Les Oulles du Diable

This family-friendly loop follows the torrent to the Romanesque bridge of Les Oulles and continues with a visit to the bubbling giant's pots, the "Oulles du Diable".

Details

n°140547

Creation:
05 Aug 2015

Last update:
29 Oct 2018

Last review:
09 Aug 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 1.92 mi
Average duration: 1h 05
Difficulty: Easy
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 187 ft
Descent: - 187 ft
Highest point: 4,265 ft
Lowest point: 4,072 ft

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Ecrins, Valgaudemar, Dauphiné
City: La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar (05800)
Start/End: N 44.798353° / E 6.200321°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3437OT, 3437OTR
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Photos

Description of the walk

From La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, take the road towards the Accro-branche site, continue on and reach the hamlet of Les Portes. Cross the hamlet and reach the Fouronnière car park located 1.5 km away.

(S/E) Head to the left of the car park to find a bridge over the Tempier torrent.

(1) Just after the bridge, turn left to descend the right bank of the torrent and follow it northwards.
After 1.5 km, you will arrive at the Pont des Oulles bridge.

(2) Continue straight ahead until you reach a crossroads (not shown on the map).
Ignore the path on the right that descends to La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar and continue left along the wooden barriers.
Enjoy the majestic and impetuous gorges carved out by the stream, known as the Oulles du Diable.
Further down, take a footbridge and wooden steps to reach the other bank.
The path turns left to return to the Oulles bridge.
Leave the bridge on your left and continue along the path that climbs steeply to the right to join a track.

(3) Turn left and follow this track to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : mi 0 - alt. 4,259 ft - Fouronnière car park
1 : mi 0.04 - alt. 4,262 ft - On the left after the bridge
2 : mi 0.88 - alt. 4,088 ft - Pont des Oulles
3 : mi 1.09 - alt. 4,157 ft - Turn left onto the track
S/E : mi 1.92 - alt. 4,259 ft - Fouronnière car park

Notes

Les Oulles is dangerous. For a safe exploration, please respect the safety barriers that have been placed along the trail.

This loop can be done in addition to the Cascade de la Buffe circuit

For the return journey, you can take the same trail as on the way there from the Oulles bridge.

You are hiking in the heart of the Écrins National Park.

The Écrins massif is an exceptional area, open to all, with a rare natural, cultural and landscape heritage. To protect these treasures, the heart of the park is marked by blue, white and red flags, where regulations must be observed. Please read these regulations when preparing for your hike in order to preserve this collective asset, at https://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr.

Worth a visit

After the small hamlet of Les Portes, a few bends from La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, the waters of the torrent flow noisily under the Pont des Oulles bridge. They form whirlpools and, little by little, over thousands of years, have shaped the crystalline rock of the gorge. The furious eddies of water temporarily trapped in these rocky potholes are frightening, but despite their name, there is nothing devilish about these perfectly natural formations.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5

Based on 18 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5

Route interest
4.6 / 5

Christine G

09 Aug 2025 at 07:45 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

We didn't follow the suggested route exactly because we set off on foot from the chapel and then joined the hamlet of Les Portes (car park full). There is a closed passage at the end of the bridge on the left bank, so we continued on our way to the Fouronnière car park, then crossed back to the other bank and walked down the left bank of the pond to the chapel. The route is approximately 6.7 km long with an elevation gain of 281 metres.
There is a passage in the riverbed, so be careful if there is too much water, as you will need to see where the route goes

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User 26283173

21 Jul 2025 at 13:28 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike. Difficult to access by car due to very narrow roads, but you can take a shuttle bus from La Chapelle

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monique jacqueton

25 Nov 2024 at 18:25 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I couldn't find the way down for the return trip,
so I went back and forth on the same path

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Cathy 05

09 Sep 2024 at 17:13 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

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FORMET

21 Aug 2023 at 09:54 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Attractive bridge and beautiful potholes. Pleasantly shaded route in places.

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AudeGh

12 Jul 2021 at 23:20 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful, well-maintained and very easy walk. Well worth the detour!

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celinecouteux

04 Sep 2020 at 20:55 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Fine

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N21L14

18 Aug 2020 at 17:06 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I give the circuit an average rating because it was done at the end of the day. In fact, the prettiest part is at the bridge, where you can stop 30 metres above it. However, the circuit is nice, well shaded and you can dip your feet in the water. No difficulty.

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fremax

06 Aug 2020 at 19:27 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb walk for young children with the opportunity to take a dip in the river. It's a circular route, which is always nice as you don't have to return the same way. However, you can park near the Oulles bridge, so we did the route in the opposite direction to your description

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tmichel13000

05 Jul 2020 at 15:43 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

If you start from the hamlet of Les Portes or the car park further away, this is a very beautiful, easy walk along the river, through grassy meadows and under larch trees.
After the bridge, instead of going straight back down, you can go up to the right, pass the old village of Navette and its chapel, and continue on to the Buchardet waterfall. An easy path under the larch trees, very pleasant.
return by the same route, or on the other side of the river via a single track.

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cpistre

25 May 2020 at 13:42 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The path down was closed, so we had to go back down by road. We combined it with a visit to the Buchardet waterfall. A beautiful hike with lots of water: waterfalls and torrents

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bernardagnes

19 Aug 2019 at 10:24 7200

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

going along the right bank is great, but coming back along the left bank isn't so cool

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guybour69

17 Aug 2019 at 15:26 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A bit of trial and error at the start of the chapel, but then the discovery is unforgettable

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MAR13

22 Jul 2017 at 11:57 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant walk, passing through a flower-filled hamlet and alongside the remarkable Oulles du Diable rock formations.
An easy route that can be extended by several circuits of varying lengths.
Thank you for sharing

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Jean-pierre L1.

14 Sep 2016 at 15:05 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A magnificent little hike in light, almost tropical rain. The Oulles site is less impressive than expected, but this erosion phenomenon leaves you speechless. The same spectacle can be seen in the Destel Gorges in Ollioulles in the Var, but without water: the Destel basins.

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