Notre-Dame de la Salette: from the Col de l’Homme to the summit of the Gargas

Access by car from Corps, then pass through La Salette-Fallavaux and head up towards the sanctuary. You can start the walk from the sanctuary, but the car park is often full. We recommend starting from the Col de L’Homme, 1,200 metres before the sanctuary: there is a clearly recognisable hard-packed earth car park.
Starting from this pass will give you a good warm-up before the rather steep climb. On the way back, you’ll take a detour to the sanctuary!

(S/E) Cross the departmental road and take the Col de l’Homme path opposite: signposted “Col de l’Homme Alt. 1,670 m” – “Notre-Dame de la Salette 0h30, 1.2 km”. At the fork in the road that appears straight away, turn right, climb a short, steep slope straight away and follow the path with the cliff face on your left. The path soon turns eastwards towards the sanctuary, which is clearly visible from the start. Join the^GR®50, marked in white and red.

(1) Follow it to the right.

(2) Look out for the return path on the left and continue straight on: signpost “Notre-Dame de la Salette, alt. 1780 m” – “Col de l’Éterpat 30 mins and 1.3 km”. Turn left onto the path laid with interlocking paving stones, heading north-east, go round the site and you’ll find yourself facing the entrance to the basilica.

(3) Turn your back on the basilica and head northwards, passing close to the White Cross and then in front of the entrance to the site’s cemetery: a lovely view of the sanctuary. Go round the cemetery on the left, turn right to go over the top and reach the junction at the 1843-metre mark: the yellow markings are faint.

(4) Turn left towards the west, heading for the Col de l’Éterpat. The path, which is straightforward to follow, winds its way through the undergrowth and reaches the pass.

(5) Head left, towards the west: the face of the Gargas mountain ahead of you is a real inspiration!

(6) Take the main path, which seems to veer slightly to the right as it climbs, covering the first few metres of elevation gain. The path then winds its way up to the summit: some bends are doubled or even tripled to allow for a quicker passage; stick to the one that seems easiest to you, as the climb is long. Watch out for the very short metal stakes driven into the path to prevent erosion. Reach the summit of Gargas, where you’ll find the orientation table listing the names of the peaks in this beautiful panorama.

(7) Descend via the same route.

(6) Before reaching the Col de l’Éterpat, turn right towards the south onto a well-marked path. Continue the descent to the^GR®50.

(2) Turn right towards the west and follow the^GR®50, which takes you back to the Col de l’Homme.

(1) Leave the^GR® and turn left towards the south, heading for the Col de l’Homme. Cross the county road to return to the car park (S/E).

Water point and toilets at the Salette site.
No water along the route.
Hiking boots with crampons and walking poles are recommended.

Between (6) and (7), watch out for the iron stakes driven into the ground to stabilise the terrain. They protrude far enough from the ground to injure you, yet not far enough for you to instinctively step round them. They are sometimes connected by a mesh of wire, which you may trip over.

(7) Don’t even think about heading westwards to reach the Col d’Hurtières: this is a restricted area.

Avoid hiking around 15 August and 19 September, as the site is very busy with pilgrims.

Do visit the La Salette sanctuary, of course.

In particular, walk round the site to the east towards the Chapelle de la Rencontre (which has two beautiful stained-glass windows). Cross a simple passageway from north to south, keeping the chapel on your left. You’ll find yourself back outside. Climb to the 1803-metre mark further south, where there’s a lovely view of La Salette-Fallavaux at the foot of a very large cross.

The Canadian cemetery at La Salette-Fallavaux, following the aeroplane crash in the 1950s.

Corps and its legendary past as a Napoleonic town. Napoleon I is said to have stayed there.