The Lac de l'Oule circuit

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A family hike starting from the Col du Granon, which allows you to discover a beautiful lake and, on the way back, magnificent views of the Ecrins.

Details

n°77037
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.02 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 932 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 919 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 8,389 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 7,831 ft
Downloads
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Photos

Lac de la Barre, just below Lac de l’Oule
Lac de l'Oule
Swimming at Lac de l'Oule
Lac de l'Oule

Description of the walk

At Saint Chaffrey, take the road to the Col du Granon and park in the large car park at the top of the pass.

(S/E) Take the military road (unpaved track) at the exit of the car park. Join the Cibières torrent where a path starts on the left.

(1). Take this path, which quickly disappears, but just keep climbing until you reach theGR®57. Continue left on theGR® (red and white sign and markings). You will quickly reach the Col de l'Oule

(2) Begin the descent to quickly reach Lac de l'Oule, still on theGR®57.

(3) Return to the Col de l'Oule.

(2) Turn right onto the Col des Cibières trail (sign) and follow it.

(4) Continue left on the correct path marked in yellow. Leave the Porte de Cristol and Bergerie paths on your right and take the path on the left, which will take you almost to the hillside at the Col du Granon car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 7,884 ft - Parking - Col de Granon
  2. 1 : mi 0.57 - alt. 7,841 ft - Military road junction
  3. 2 : mi 1.35 - alt. 8,350 ft - Col de l'Oule
  4. 3 : mi 1.8 - alt. 7,956 ft - Lac de l'Oule
  5. 4 : mi 2.92 - alt. 8,281 ft - Col des Cibières
  6. S/E : mi 4.02 - alt. 7,887 ft - Parking - Col de Granon

Notes

There is no water on this route, except for a few springs emerging from the ground.
There is a small shelter before the lake.
Stay for a few moments at the Col de Cibières, a large clearing, to admire the east face of the Écrins opposite, with Pic Gaspard and the whole of the Meije on the right.

Worth a visit

There are numerous fortifications here.
The stone walls on the ridges were built by Marshal Séré de Rivières, who sought to protect the Briançon valleys and, at the same time, the town of Briançon.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Downloads
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Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 65 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 17255678

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb hike to enjoy with the family, with children aged over 10.
Make sure you wrap up warm as it’s chilly at altitude. Don’t forget sun cream or sun protection, as despite the cool temperatures the sun can be quite strong. A really, really beautiful walk through these landscapes to the lake. There’s not a single spot of shade. The drive up can be a bit daunting, but it’s well worth the effort.

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User 18791394

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk to enjoy with the family.
The ‘lake’ route is ideal for children.

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cricri 34
cricri 34

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk – it’s a shame there were far too many people this August! 😏

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Pat_rando83
Pat_rando83

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

I went at the weekend during the first fortnight of August, so it was very busy.
From the Col de Granon car park, it takes little more than 45 minutes to reach the lake. I spent about thirty minutes walking around the lake and, even so, it only took me 2 hours 30 minutes to complete the whole route (as a single adult, but not walking at a brisk pace).
The return route via the Col de Cibières offers views of the Serre-Chevalier valley and the peaks overlooking it.

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User 3527299

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk with stunning scenery.

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Ryo08
Ryo08

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent route and the lake is stunning – ideal for introducing children to high-mountain scenery.
No trouble following the route using the GPX file (or by sight!), although I didn’t quite understand point (1): “carry on to the left along the GR” – actually, no, you need to take it to the right, but that’s obvious; otherwise you’d end up retracing your steps, and the pass is clearly visible.
In any case, a big thank you for this route – a brilliant time!

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DomiHuong
DomiHuong

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, offering the chance – even if it isn’t strictly permitted – to swim in Lac de l’Oule, where the water is a perfectly acceptable temperature in July. Once you reach Lac de l’Oule, you can continue along the path, descending a few dozen metres to reach the lovely little Lac de la Barre. A note: the route is best done in the opposite direction, i.e. starting at the Col des Cibières whilst you’re still fresh, and then making a leisurely return by descending directly from the Col de l’Oule to the Col du Granon car park.

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pkur
pkur

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant, family-friendly hike, a little chilly on the way up when facing the wind, but a lovely surprise at the lakes at the summit.
A few trout fishermen on the main lake and, surprisingly, a grey heron! Incredible for this altitude of over 2,000 metres.

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User 27282365

Yes, that's right, it's 2,404 metres, my mistake!😉Thank you very much.

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bernardino
bernardino ★

Hello and thank you for your comment:
You could perhaps specify that the route includes an initial climb from 2004 to 2540m
. Looking at the map again, I see that the starting point at the Col du Granon is at 2,404 metres.

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User 27282365

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

You could perhaps specify that the route includes an initial climb from 2,004 to 2,540 metres
which takes about an hour or an hour and a half for families.
Then there is a descent to the lake of about 80 metres, which must be climbed back up on the return journey.
Thank you

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User 26793506

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

You can hike in both directions. We started on the military road (which is marked as off-limits!!!). You can start the walk behind the refreshment stand; there are signs (it's easier with children).
On the way back, we came across lots of people starting the walk. We left when everyone else was arriving. If you want some peace and quiet, don't set off too late (around 8.30/9 a.m.).
A nice walk, not too long.

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md.lefevre@orange.fr
md.lefevre@orange.fr

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We left early in the morning (7:30) to do this hike, and we were glad we did because we came back down around 11:00 and the car park at the Col du Granon was full...
We encountered many people on the way back, which detracted somewhat from the enjoyment.
Note that there is a rather dizzying section on the way back that may frighten those prone to vertigo.
The view of the lake is superb, especially when there's no one else around, which was the case for us.
A word of advice: arrive early!
A very beautiful hike.

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pinrouge
pinrouge

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Interesting route. The arrival at the lake is spectacular.

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MICHELFIL
MICHELFIL

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

magnificent landscapes, very nice walk

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