The Mont Valier circular loop via the Col de Pécouch

Hello,
It depends on how keen you are . Personally, I only did it in two days, but it's certainly doable for a hiker who is experienced enough to do >2000m of elevation gain/loss and sets off very early, but it's a very demanding challenge for the vast majority of people.
I should warn you, for example, that the final descent after point 10, which is 1000m of descent on its own, although not particularly technical, can seem endless when you've got Mont Valier in your legs.

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Hello, did any of you do this hike in one day?
thank you for your replies

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Date of your route : Nov 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, I did this two-day hike with a night at the Estagnous refuge. The winter area is very clean and all to myself! At this time of year, the footbridge over the waterfall is dismantled, so you have to stay on the right bank at the bear's head. The route is partly marked with cairns but not always easy to follow.
The next morning, I headed for the summit. There was little snow, so I followed the summer route. In my opinion, crampons and ice axes are essential from 100 metres above the refuge. The view from Le Valier is truly magnificent.
Back at the refuge, I climb up to the Pecouch pass. After crossing the pass, I put my crampons back on for the exposed north-facing descent, which is not particularly difficult. The most difficult part is the steep descent down the scree slope towards the Milouga lake, as many of the slabs are covered with ice.
Shortly after the Taus hut, the final descent begins, which I would describe as endless and which completely wore out my legs. So it was with relief that I saw the Valier house... and then the car!
A beautiful hike lasting about ten hours in total.

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Date of your route : Jul 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Circular route completed with a detour via the Cascade des Échelles waterfall and the Long Pond:
Day 1: 17km, 1700m elevation gain, 6 hours 50 minutes walking
from the car park, passing by the Cascade des Échelles waterfall: steep climb, difficult. Leaving the forest, steady climb to the vulture take-off point, then almost flat along a stream in a valley. A final climb followed by a descent leads to the long lake, which is beautiful and uncrowded. You can walk along this stretch of water using cables and a bit of climbing. The descent to the round lake is a little technical, with cables to hold on to. The final climb from the round lake to the refuge is not technically difficult but involves a slight incline.
Drinking water and showers are available at the refuge, so bring some cash.

Day 2: 17.2 km, 866D+, 6h40
Return trip to Mont Valier, then follow the route described here. The climb up the pass after the refuge is a little technical but very pleasant. The long descent to the car park is a little hard on the knees, so make sure you are fit and not carrying too much weight. The trail is very easy to follow and perfectly marked.

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We modified this hike by passing by the Rond pond from point 4 and climbing up to the Estagnous refuge via the dotted path marked as GR (south to north). There is a tricky section at the start of the fork with a metal cable, then throughout the climb up this small path, the markings are imperfect and the climb is steep. Not to be attempted in foggy weather. The rest of the route from point 10 is well marked, but it's so long that you can't see the end...
Very tired and with persistent snowfields, we did not climb Mont Valier.
A magnificent hike, but be careful if there is snow at the top. A total of 18 km, +1400m, - 1500m.

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Date of your route : Jul 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb circular loop!
We chose to split it into three days, with two nights at the Estagnous refuge, to conserve our energy :-)
We received a very warm welcome at the refuge, which was quiet on the first night but busy on the second (14 July weekend).
Beautiful sunny weather at altitude, sea of clouds up to the Rond lake on the ascent on the 13th and from the Aouen hut at the end of the descent on the 15th. No snow (a few snowfields off the trail).
Day 1: Ascent via the Ribérot Valley (approx. +1270m and 7km),
Day 2: Col de Faustin, Valier, then Petit Valier (small couloir where you need to use your hands a little), then walk along the ridges and return to the refuge (approx. +/-600m and 5km),
Day 3: Ascent to the Col de Pécouch then descent via Les Lauzets and the Muscadet Valley (approx. +230m/-1500m and 9.5km).
Total approx. +/-2100m and 21.5km.

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Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route to enjoy without moderation!
No particular difficulties in following the route
Thank you

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Date of your route : Aug 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent! I confirm a previous comment: we are above 20 km, around 22 km or so...

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Date of your route : Aug 02, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, very demanding (1,800 metres of elevation gain over the first 8.5 kilometres).
However, the circular route via the Pécouch Pass is 25 kilometres long, not 19 kilometres as indicated; my watch and the locals I met during my stay confirmed this.

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