The Lanchâtra valley

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk featuring a stream swollen by the melting snow, which makes the landscape even more spectacular.
I did the hike in the opposite direction, starting from the lake (dam car park) and going via the hamlet of Lanchâtra on the way there and back. In fact, when I reached the footbridge at the usual starting point, someone who was probably working on land development or something similar blocked my path, explaining that there had been a flood and access was temporarily prohibited.
In the end, on the way back I still made it as far as the Cascade de la Pisse and the path was very passable (still a bit of water here and there but no more than 3 cm deep).
The big downside, however, was the presence of the Patou dogs. On the way there I had no trouble as the herd was far from the path, but on the way back it was a nightmare; the herd had come down close to the path, so it was impossible to get past. I had to go down below and follow the stream to get round the herd, but despite that, one of the three sheepdogs wouldn’t leave me alone for 10–15 minutes, barking the whole time. Let’s be honest, it’s still quite stressful.

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Date of your route : Sep 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely hike that takes you off the beaten track. It feels as though you’re at the end of the world.
On the way there, we went straight past the waterfall and the hamlet of Lanchâtra; it’s steep but not particularly difficult.
We spotted a few marmots in the distance as we passed by.

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Date of your route : Aug 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We followed the route as indicated: The climb between points 1 and 3 is quite tricky, particularly between 2 and 3: it is, in fact, marked as requiring caution, especially with children. Caution is advised, particularly as it had rained during the night, making certain sections tricky due to the slippery conditions.
From point 3 onwards, the route follows the valley without any difficulties;
For our part, we stopped at the Cabane de la Selle, at point 5: the presence of mountain dogs further on halted our progress.
The descent is gentle through the hamlet of Lanchâtra, before becoming steeper on a stony path, with views of the Vénéon. We passed the Pisse waterfall, which was magnificent that day (following heavy rain during the night).
A lovely hike to enjoy.

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Date of your route : Jul 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Last hike in Oisans before heading back to Avignon.
I climbed up in two hours, following the route description and taking the circular route indicated at the start.
Magnificent views of the Pic de Swan and the glaciers.
Return in 1 hour 20 minutes, including a visit to the charming hamlet of Lanchâtra.
The descent back to the car park must indeed be quite steep if you take this path from the start at Plan du Lac.
During the hike, I came across a flock of sheep accompanied by one or more Patou dogs. On the way up, no problem—the flock was higher up than the path. On the way back, some sheep were on the path, and I passed by, greeting the shepherdess. Then suddenly, a Patou came bounding up behind me and started sniffing me. I didn’t panic, and I could tell he wasn’t aggressive. He didn’t bark once, but followed me for about 500 metres. I wasn’t entirely reassured, but he eventually returned to his flock of sheep. And I was able to breathe a sigh of relief when I closed the gate of the footbridge over the Pisse stream.

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