The Drouillet Pass

Starting from the hamlets above St Disdier en Dévoluy, several large parallel valleys climb up towards the ridge connecting Grand Ferrand to Obiou.
This hike takes you up to the Col du Douillet, just below the Petit Ferrand, via the Truchière valley, and back via the Narittes valley.
As always in Dévoluy, the landscape is rocky, but the Truchière valley is quite grassy, while the Narittes valley is much more austere.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.78 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,159 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,159 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,233 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,206 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Coming from St Disdier, head towards Agnières en Dévoluy (D937). After 4 to 5 km, turn right at the hairpin bend to go up to the hamlet of Le Grand Villard (D207).
Continue for about 1 km towards Truchière. At a hairpin bend, park near the small bridge (yellow sign).

(S/E) Start by climbing up a good path, following the bed of the Torrent des Pertusets, which is usually dry. The route is not very wooded at the start, then opens out onto pastures. Pass by a rustic hut marked as a pastoral hut on the map. Continue to reach a crossroads of paths.

(1) Continue climbing, turning left to enter the valley via a very obvious narrow passage. Climb up this valley, following a small, clearly visible trail.
Pass by a dry stone shelter at Baume Méanne. Continue on a fairly steady climb up the Vallon de Truchière until you reach the Col de Drouillet.

(2) Turn right below the ridge to reach the karstic cave below the summit of Les Prêtres.

(3) Continue the descent through the Vallon des Narittes. You will quickly find yourself on a good track and there are no notable difficulties apart from the stones that roll a little underfoot, but that's how it is in Dévoluy.
At the bottom of this valley, you will reach the crossroads you passed on the way up.

(1) Head south opposite, staying on the sharp limestone pavement as much as possible as the trees are quite thorny. Stay high up to avoid the forest. After 30 to 45 minutes, you will reach the top of a pasture where you can see the Camarguier hut below.

(4) As you pass, look for a spring near some metal hollowed-out tree trunks serving as drinking troughs. Descend the wide track to the yellow sign indicating "source de l'Adroit". Follow this path to the left of the track. Shortly afterwards, you will reach the edge of the woods.

(5) Stay on this path, which winds its way back to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,206 m - Car park near the bridge.
  2. 1 : km 2.27 - alt. 1,648 m - Crossroads of the circular
  3. 2 : km 5.58 - alt. 2,229 m - Col de Drouillet
  4. 3 : km 6.93 - alt. 2,208 m - Avens
  5. 4 : km 11.47 - alt. 1,516 m - Cabane du Camarguier
  6. 5 : km 12.36 - alt. 1,471 m - Edge of the woods
  7. S/E : km 13.78 - alt. 1,206 m - Car park near the bridge.

Notes

So, in this area, there are three very interesting huts for multi-day trips (with water nearby):
- the Roche Baudinard hut (above the hamlet of Le Mas), at the foot of the Mas valley (access to the Tête de Lapras and Le Nid),
- the pastoral hut (the most rustic) at the foot of the Truchière valley,
the Camarguier hut at the foot of the Grand Villard valley (access to the sinkhole Olympique).

In winter and summer, there aren't many people around, yet it really is a very beautiful area.

From easy to dizzying, there are many options to suit all tastes.
If you are staying for several days and using water from the springs, be sure to boil it (or use disinfectant tablets) as there is quite a lot of sheep droppings.
So far, I have never seen any sheepdogs, although there are sheep in the valleys in summer. Still, it is best to remain vigilant.
Finally, everything is also accessible in winter with snowshoes or cross-country skis.

Worth a visit

(4) Cabane du Camarguier, where you can stay overnight except in August when it is used by the shepherd.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Cathy 05
Cathy 05

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

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les 2 chams
les 2 chams

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

There are many snowfields to cross, so having crampons is very reassuring.
The trail is not very visible, especially at the start of the Truchière valley.
Lots of marmots in the area, but we didn't see any that day.

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sabinefebvre
sabinefebvre

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

What a joy! We met the shepherd and his friendly dogs... if only it were like this everywhere on the hiking route!

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avion1
avion1

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent route offering complete solitude. The trail is not always easy to follow in the lower sections (due to vegetation and sheep parks).

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Makalu4000
Makalu4000

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb route, no one around except for chamois in the Truchière valley and near the peaks, and lots of marmots. Pay attention to the weather when following the route; as it is very poorly marked, it becomes difficult to find your way when the weather turns cloudy. I set off in bright sunshine, but clouds started to roll in from around 1 p.m., coming from the Vercors, and covered the peaks just as I was descending through the Narrites valley. As a result, I missed the start of the valley and went around Les Prêtes to find myself in the Truchière valley, the one I had climbed up... a shame...
Similarly, at the bottom of the valleys, the hut is difficult to find if you want to follow a marked route. It's better to navigate by sight or even by GPS. You can't get lost, the directions are obvious, unless there's fog, of course!
Easy, quiet and superb bivouac a little above the starting car park (10'). Please note, there is no water in the stream near the car park, but there is a fountain in the hamlet just before it.

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Aurelmouth
Aurelmouth

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Nice hike but very few markings... Not being very good at orienteering, we cut corners several times, relying mainly on the GPS on our phone. Sad to have to resort to that...
On the way back from the pass, we turned right too early to descend and ended up back in the valley we had climbed up. A shame...
But the landscape remains magnificent. All the elevation gain is to climb up to the pass. Saw the remains of the plane.

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jean-louisetedirh38
jean-louisetedirh38

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike with magnificent views at the pass, which you reach by climbing up the ridge on the left. Descend via the Truchiere valley. Lots of chamois below Le Petit Ferrand, and deer further down in the forests. The sheepdogs are quite friendly, with the shepherdess nearby on the way back via the shepherd's hut.
Thank you for this idea for a less frequented walk.

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Aster
Aster

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike in these valleys, away from the busy trails. As the previous comment says, you need a good sense of direction (especially with the fog we had until we reached the bottom of the Truchière valley). Very beautiful sea of clouds over the Triève at the Col de Drouillet.
Thank you very much for this route.

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ageo
ageo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike, off the beaten track. We did the hike using the trail, with a Trekker X1 smartphone and Locus Pro. There were no markings on the ground. We deliberately strayed from the trail, which led to a tricky section. This hike requires a good sense of direction. Thank you for sharing it.

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Jopo
Jopo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 28, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike, and a very useful post: the trails used in the upper part, above the shepherds' huts, are not marked on the map. I would never have thought of going out there if Diogène412 hadn't posted about this hike. Thank you!

It was a very good idea to mention the plane crash of 25 April 1963. We would have passed by without paying any attention, or complaining about the polluters if we hadn't known. Knowing this, we realise that we are in the presence of painful relics of the past. There is indeed quite a lot of debris, particularly in a small longitudinal depression very close to and parallel with the Crête des Grépoux.

There are beautiful views of the Trièves and the surrounding mountains from the Col du Trièves, but also for much of the route on the Pic de Bure and the Super Dévoluy resort.

Rock lovers will be in their element. I discovered the sinkholes (not showrooms) of Dévoluy. These are interesting geological curiosities that vary considerably and are probably best visited in late summer or autumn when the snow has melted more. There is also, going down the Narrites valley on the right, on a steep slope at an altitude of 1,850 metres, a beautiful arch under which the path I was taking passed.

I skipped the lower part on the way back: my ink cartridge was empty before I left, I hadn't printed the description, so I just relied on my memory and a screenshot of the map on my camera's small screen, without the text of the description. Not good! I didn't turn right enough when leaving the Narrites valley. Too low, I couldn't find the shepherd's hut. So I decided to cut through the forest, which was very dry, not to say Mediterranean. Juniper, fir and dead wood are not exactly gentle.

There are sheep in the area, although I didn't see any. On this hot day, the flies, especially on the lower part of the route, were endearing, very endearing, and numerous, too numerous. A trick to avoid bringing them back in the car: on the last 30 metres, sprint, dive into the car with your bag and sticks and slam the door immediately. It works!

Thanks again, Diogène412, for this beautiful course.

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Alain de Gap
Alain de Gap

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 06, 2014
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Magnificent tour in two beautiful, characteristic and isolated valleys in Devoluy.
On the way up to the hut at the end of the trail, the link to the Vallon de Truchiere is just below the hut.
In the Vallon de Trucheres, there is a flock of sheep with two patou dogs that are used to hikers.
At the top of the Vallon de Trucheres, among the scree and cliffs on the left, there are about twenty chamois.
On the descent, pass to the left under the pastoral hut of the Vallon des Narrites.
At the bottom, the detour to the south to descend into the beech forest is interesting but requires crossing the lappiaz at the "juge": stay just at the upper edge of the lappiaz with a few crossings.
Highly recommended for a beautiful discovery of Devoluy!

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diogene412
diogene412

Hello
Indeed, in these Dévoluy valleys, the yellow markings are easily lost
and it is often better to navigate according to the terrain towards the entrance to the valley.
If you enjoyed this hike, I can only recommend the other valleys (Vallon du MAS and Vallon Girier below the sinkhole Olympique).

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bombana
bombana

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2013
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very beautiful hike in a magnificent landscape, especially on the way up.
Not particularly difficult, except for finding the PR markings
after the CAMARGIER hut.

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