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The start is planned from the town hall of Châtillon-en-Diois (near a fountain).
I also suggest an alternative route starting from Combe de Baïn (which shortens the route): see the route here.
(S/E) Head north up the Tricot hill.
(1) A little further up, you will come to a fork with theGR®91(which you will return along): continue straight on towards Col de Caux, following theGR®95trail.
(2) At a fork (Le Suel), leave the carriage road by turning left, still on theGR® (towards Col de Caux). After crossing a ford, the path climbs steeply at the beginning.
(3) After a good walk, turn right towards Col de Caux at a new fork (La Baume, elevation 870). The trail climbs steadily, without excess, and with large switchbacks, to Pié de Boeuf (beautiful viewpoint).
(4) Continue north on theGR® trail overlooking the Baïn valley, without any significant elevation gain (beautiful scenery), gradually approaching the Glandasse mountain.
(5) Shortly after the Col de Mireille and just before the Col de Caux, leave theGR® and turn right (towards Châtillon-en-Diois and Le Suel) onto a downhill path.
(6) After a right-hand bend in the path, look for a path starting on the left (marked by a cairn): take this path on the left, which is narrower but easy to follow. Climb gently, crossing a few stream beds (dry when I passed through in summer).
A little higher up, you will join another path (coming from the Ferme de Baïn)
(7). Continue left uphill to arrive shortly afterwards at a more open area where you will see a cairn marking the junction of three paths (a clear spot with a nice view).
Turn left and continue uphill on a moderate slope: all along the way, the regular presence of cairns should help you find your way on a rather narrow path (note: the path opposite joins theGR®91towards the forest track or Châtillon-en-Diois via the route described in the Visorando hike Boucle du balcon de Baïn from Châtillon-en-Diois) .
(8) At an altitude of 1,485 metres, at the bend in the path, turn right onto a small track leading a few metres further on to the Fontaine des Tuiles (moderately visible) where you can refill your water bottles (the flow may be very low).
Return to the trail to continue the ascent (north-east direction) and reach the Col de la Raille.
(9) Then turn left. The initial climb is steep.
(10) After about 200 metres (horizontally), follow theGR®91in the extension (ignore the path on the right, which will be taken on the way back).
(11) At the fork that appears very quickly, turn right, still on the GR®.
(12) Continue for a short while (about 30 minutes or 1.5 km) on a north-west facing section, then leave theGR® trail and climb straight towards the summit (the suggested route is indicative). Through a sparse forest with no excessive incline, reach the summit in sight (south-west orientation). Throughout the climb, you may pass edelweiss flowers (please note that picking flowers is prohibited).
(13) From Pié Ferré (2,041 m), topped by a cairn, you can enjoy a beautiful panorama: to the south, the Trois Becs, and to the north, the Grand Veymont and Mont Aiguille.
Head south along the ridge, following a few cairns. Approach the cliff (Roc d'Ambane): follow the ridge where the cliff is, never far to your right (the route is straightforward).
(14) At Roc d'Ambane, head east-southeast, still on the ridge. After a steep descent, rejoin theGR® (the same place you passed on the way up).
(11) Continue for a few more metres until you reach an intersection that you also passed on the way there.
(10) Turn left and continue on theGR® to the clearly visible Cabane de Châtillon (unguarded refuge). A few steps away, you can also enjoy the view from the top of the cliffs overlooking the Cirque d'Archiane.
(15) Continue south on theGR® trail, which crosses the plateau on a slight incline until you reach a large cairn. Five minutes later, you will pass by the Baume Rousse ledge. If necessary, make a short detour to the Beaume Rousse spring to refill your water bottles (small reservoir at the foot of the cliff protected by a small trapdoor; note that the flow is low): in this case, make a return trip on the path along the ledge.
(16) Head southwest along the winding path and follow the trail, which has some steep descents. Enter the forest and continue downhill.
(17) At an altitude of 1155 metres, you will arrive at a small meadow on relatively flat ground: this is Serre des Granges (roughly halfway down the descent). Continue along the path until you come to a forest track: go straight on to continue along the GR®.
(18) At a fork, ignore the path on the right, which seems better marked than the other, and continue straight ahead on the GR®.
(19) At an elevation of 840 metres (l'Oursière), you will come to a path leading to Maratestel and Col Gorodel: continue straight ahead towards Châtillon-en-Diois. Stay on theGR® trail, ignoring any paths branching off to the sides.
(1) At the Tricot climb, which you passed earlier in the route, turn left and return to the starting point (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Moderate 
Easy 
