Le Queyron

It’s a shame, because the climb and the small peak above the Baoude hut are the most interesting parts, offering a 360° view – though it adds an extra hour to the round trip.

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Date of your route : Mar 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The final day of a week’s snowshoeing around Brunissard before the resorts closed due to coronavirus! With spring-like weather and the snow already melted further down, I decided to start the hike via the return route recommended by Visorando, arriving at the car park at 1,982 m. The trail is pleasant and offers a beautiful panorama towards Château Queyras and the Molines valley. The lunch break at point 5, just above the Queyron chalets, offers a magnificent view of the Guil valley and, in the distance, the summit of the Viso.
Return via the western path through the Bois des Vaches, with no difficulty crossing the Torrent de la Combe. On this path, at 1,860 m and then at 1,790 m, there are options to head off-course through the mountain pastures overlooking the rocky village of Villargaudin... for cautious off-trail enthusiasts.
9.6 km with an elevation gain of 453 m (avoiding the section via the Cabane de Baoude).

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Date of your route : Feb 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A slight detour led us to a lovely circular route, but be careful: there are a few sections with avalanche-prone couloirs.

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Hello, and thank you very much for your feedback on this route.
The duration and difficulty levels mentioned by contributors are highly subjective. So, as you mention, every reader can add their own personal touch.
Here, our friend Yves, who is a contributor very knowledgeable about winter hiking, describes this snowshoe hike—with a 700m elevation gain and a 10km route—as difficult. I don’t think he’s exaggerating in the slightest, as our readers are by no means all seasoned mountaineers. And this difficulty rating will obviously serve as a warning to holidaymakers wishing to tackle this route. They might even find it very difficult if, a few days beforehand, a metre of snow has fallen and they have to break trail.
As for the duration, 5 hours is perhaps a generous estimate, but then what exactly do we count as time:
- walking time only,
- or the time spent taking it easy?
You’ve rated the description as ‘Average’ and the route as ‘Very good’ – so what’s missing from this description so that, with your positive feedback, we can improve its reliability?

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Date of your route : Mar 22, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

The length and difficulty of the hike are really exaggerated (if you stick to the suggested route)
When I reached the Queyron chalets, as there wasn’t much snow, I decided to carry on (without snowshoes) towards the Col de Lauze and the Furfande refuge (2,300 m). A few easy snow sections below the pass, but after the pass, the path was well cleared right up to about 500 m before the refuge. A magnificent spot, with the added bonus of a herd of chamois.
Duration of the hike: 5 hours of actual walking plus an hour of lazing about on the terrace of the refuge (which was closed).

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Date of your route : Mar 03, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Here’s a similar snowshoe hike I did five years ago. The snow was very different! But the climb along the GR trail around the Dent de Ratier is just as pleasant as ever up to Queyron, a magnificent spot in both summer and winter. The Clot la Chalp mountain pastures are the perfect spot for a quick bite to eat whilst sitting in the snow. And the quantity and quality of the snow in the Bois aux Vaches will allow for the (slippery) treat of a direct descent down the slope towards the hamlet, about which we’ll tell you almost everything, including its legends
See here:
https://youtu.be/hhk3bS8OjJA

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