The Tour de Moutet

de fr

A wild hike between Ecrins and Dévoluy. Off-trail highlights include pastures, mouflons and a 360° view stretching from the Obiou to the Parpaillon, taking in the great massifs of the Écrins.
You’ll look down over the Chaudun cirque and its history.

Details

n°44113
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.21 mi
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 6 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Very difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 2,963 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 2,966 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 6,772 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 4,350 ft
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Photos

Panoramic view from the Sommet du Chamois
Chaudun mouflon
Le Girollet
The ridge towards Le Girolet

Description of the walk

The start is from the car park at the end of the Route Forestière de Grand Bois.

(S/E) Start by heading straight up the track that branches off to the south of the car park.
After 15 to 20 minutes, you’ll reach a plateau; from there, take the path heading south towards the foot of the ridge. Cross the scree and rejoin theGR® halfway up the slope. This will take you to the Col de Chétive.

(1) From the pass, you climb along the ridge heading south-east towards the Sommet du Chamois. When the ridge changes direction (east), leave it and traverse slightly uphill to reach, at around 2,000 m, the easy crossing point of a small ridge.
It is important to follow this route carefully on this off-trail section to avoid the dangerous gullies and scree on the western slope (La Pousterle).
Once past the ridge, all you need to do is follow the drayes (paths made by livestock) and return towards the ridge line. Follow the ridge to the summit (2,078 m) of Le Girolet.

(2) Continue along the ridge. The ridge bends before the large valley on the northern slope.

(3) You will descend along a path heading north/north-east. The path disappears into the drayes, but don’t worry – you’ll easily find it again next to the Moutet shepherd’s hut on the flat area at the bottom of the slope.
From there, follow the path downwards (a few slightly exposed sections).

(4) After some scree sections, at the edge of the forest, you’ll find a track, marked by a small cairn, which heads left towards the north; take it. It will lead you back to the starting point.
Be warned: from this point onwards, your sense of direction will be put to the test (sharpen it up, or get your wallet ready to buy your colleague a beer), as numerous logging tracks have been created. It is virtually impossible to describe the route from this point (it would turn into a novel). Heading north/north-west, you’ll come to a well-marked track running east (low) to west (high), which will take you westwards along a forest track (gravel).

(5) Follow this road; at the first junction, turn left; the road joins the (S/E).
(For those who are confident map readers, it is possible to cut across certain sections and thus shorten the return journey).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 4,534 ft - Car park on the Grand Bois Forest Road
  2. 1 : mi 1.4 - alt. 6,079 ft - Col de Chétive (1852m)
  3. 2 : mi 2.77 - alt. 6,772 ft - Le Girolet (2079m)
  4. 3 : mi 2.95 - alt. 6,667 ft - To the left: descent on the north-facing slope
  5. 4 : mi 4.87 - alt. 4,665 ft - Turn left at the edge of the forest
  6. 5 : mi 5.52 - alt. 4,642 ft - Forest track
  7. S/E : mi 7.21 - alt. 4,541 ft - Car park on the Grand Bois Forest Road

Notes

On this route, due to the off-trail sections, an IGN map is essential. Furthermore, you will need to know how to read this map.

Please note: there are no water sources on the route!

This route requires good navigation skills (orienteering) and sure-footedness for the off-trail sections. It is, however, still suitable for experienced hikers.
Don’t forget, you are the only judge of your own physical and technical ability – don’t overestimate yourself!
Don’t hesitate to turn back; this will ensure you get home in one piece and allow you to return and complete the route on a more suitable day.

After passing the Cabane du Berger, the path can take you directly to Notre Dame de Bois Vert. By leaving a vehicle there, you can avoid a “forest return” that many of you may find tedious at the end of the hike.

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

4.4 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
User 17093744

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A route starting from Notre-Dame-de-Bois-Vert
Well signposted up to Le Moutet, but after a lot of improvising to follow the route, a second car waiting at the finish in Chétive would have been appreciated
Beautiful views, total distance approx. 20 km

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Klodeko
Klodeko

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

My dog and I set off from the Col du Noyer bend (GR93) to tackle this circular route. It’s a longer route (23km) but offers lovely views from the forest ridge and takes you past two streams, including the Sainte Catherine waterfall.
At the Col de Chétive, don’t hesitate to head straight along the ridge towards the summit of Chamois.
Near point 3, we took a track hidden behind cut branches lying on the ground, which first descends straight down the slope before turning north. We headed north whenever we could and eventually rejoined the forest track. We cut across the Près La Chaup given our starting point. This meadow beneath the ridges is a splendid, secluded spot.
As for wildlife, we saw a chamois whilst climbing to the Col de Chétive, vultures above the ridges and mouflons in the shade of the rocks beneath Coste Folle. A few cows were grazing peacefully beneath the Haut Col. The view is superb.
Thanks to the author for this lovely circular shape in Champsaur.

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claudR61
claudR61

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A superb route; it was easy to follow with the guidebook, which I found to be accurate, except for the return section through the forest where it’s impossible to ‘navigate by sight’… as the guidebook predicted, I ended up wandering around before finding my way back to the car park.

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geralda
geralda

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2014
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely walk. We had a bit of trouble finding the forest track at the Col de la Chétive (don’t carry on along the GR) and at the end (but we’d been warned).

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nonolerobot
nonolerobot

This isn't a question, but some additional information.
Starting from Notre Dame de Bois Vert, head up to the Moutet hut and join the ridges.
Turn left and follow the ridges to Coste Belle (point 2001) and from there, follow a track on the left (which may be hard to see at first) but is clearly marked further on
and join the path coming from the Moutet hut, at point
1568 on the map. Follow this path to the right and return to the starting point. Please note there is a slightly tricky section, but it is safe.

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