The Col de l'Aup at the start of the Hauts Gicons

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Easy hike up to the Col de l'Aup via the Queyras ravine, below the Montagne de Faraut.

Details

n°1510274
Creation:
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.08 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 384 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 384 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,678 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,305 m
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Photos

The end of the Dévoluy mountain range.
The start of the Dévoluy mountain range
The Dévoluy mountain range
Les Payas and Lac du Sautet

Description of the walk

Park in the car park near the relay tower above the village of Les Hauts Gicons in the commune of Saint-Disdier-en-Dévoluy.

(S/E) Take the track heading east.

(1) At the fork (elevation 1359), leave the track on your left, which will be the return route, and continue straight ahead for one kilometre. From there, the track climbs.

(2) Take the very pretty path on the left that climbs up the Queyras valley. Stay at the bottom of the valley, on the left bank, until the path crosses the stream (often dry) and climbs steeply to join a forest track. Turn left and continue for about ten metres.

(3) Turn right (sign) and climb gently past the Aup hut. Continue to the Col de l'Aup (1680m).

(4) Describe the instructions from the crossing point here.

(5) Walk a few more metres to see the majestic Obiou, the Plaine des Payas and Lac du Sautet.
Turn around and pass the Cabane de l'Aup again.

(3) Turn right.

(1) Continue to the right to easily reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,362 m - Parking above the village of Les Hauts Gicons.
  2. 1 : km 0.54 - alt. 1,351 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 1.68 - alt. 1,306 m - Path on the left
  4. 3 : km 3.11 - alt. 1,494 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  5. 4 : km 3.7 - alt. 1,584 m - Cabane de l'Aup (1575m)
  6. 5 : km 4.23 - alt. 1,678 m - Col de l'Aup (1680m}
  7. S/E : km 8.08 - alt. 1,362 m - Parking above the village of Les Hauts Gicons.

Worth a visit

The Aup hut is inhabited during the summer grazing season and the shepherdess is friendly.
There was a Patou dog during my hike. He barked but did not appear to be dangerous.
On the way back, stop at the Mother Church, about 2.6 km away. The church dates from the 11th and 12th centuries. It has been recently renovated.
René Demaison, the famous mountaineer, is buried in the cemetery.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 7 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
smashdc
smashdc
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent panoramic views of the Col de l'Aup, Obiou, Dévoluy and Lac du Sautet :-)
A must-see!
Moderate hike with an ascent on semi-paved paths.
Beware of patous (shepherd dogs) which chased me on the road (GT by car :-o )
There is plenty of shade in the late afternoon.

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Annouchka26
Annouchka26

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
A very beautiful hike, thank you for this route, especially as it is not marked on the IGN map.
There was a slight difficulty in a section to the north where there was still some frozen snow. The descent down the scree slope isn't easy, but fortunately you can see the hut.

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rature
rature

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

okay

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BLU
BLU

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, easy hike leading to a stunning viewpoint... Provided you don't arrive at the pass too early: if there are a few fair-weather clouds, you need to give the sun time to disperse them! One downside, however: it's very unpleasant to be approached and followed by a patou barking furiously 50 cm from your calves, clearly ignoring its owner's calls for calm. So, even though this walk is easy, I wouldn't do it with children who aren't used to this kind of thing. Why weren't the Patous taught during their training that man is only a wolf to man?

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pimprenelle24nov
pimprenelle24nov

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Some friendly sheepdogs along the way!
Magnificent flora.
A real delight!

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ChristianNant70
ChristianNant70

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy hike.
The main attraction is the view upon reaching the pass.
The friendly shepherdess reassured us about the intentions of the sheepdogs nearby...
A "rest" outing between two longer hikes.

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randofans
randofans

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Apart from the view of Lake Sautet, this hike did not really impress us. It must be said that the Dévoluy region is superb and there are many hiking opportunities, which allowed us to discover much more sumptuous scenery in the previous days. But it is an easy and short hike that is undoubtedly suitable for families or people limited by walking time and elevation gain.

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crisdumoulin
crisdumoulin
• Edited:

I haven't done it, but I think I recognised another hike starting from Les Hauts Gicons, which leads to the summit of Pic Pierroux with its splendid view. I'll describe it when I get the chance. Thank you for all these wonderful suggestions!!!
Best regards
Crisdumoulin

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