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Park at the Étale chairlift car park, accessible via the Col de la Croix Fry road. (altitude 1216m)
(S/E) Climb up the meadow, heading south, keeping the chairlift cable and car park on your right, to cross the Col de la Croix Fry road 150m higher up at a place called Billon (altitude 1250m).
Cross the road and take the westbound path in the next meadow, heading towards the "Merdassier viewpoint 2h35".
The path begins to climb, winding generally southwards. Posts topped with large yellow arrows on a green background mark the climb to the viewpoint.
(1) You will soon reach a forest path running east-west. You are now at Sous l'Étale. Turn right onto the path and walk a few metres westwards.
(2) Turn left and climb up a new southbound path towards the Merdassier viewpoint via Les Joux (marked 2 hours 20 minutes). The path winds its way and leads in 30 minutes to a second forest path at a place called Les Joux.
(3) Turn left, heading east. Follow this good path to the viewpoint. Climb up to the Étale reservoir, which you will go around to the south.
(4) At the crossroads called Alpage du Laquais, south of the reservoir, follow the path on the left, heading south towards the Merdassier viewpoint (marked 1 hour 30 minutes, but allow two hours).
The good, wide path climbs gradually; this is the most difficult part of the hike, with steep slopes. Note that sometimes there are shortcuts off the path at bends; do not take them, as they are even harder going than the path itself. You will arrive at the viewpoint at an altitude of 1,980 metres.
(5) Head back down the same path until you reach the first fork.
(6) There are two options for descending from this point:
- To the right, take the same path you came up until you reach the Étale reservoir.
- Left, following the ski trail where a path leading to another fork is difficult to see. Walking sticks and high-top shoes are recommended.
(7) Turn left and follow the same path back to the Étale reservoir.
(4) At the Étale reservoir, at the crossroads called "Alpage du Laquais", turn left towards the west in the direction of "l'Étale (car park) via Les Étages 1h10" on the descending path that winds through the mountain pastures.
(8) 100 metres from the D160 road, at a place called Les Étages, turn right onto the path heading north. After a few minutes, you will arrive at a place called La Coverie.
Carefully cross the Col de la Croix Fry road at this point and descend carefully for about 200 metres towards the next bend (to the south-east).
(9) Before the bend, the bridge and the stream, the path branches off to your left, heading due north (Route des Prises; still marked with a yellow arrow on a green background). Follow this path until you reach a well-maintained track which then joins a road going up to the right, towards the Col road heading east.
(10) Once you are back on the Route du Col de la Croix Fry, cross carefully and walk a few metres up the road to the right.
Take the path on the left, heading generally east (towards L'Étale). This path turns into a descending trail and after 2000m you will rejoin the path you took at the start of the hike.
(1) Descend to the left, heading due north (towards L'Étale), along the same path, until you reach the road. Cross the road and continue down the meadow, still heading due north, until you reach the car park at the start of the hike at the L'Étale chairlift (S/E).
Visorando member
Moderate 
Easy 
