Le Petit Rochebrune

On the ridge separating the Briançonnais from the Queyras, between the Grand Glaiza and the Pic de Rochebrune, this 3,078m peak offers a remarkable 360° view.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.58 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,054 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,046 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 3,035 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,040 m

Description of the walk

Park in the Fonts de Cervières car park.
(S/E) Take the wide track, cross the Pierre Rouge stream via the wide footbridge. You will soon reach the junction with the path to the Bergerie du Lombard.

(1) Continue along theGR®58, leaving the Col de Malrif path on your left and taking the Col de Péas path opposite.
After a gentle climb, reach the footbridge over the Torrent des Chalmettes and continue towards the Col de Péas.
Reach the 2219m altitude.

(2) Leave theGR® and turn left into the mountain pasture. From this point, the route is off-trail but clearly marked.
Keep heading for the successive ridges and, cutting across the slopes and following the Ravin du Venton, reach the final ridge.

(3) You will then come to a good path. Turn left,

(4) Pass over the Col de la Crousette and begin a final, steep climb.
Reach the cairn at an altitude of 2846 metres.

(5) Continue climbing to reach the summit of Petit Rochebrune.

(6) Descend back to the previous junction.

(5) Turn right and, taking great care, begin the descent down the scree slope at the summit.
Head for the mountain pasture below, follow a faint track as it appears, passing the edge of two small lakes.

(7) Follow another faint path and, via a final descent through the mountain pasture, reach the path you took on the way up below the Bergerie du Lombard.

(1) Then take the path on the right to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 2,040 m - Fonts de Cervières car park - Refuge des Fonts de Cervières
  2. 1 : km 0.87 - alt. 2,129 m - Bergerie crossroads
  3. 2 : km 1.95 - alt. 2,229 m - Crossroads at an altitude of 2209 metres - Cerveyrette (rivière)
  4. 3 : km 4.42 - alt. 2,763 m - Ridge
  5. 4 : km 5.09 - alt. 2,775 m - Col de la Crousette (2780m)
  6. 5 : km 6.18 - alt. 2,846 m - Cairn at 2846m
  7. 6 : km 6.97 - alt. 3,035 m - Petit Rochebrune (3078m)
  8. 7 : km 9.27 - alt. 2,598 m - The two small lakes
  9. S/E : km 11.58 - alt. 2,040 m - Fonts de Cervières car park

Notes

Water tap at the car park.
No shelter along the route.
Lodge at Fonts de Cervières.
Please note: This hike is not difficult for experienced hikers; however, as it is off-trail and, above all, in a challenging environment on the scree slope at the summit, it should only be undertaken by those comfortable on this type of terrain.
Do not look for the Bergerie du Lombard any longer; it has been swept away by an avalanche.

Worth a visit

The Queyras and its many villages.
The famous ‘8-key cabinet’, in which the documents of the Queyras escarton were kept, can be seen at the town hall in Ville Vieille.

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.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
smashdc
smashdc
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

😎 Unique but a real change of scenery ;-) 360° panoramic views 💥 11/09/2022
👌 A rocky landscape, but absolutely stunning ❤️ Magnificent valleys and mountains!
🎬 These superb panoramas here 🚀 https://youtu.be/jcy5pwqvpew

✅ You basically need to follow the stream/torrent through the valley. The paths aren’t very visible.
A route in “cow mode” or “Kohlanta” style :-) Not easy, but that’s also what makes this hike so appealing.
Numerous stony sections that are quite slippery and/or narrow passages (poorly defined paths).
Broadly manageable as there’s nothing particularly technical.
Stunning views at the summit! A beautiful ridge to follow once you reach the Col de la Crousette.
Otherwise, it’s uphill from start to finish!
I recommend taking the same route back or taking the path that’s much clearer on the left once you’ve descended, but that adds to the distance.

⛰ 12.6 km 1151 m elevation gain/loss
- Views of Mont Blanc (in the distance) & the Aiguilles d’Arves

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JPC07
JPC07

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A truly beautiful hike. A magnificent ridge offering panoramic views across the entire Queyras and beyond: Molines, Aiguilles, Ristolas, Mont Viso, Taillante, Pain de Sucre… and, to the west, the majestic silhouette of Rochebrune, which we climbed via the western slope three years ago. An easy climb from point 4 to point 5: allow an hour there and back. Twenty-five minutes up, fifteen minutes to admire the view, twenty minutes down. However, the descent from point 6 to point 1 is a real ‘struggle’.

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mtbiker67
mtbiker67

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 05, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A truly beautiful hike enjoyed in glorious weather, and above all with a clear view, free from any ‘heat haze’. A hike that’s physically demanding but not technically challenging – just the sort I like. Crossing the ‘Venton’ mountain pastures on the descent was a real, unexpected delight. The pastures were lush and green, criss-crossed by numerous streams. I took a slight detour: from point 6, I chose to head straight to point 2 to avoid the Lombard sheepfold and any potential mountain dogs. These dogs are certainly not man’s best friend, and if I can, I prefer to avoid any encounter. On the Venton mountain pastures, there were only unguarded cows – all the better!

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Britanicus100
Britanicus100
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely walk with stunning views of Italy and the Queyras.
A short video capturing the atmosphere and showing the route: https://youtu.be/Nqo0ce6I2x4
A moderately difficult 3,000-metre peak.

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