Le Piolit via Rouanne Haute, Col de Chorges, Col de la Pourrachière

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At the gateway to the Parc des Écrins, in the Champsaur Massif, this magnificent hike begins at Rouanne Haute. The path winds gracefully through a larch forest, crosses streams of fresh, crystal-clear water and leads us, below the Col de Chorges, to the brown-tinged mountain pastures, sometimes still dotted with majestic snowdrifts despite the approach of summer.
At the top of the Piolit, a breathtaking 360° panorama opens up, revealing the surrounding massifs and the splendid Lac de Serre-Ponçon. Descending via the Col de la Pourrachière, we plunge into a green and refreshing world, the perfect way to round off this wonderful outdoor activity.

Details

n°76727399
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.33 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,904 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,877 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 7,979 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 5,269 ft
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Photos

Rockfalls
Cabane de Selle
The Selle valley
The giant cairn

Description of the walk

At the west end of Ancelle, head east towards Rouanne Haute and stay on the right bank of the Ancelle / Rouanne torrent. The road soon gives way to a well-maintained track that is accessible to all types of vehicle, although a good ground clearance is always preferable. At the end of the track, park in the large car park.

(S/E) Head towards the torrent and cross it using the footbridge.

(1) At the Les Paras sign (alt. 1660 m), turn left towards Le Piolit.

(2) At Clos des Naïs, at marker 1836, turn right.

(3) At the Cabane crossroads, at marker 2012, take the track completely to the right.

(4) At the Plaine crossroads (alt. 2040 m), turn left towards the Col de Chorges.

(5) On the bend, we left the track and continued due south through the alpine pastures, as there was a lot of snow. The direction of the pass is obvious and you never lose sight of the path that clings to the foot of the cliff.

(6) At the Col de Chorges, at 2249m, the panorama opens out over the Durance valley and Lac de Serre Ponçon. Turn right.

(7) Leave the return path on the right and continue straight ahead to conquer the majestic Piolit (hill 2464).

(8) Take advantage of the 360° panoramic view and retrace your steps back to the previous junction.

(7) Go left along the path below the ridge line. Continue along this path until you reach the Col de la Pourrachière (elevation 2173).

(9) Turn left and head down the Haute Selle valley.

(10) There is a spring at the Cabane de la Selle. Continue along the track.You can cut the short loop by following the Courou stream, which has a lovely little waterfall.

(11) Pass by an area of rockfall scattered across the meadow.

(12) At the Bois des Mendas sign (alt. 1760 m), turn right towards Serre la Grange and Rouanne Haute.

(13) Leave the track on your left and continue straight ahead.

(14) Cross the Torrent du Courou and follow the track as far as the Les Paras sign.

(1) Continue straight ahead along the opposite route to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 5,269 ft - Rouanne Haute car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.14 - alt. 5,315 ft - Crossroads of the loop. Les paras (alt. 1660 m)
  3. 2 : mi 0.93 - alt. 5,994 ft - Clos des naïs crossroads (alt. 1860 m)
  4. 3 : mi 1.81 - alt. 6,585 ft - Carrefour La cabane
  5. 4 : mi 2.05 - alt. 6,680 ft - Carrefour La plaine (alt. 2040 m)
  6. 5 : mi 2.3 - alt. 6,821 ft - Abandoning the runway
  7. 6 : mi 3.16 - alt. 7,346 ft - Col de Chorges (2249m)
  8. 7 : mi 3.5 - alt. 7,621 ft - Junction. Return journey to the summit
  9. 8 : mi 3.66 - alt. 7,943 ft - Summit - Le Piolit
  10. 9 : mi 4.71 - alt. 7,113 ft - Direction Rouanne - Col de la Pourrachiére
  11. 10 : mi 5.55 - alt. 6,411 ft - Cabane de la Selle (alt. 1970 m). Rouanne Valley
  12. 11 : mi 5.92 - alt. 6,047 ft - Rockfalls
  13. 12 : mi 6.21 - alt. 5,856 ft - Bois des Mendas crossroads (alt. 1760 m)
  14. 13 : mi 6.41 - alt. 5,709 ft - Crossroads
  15. 14 : mi 6.53 - alt. 5,650 ft - Crossing the Torrent du Courou
  16. S/E : mi 7.33 - alt. 5,305 ft - Rouanne Haute car park

Notes

In high summer, take plenty of water as most of the walk is not shaded.

Water source at the Cabane de la Selle (10).

Worth a visit

Cascade de la Cluse near the Via ferrata (S/E).

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 1 review
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
GéraldL
GéraldL
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike completed in 5½ hours, including a lunch break. The landscapes follow one another, the space opens up onto the surrounding peaks, and reaching the summit of Piolit is a fitting reward for the final climb
In my opinion, this hike is classified as "difficult" solely because of the last 200 metres to climb/descend Piolit: the ascent requires considerable physical effort and the descent requires caution. The rest of the route is very easy and without any difficulty, with regular climbs but nothing too strenuous.
At the end of August, there was no snow, so we followed the official trail between points 5 and 6 (this avoids steep sections in the mountain pastures and encountering flocks of sheep).
However, there is one issue to note on the trail when leaving Piolit for point 9: do not follow the lower trail, but rather the ridge line. The GPS track cuts across the slope to rejoin the upper trail, and we had to do the same after turning back: the slope is steep and the exercise is not very pleasant.
At point 10, don't hesitate to follow the small path that winds along the stream. It's much nicer and allows you to take a refreshing break
Thank you to the creator for this wonderful outing!

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