The sangles of Fouda Blanc and Le Pinet and finally the Grotte à l'Échelle

By car: in the village of Saint-Pierre-d'Entremont, head north towards Entremont-le-Vieux, cross the Guiers Vif bridge and immediately turn right onto the D45C towards the Cirque de Saint-Même. At the first intersection, leave the D45C and turn left towards Les Varvats. In Les Varvats, during the summer months, parking spaces are scarce, so it is best to arrive early.

(S/E) From the Varvats car park (1,042 m), follow the well-marked yellow trail (south-east), which climbs steeply and then becomes hilly.

(1) At the sign (altitude 1110 m), continue straight on the trail towards Alpette de la Dame (marked yellow/red) and leave the path to Saint-Même d'en Haut on your right. The path becomes narrower and steeper.

(2) At the sign (altitude 1,280 m), ignore the path on the right towards Alpette de la Dame and take the path on the left towards Chalet de l'Alpe (yellow), which winds its way up a small rocky escarpment and joins the GR®9 (white/red) at an intersection

(3) At the "Pré de Pratcel" sign (altitude 1,450 m), ignore the path on the right towards Alpettaz and take the path opposite, crossing the clearing towards Pas de l'Échelle. After another open section, the path splits in two. Ignore the left-hand path, which goes through a barrier. Continue to the right to reach an intersection about a hundred metres before Pas de l'Échelle, at the foot of the first rocky outcrop overlooking a rock shelter, at an altitude of about 1,600 m. Photo: rock shelter,

(4) Leave the GR®9 and take a path on the left marked with a cairn and a yellow cross. Photo: Path towards the Fouda Blanc ridge, then pass the rock shelter (orange arrows). The trail continues for 1 km (west) along the edge of the slope and through coppice woodland to reach the south-western spur of Roche de Fitta, from where you can see the Fouda Blanc ridge, approximately 1.6 km long, which gradually climbs to an altitude of 1,840 m. The route becomes increasingly exposed and often very steep, but the path is wide with few negative gradients, well marked on stable, rocky ground with no landslides and rarely grassy. Nevertheless, beware of loose stones that can cause dangerous slips.

(5) You will come across the Pas de Fouda Blanc trail. Photo: Pas de Fouda Blanc, which you will take on the way back. It is marked by blue markings on the rock. Continue on the trail called Sangle du Pinet on a narrow grassy path.
The Sangle du Pinet, which is 1.6 km long and almost level, is a little less exposed, but more dangerous due to unstable earthy passages with landslides caused by runoff. Furthermore, if the grass is wet, there is a risk of slipping. It is therefore recommended that you walk this trail in dry weather, equipped with a hiking stick to help you regain your balance. When you see the summit topped with a cross, there are still five cirques to cross before you reach it. The exit corridor is just below the summit: memorise the position and morphology of the place so that you can easily find it when you approach.

(6) Just before the start of the north-east spur of Le Pinet, there is a cone of scree marked with a cairn. Photo: end of the Le Pinet ridge. Do not continue along the path that turns onto the north face.
From the cairn, follow the ascending trail (southeast) into a rocky couloir. At the top, it turns back above the ridge. Climb up to the left of the grassy slopes towards a rocky overhang. Follow the path to the left under this overhang. After a short climb to the right between the rocks, you will reach the ridge. The summit is about 20 metres to the left (north).

(7) At the summit of Le Pinet (altitude 1,867 metres), the view opens up to a magnificent panorama of the Alps. Photo: Mont Blanc seen from Le Pinet. The descent follows a path, marked by cairns, which runs along the ridge without straying too far from it, for 1.6 kilometres to the south.

(8) From the ridge, 20 m below, you can see the Sangle path in a cradle-shaped cirque with a scree slope. The Pas de la Fouda Blanc is located in the centre of this cradle. Continue for about 150 m until you reach a large, chaotic rocky area.

(9) Look carefully at the area to spot a large, flat rock formation about 2 m high, cut by faults. It is located approximately in line with the Pas de Fouda Blanc. On its north-eastern side, you will see a fault that is wider than the others. Photo: Access fault to the Pas de Fouda Blanc. Cross this winding narrow passage; at the exit, on a rock, you will see "Fouda" written in faded orange, accompanied by blue marks. Photo: Exit of the fault. The path on the right continues flat for 50 m to a stunted pine tree, where it turns 180° to the left and begins its descent diagonally into a rocky ridge.

(10) When you reach a flat area, climb down a slightly sloping chimney (grade 3) and continue the descent via a few switchbacks that cut across the path you took on the way up (5) and come to a halt further down against a small rocky outcrop.

(11) Note the cavity on the left in a recess equipped with a ladder, Photo: Grotte à L'Echelle, leading into a cave, naturally named Grotte à l'Échelle. Photo: Exit from Grotte à L'Echelle.
At the foot, take the path on the right (north) which gradually returns (south) towards the scree. Descend it, then join the woods on the left and climb down a rocky outcrop via small natural steps. Continue the descent either in the scree, which becomes narrower, or along its banks

(12). At an altitude of 1,650 metres, there is an alternative route.

• Either leave the scree on the left, following a vague level track that crosses a steep slope for 500 m, then after a hairpin bend rejoins the forest to finish the descent in a wide 180° curve, arriving at a crossroads (altitude 1,300 m)
• Or, as shown on the map, continue the descent through the scree slope, which cuts through the forest (west). When the forest closes in on the scree slope, walk along it a few dozen metres to its left, off the trail and without difficulty in a forest without undergrowth, carpeted with dead leaves. After about 400 m, you will reach a wide track (altitude 1300 m) bordered by a high, steep embankment.
• The first option is difficult to find as the path branches off into multiple paths that gradually disappear, and the steep slope slows your progress. Although the descent is off-trail, this second option has the advantage of being obvious.

(13) Take this track to the left (south-east) which climbs to an altitude of 1340 m, descends to the right, passes a hairpin bend and arrives at an intersection (altitude 1290 m). Ignore the overgrown path on the right and climb the track opposite (south-east) to reach a crossroads (altitude 1300 m).

(14) Leave the path going in the opposite direction on the right, the trail on the left coming from the first alternative at point (12) and the track opposite. Take the trail on the right going downhill (south) into the hollow of a small valley. Join the track from the start and, on the right, after 300 m, you will find Les Varvats (S/E).

It is advisable to bring a walking stick, which is useful for testing the stability of the ground from a distance and, when planted downstream, helps to balance and lighten your step. Choose a telescopic stick so that you can put it back in your rucksack when crossing rocky sections.

Route

From (S) to (4). Conventionally marked circular route.
From (4) to (7). The traverse across the straps and the climb to the summit are well marked but not signposted.
From (7) to (9). Ridge trail not marked but clearly visible.
From (9) to (12). The descent path from Pas de Fouda Blanc is not marked but is well marked with a few cairns.
Finding the fault line that leads to Pas de Fouda Blanc, as well as the entrance to the cave, requires extra attention
From (12) to (13). Descent down the scree slope and through the forest off the trail.
From (13) to (14). Obvious route on a wide, unmarked forest track.
From (14) to (E). Well-marked trail, but unmarked until the intersection with the outbound route, which leads back to the start.

(5) Alternative route: via the Pas de Fouda Blanc, if you wish to shorten the crossing, follow these blue markings and climb over a rocky step. (10). In a few minutes, you will reach the ridge at (9), which you follow (south) along a path leading to the Pas de l'échelle, then the junction at (4).

Regional vocabulary

A path running along a rocky wall is called a sangle in Chartreuse and a vire in Vercors.

To see

Take the time to enjoy the long and beautiful crossing of these two sangles as well as the view from the summit over the Alps, from Mont Blanc to Écrins via Belledonne and the Grandes Rousses. Just before the Pas de Fouda Blanc, note the curious mushroom-shaped rocks and, in the Pas, the surprising passage through a fault and the astonishing descent into the Grotte à l'Échelle.