the Ruisseau de la Mariande on the left bank, across a long, level stretch. When the path reaches the bottom of the valley and the slopes become a little steeper, it turns into a cairn-marked track. One cairn stands out for the daring balance of its construction and marks the spot where you must leave the valley’s southerly direction.

(4) At this cairn, turn right (west) to climb towards the crest of a grassy ridge where several other cairns are clearly visible. The path is fairly well-marked and regularly signposted with cairns. Follow the tightly winding switchbacks of this path, heading west along the ridge, until you approach a torrent on the right (north). The path veers north-west before crossing this stream, which flows from the Glacier des Liches, at around 2,390 m, just below a ravine.

On the other side of the torrent, continue north-westwards over rounded rocks and then scree, heading towards the foot of a large rocky peak, the Tour Rouge.

Take care: the cairns become fewer (though larger), and those on the left (south-west) lead towards Lac de la Mariande, which is not your first destination. You must maintain a north-north-westerly course.

(5) At the foot of the Tour Rouge, continue north-north-west through terrain of large boulders; as you maintain your course, the cairns are few and far between.
You will then reach the ridge bordering Lac du Salude to the east. The lake remains partially frozen until the end of the season (see photos). Walk round the lake to reach its spillway.

(6) From the spillway, walk round the lake along its eastern shore to enjoy the view (a short rocky section may require you to use your hands) and return via the ascent route to the foot of the Tour Rouge.

(5) Look out for the few cairns pointing south (do not retrace the ascent route) and follow this route along the contour line to pass a block of weathered rock via a grassy strip. Continue south, generally along the contour line, to cross a large scree slope and the first of the Liches streams. A ridge of weathered rock follows, where grassy sections allow you to make easy progress southwards.

Cross the second Liches torrent just after this ridge, then continue – still heading south and keeping level – over scree of large boulders, at the foot of the cliffs of the Cime du Montagnon. A final section of weathered rock brings the Lac de la Mariande into view, nestled in its rocky setting.

(7) Then veer left towards the east to descend towards the lake and its spillway over scree and large boulders. The outlet has carved a deep channel into the rock of the lake’s dam, but it is possible to cross it easily at the lake’s shore.
It is better to walk round the lake to admire the different views and find yourself on the other side of its outlet (south).

A visible path (when snow-free) starts on the right bank of the outlet channel and forms a circular route to the right (south-southeast); it is also possible to descend directly onto this path from the south-eastern moraine bordering the lake, via a gently sloping corridor through weathered rock (see GPS track). This path, which is sparsely marked with cairns, joins the top of the steep moraine that plunges north-east towards the Vallon de la Mariande.

(8) Follow the moraine ridge along the very well-marked path, keeping an eye out for the cairns. Take care: before the moraine breaks off, the path veers sharply to the right (east-southeast) to join a secondary moraine ridge. This ridge initially continues north-east, then veers left towards the north. It is easy to lose track of the cairns, but you will quickly find them again if you return to the left of the westernmost stream at the bottom of the valley (the GPS track explores the terrain a little further to the east).

Once you reach the base of the grassy shoulder you climbed on the way up, look out for the precariously balanced stones of the cairn near its base.

(4) Follow the outward route back to the last signpost seen on the ascent (1,850 m).

(3) Do not continue towards the Alpe du Pin, but head down the path on the right (no signposting). At a fork a little further down (1,785 m), a sign points towards Les Clots for the branch of the path descending to the right. Follow this to reach the sign at the junction above the footbridge over the Mariande stream (1,640 m).

(2) Leave the ascent route on your right and continue towards Les Clots on the left-hand branch of the path, which descends northwards. It then veers off to wind down in hairpin bends generally towards the north-east and joins the path that follows the Vénéon on the left bank.

Turn right onto this path and follow it south-eastwards until you reach the first signpost seen on the way up.

(1) Turn left towards Les Clots to descend to the Vénéon, cross the footbridge and walk back up to the car park (S/E).

Difficulty and equipment:
This walk presents no particular difficulties apart from the elevation gain and the need to find your way off the marked path. The slopes rated between (4) and (5) are quite steep, but the ground is firm.

Walking poles make the walk more enjoyable.

As this walk is largely off the beaten track, a GPS or a compass and an altimeter are useful.

Water:
Water is plentiful throughout the route, but a filter or some means of purification is recommended.

Dogs:
Dogs, even when kept on a lead, are not permitted in the Écrins National Park.

Camping:
Camping for a single night is permitted near the lakes as they are more than an hour’s walk from the road, but you must not leave your tent pitched between 9 am and 7 pm. Camping stoves are permitted. See the park’s regulations. However, please check the park’s website to ensure these regulations are still in force.

You are hiking in the heart of the Écrins National Park.

The Écrins massif is an exceptional area, open to all, with a natural, cultural and scenic heritage of rare beauty. To protect these treasures, the heart of the park is marked by blue-white-red flags, and certain regulations must be observed within this area. Please familiarise yourself with these regulations when planning your hike, to help preserve this shared heritage, at https://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr.

Orientation:

Ridges of the Mariande valley with marked peaks The walk to the Tête de Malacombe via the Col de l’Ours offers views of the ridges overlooking the Mariande and Salude lakes; see the view from the Col de l’Ours.

The route is described here at the end of the season, which is the recommended time for this hike. At the start of the season, snow obscures the terrain, and unless you set off before dawn, progress on the steep slopes becomes dangerous.

Alternatives:
The Col de la Haute Pisse is not far from Lac de la Mariande, and reaching it presents no greater difficulty than the rest of the hike, apart from the altitude, as the pass is just over 3,000 metres.

The easiest way to get there is to go round Lac de la Mariande to the north, reaching the point (7) above the steep slopes bordering the lake to the west, then head due west towards the pass, over pleasant, rounded rocks. The return journey follows the ascent route in the opposite direction.