The Râteau d’Aussois from Plan d’Amont

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A beautiful, accessible rocky summit offering spectacular views from the top: Mont Blanc, the Écrins, Gran Paradiso, etc.
The path is excellent and allows you to cover the elevation gain efficiently. From the Col de la Masse to the summit, the route is a little more technical, passing through a sort of large scree slope.

Details

n°38566086
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.80 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 3,763 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 3,776 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 10,269 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 6,729 ft
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Photos

Les Ecrins
Plan d’Amont
From the summit of the Râteau d’Aussois
View of the Écrins

Description of the walk

Set off from the final car park at the end of the road leading to Plan d’Amont (an easy track towards the end). The car park is situated at the foot of the Plan d’Amont dam.

(S/E) Continue along the track for a few dozen metres until you reach the top of the dam. Walk along the right bank of the dam. Gradually move away from it until you reach a crossroads at the Pont de la Sétéria.

(1) Turn left onto theGR®5, signposted in white and red. The path begins on gently sloping ground, then climbs more steeply to pass a bastion. Once past the bastion, the terrain flattens out again until you reach a four-way junction beside a stream.

(2) Leave theGR®, cross the stream and continue straight ahead. The path then climbs ever more steeply through increasingly rocky terrain. Follow the cairns carefully to reach, at the top of the steepest slopes, a large cairn marking a crossroads.

(3) Turn left onto a shortcut leading to the foot of the final ascent up the Râteau d’Aussois.
The cairns become more widely spaced, but the route – being the easiest and most obvious – is not difficult. Reach the foot of the Râteau d’Aussois.

(4) Continue leftwards to reach the northern slope of the Râteau, a sort of vast scree slope where numerous cairns indicate the direction to follow. This is the most difficult part of the walk: the cairns are not easy to spot and the passage through this scree, at over 3,000 metres, takes your breath away. One small advantage: all the rocks offer excellent grip and you can get through anywhere. So don’t worry if you’re not exactly on the track or if you miss a cairn now and then. Make your way to the ridge.

(5) Carry on to reach the summit of the Râteau d’Aussois.

(6) Turn back to return to the car park at the foot of the Plan d’Amont dam (S/E) via the same route you took on the way up.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 6,749 ft - Plan d’Amont Dam car park
  2. 1 : mi 1.13 - alt. 7,254 ft - Pont de la Sétéria
  3. 2 : mi 1.82 - alt. 7,963 ft - GR trail junction
  4. 3 : mi 2.45 - alt. 9,009 ft - Large cairn
  5. 4 : mi 2.87 - alt. 9,534 ft - Near the Col de la Masse
  6. 5 : mi 3.33 - alt. 10,256 ft - Ridge
  7. 6 : mi 3.41 - alt. 10,266 ft - Le Rateau d'Aussois
  8. S/E : mi 6.8 - alt. 6,749 ft - Plan d’Amont Dam car park

Notes

This is a long hike, 80 per cent of which is on excellent paths. Standard hiking kit is sufficient.
Just make sure you take enough water for a hike lasting around 6 hours.

Worth a visit

There are numerous mountain huts in the area: Fond d’Aussois, Dent Parrachée, Plan Sec, Orgère.

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.

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Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
Le Randonneur Masqué
Le Randonneur Masqué

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike on which we came across very few people, as it was just after the school holidays.
My colleague (aged 72) and I (aged 69) took a short detour via the Col de la Masse before tackling the final climb, but we took the shortcut on the way back.
I’ve mentioned our ages to show that it’s doable if you’re reasonably fit.
The final section is indeed a bit more technical, and the multitude of cairns doesn’t necessarily make progress any easier.
In fact, we veered slightly to the left as it seemed easier at first glance.
It turned out not to be the case, and we had to use our hands several times, but nothing impossible.
Paradoxically, the descent was much easier – as is often the case on this sort of terrain – because being higher up allows you to make out the most accessible route more clearly.
In conclusion, on the ascent, aim for the cairns furthest to your right whilst taking care not to get too close to the cliff overlooking the Orgère.
As mentioned in a previous comment, you’ll need to be in good physical shape so as not to arrive at the foot of the final challenging section feeling too drained – it’s quite energy-sapping, because as soon as you leave the track and hit the path at point 1, it gets noticeably steeper and can be quite gruelling, especially after the Plateau du Mauvais Berger.
And, of course, you need to save a bit of energy for the descent.
But the view is so stunning all along the route, right up to the spectacular summit, that it’s well worth the effort.

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JulienK.
JulienK.

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 24, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A fairly easy walk to the Col de la Masse, although some of the slopes are quite steep.
To climb up to the Râteau d’Aussois, good walking boots are essential. This section is reserved for experienced walkers, as you’ll need to find the path, which isn’t actually signposted (there are numerous cairns placed amongst the rocks), and be reasonably fit (you’ll need to climb over large boulders).
The view from the summit is breathtaking – magnificent, with a 360-degree panorama.

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Fabien C.
Fabien C.

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The route across the scree slope from the Col de la Masse is not straightforward, and there are numerous possible routes, some more taxing on the legs than others. As always, the route is clearer on the way down thanks to the bird’s-eye view. Difficulty rating: *****

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rogerjean90
rogerjean90

Splendid from start to finish.

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Renard 39
Renard 39

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The final ascent to the Râteau is on excellent rock, unlike the Dent Parrachée.

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