The Three Passes: Valette, Gouiran, Vallonpierre

Route on the Tour du Vieux Chaillol andGR®54trails. It takes you around the Puy de la Chaumette under the south face of the imposing Sirac.

Details

102731
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.89 km
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 10 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Very difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,525 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,528 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,662 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,474 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the last car park on the D472 after the hamlets of Les Borels and Les Gondouins.

(S/E) Opposite, take the track that leads to the Refuge de la Chaumette.

(1) Before the bridge, turn left onto theGRP® du Tour du Vieux Chaillol. Follow the right bank of the stream below, known as the Drac de Champoléon or Drac Blanc, to easily reach the Refuge de la Chaumette.

(2) Join theGR®54(Tour de l'Oisans) which descends to the right of the Cols de la Cavale and Aup Martin. Take thisGR® on the left, first heading north, then south at the Vallon de la Pierre.

(3) After a series of hairpin bends, the route turns west to reach the Col de la Vallette.

(4). Begin a short descent followed by an equally short climb to reach the Col de Gouiran.

(5) Continue north with another descent before starting another climb at a trail junction.

(6) Turn right to easily reach the third pass, Vallonpierre.

(7) Return to the previous crossroads.

(6) Turn right onto the well-markedPR® (yellow) trail. A series of hairpin bends will take you to the small Lauzons lake.

(8). Continue south-east, passing another series of hairpin bends.

(9) Return to the first crossroads.

(1) Turn right onto the path you took on the way out to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,477 m - Last car park on the D472
  2. 1 : km 0.49 - alt. 1,499 m - GRP Tour du Vieux Chaillol crossroads
  3. 2 : km 4.2 - alt. 1,798 m - Turn left onto the GR54 - Refuge du Pré de la Chaumette
  4. 3 : km 5.85 - alt. 2,072 m - Vallon de la Pierre
  5. 4 : km 8.72 - alt. 2,629 m - Col de la Vallette
  6. 5 : km 10.13 - alt. 2,601 m - Col de Gouiran
  7. 6 : km 10.98 - alt. 2,426 m - GR54/PR crossroads. On the right on the way there and back.
  8. 7 : km 11.96 - alt. 2,602 m - Col de Vallonpierre
  9. 8 : km 15.26 - alt. 2,013 m - Lac des Lauzons
  10. 9 : km 16.37 - alt. 1,729 m - PR footpaths
  11. S/E : km 17.89 - alt. 1,474 m - Last car park on the D472

Notes

Be sure to bring the right equipment, as the descent trail is relatively tricky.
This is a long hike, reserved for hikers who are used to this type of outing.

You will be 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

Tour de l'Oisans (GR®54).
Tour du Vieux Chaillol.
These two tours are long and pass through high altitudes. They are therefore snow-covered until 14 July (often later) and should only be undertaken by hikers who are used to these types of itinerant outings.
The Crupillouse lakes.
The Orcières Merlette resort.

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.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
BRUN Mireille
BRUN Mireille

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

After the Col de Vallonpierre, we opted to descend via the Col de l'Isola. Done in the last week of June, snow in Vallonpierre.

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Jérôme Vasseur
Jérôme Vasseur

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The two passes of Gouiran and La Valette form a very pretty circular route that can be completed in a day. As the GR50 also passes through here, it can get a little crowded, but that's not too much of a problem as there is plenty of space.

I would recommend starting this circular from the Isola valley. The reason: after only 15-20 minutes of walking, you arrive at a steep, ravined passage that has been cleverly constructed with wood. At the end of winter, this construction may have been somewhat buried and rendered impassable until it has been cleared. By starting with the Isola valley (very beautiful and very wild), you don't run the risk of getting stuck near the end of the route and having to retrace your steps over the two passes if the ravine is inaccessible.

When crossing the Col de La Valette, take a short detour via Puy Rivarol: this is one of the two peaks flanking the Col de La Valette (the other being Sirac). It's barely a 15-minute climb to enjoy a superb 360° panorama that would be a shame to miss.

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cardenas didier
cardenas didier

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike, with the option at Col de Vallonpierre to climb a little higher for an even more fabulous view.
Thank you for this challenging but magnificent route.

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cr147673
cr147673

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Superb hike, but I strongly advise against descending via Isora or starting the circular by climbing up via Isora.
The passage through the last ravine is very dangerous.
The storms at the beginning of the week had completely eroded the path.
We made it through anyway, but rocks kept falling one after another under our feet and tumbling down the slope below.
Quite impressive.

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supachipette1
supachipette1

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Superb hike!!!!! Magical... wonderful!
We set off from the last hamlet, Les Auberts, after Champoléon, heading for the Pré de la Chaumette refuge, Col de la Valette, Col de Gouiran and back to Les Auberts without going up to Vallonpierre.
The first part was quick and easy up to the refuge, then a fairly long climb to the first pass, but not too steep! Exceptional views!!!!! Saw a few chamois... magical!
You can climb to the top of the pass... it's worth the detour if you're not afraid of heights...
Descent via slightly slippery switchbacks in the "plain" before tackling the Col de Gouiran again.
Then a slightly steep descent to the car park... switchbacks, rocks... walking poles can help!

Total elevation gain of around 1,400 m... a little less than 20 km
It's really worth it!!!

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Aurelmouth
Aurelmouth

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike. Long climb up to the Col de la Valette!

However, I found the descent from the Col de la Valette very "dangerous"... namely, tight hairpin bends on a schist slope. No edge... Let's just say that you can't slip, otherwise it's much further down with no way to brake, I think. I admit I was quite scared during that quarter of an hour descent...

We didn't do the Col de Valonpierre because we were tired from the previous day's hike...

The descent via the Vallon d'Isora is long but can be done without any particular problems. Please note that there is a sign at the first refuge stating that this path is closed. I asked the caretaker, who told me that work was planned but had not yet begun. This concerns a 50-metre stretch of dirt at the end of the path. Do not take this route in stormy weather!

The caretaker and a hiker advised me, too late, to do the circular in the other direction, in particular to avoid the schist slope of La Valette. And to go back up the Isora valley.

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robispeed
robispeed

Good evening,
Thank you, I've made the changes!

Have a good evening

Fabien

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bernardino
bernardino ★

Hello, and thank you for your comment on this very pleasant route. But please note that the valley is called Isora, not Isola.

  • Have a nice day.

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robispeed
robispeed
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 01, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A two-day hike, with the first day passing through three mountain passes to the Vallonpierre refuge, and the next day returning to Les Auberts via the Isora valley. The scenery is magnificent, but some sections are tricky in the rain, such as the descent from the Col de la Valette and the climb up to the Col de Vallonpierre. There were lots of marmots along the route and we were greeted at the refuge by a dozen chamois.
The descent through the Isora valley is long and some passages require the use of your hands, but nothing insurmountable. In short, we had a great time!

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