Short circular loop from Laval to Les Drayères

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At the end of the world, beneath the Cerces massif, this short, family-friendly circular walk leads to the Drayères refuge via the stony track on the left bank of the Clarée, before returning along the magnificent, bucolic little path on the right bank.

Details

n°58429493
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.96 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 143 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 143 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,167 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2,021 m
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Description of the walk

Park in the Laval car park.

(S/E) Take the main track heading towards the bottom of the valley, towards the Refuge des Drayères, and you will soon reach a three-way junction.

(1) Turn right, leaving the Moutet bridge on your left, towards Lac des Béraudes: this path will be your return route. A hundred metres further on, head straight ahead, ignoring the path on the right.

(2) Ignore the path on the right leading to Lac Long, and stay on the wide stony track: ahead of you rises the Cerces massif with the Pic des Cerces and the Main de Crépin. You are on theGR® de Pays Tour du Mont Thabor, marked in yellow and red.

(3) Head straight on to reach the Refuge des Drayères.

(4) Retrace your steps.

(3) Leave the track to the right at the sign for “Laval par la rive droite”. Cross the footbridge over the Clarée, and make your way back along a small dirt track beside the stream.

(5) Pass the path leading to Lac des Béraudes on your right and head towards Pont du Moutet. Cross the bridge and rejoin the track you took at the start.

(1) Continue to the right to return to the Laval car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 2,024 m - Laval car park - Parking de Laval
  2. 1 : km 0.09 - alt. 2,029 m - Crossroads on the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 0.97 - alt. 2,095 m - Junction, straight ahead
  4. 3 : km 2.47 - alt. 2,149 m - Junction. Return to the refuge
  5. 4 : km 2.85 - alt. 2,167 m - Refuge des Drayères
  6. 5 : km 5.61 - alt. 2,025 m - At the junction, go straight on towards the - Clarée (rivière)
  7. S/E : km 5.96 - alt. 2,024 m - Laval car park - Parking de Laval

Notes

Water available at the refuge at the top of the circular route (4).
Bring a hat and sun cream; there is no shade along the route.

Worth a visit

You are passing through a Natura 2000 site; please stay on the marked route to protect the vegetation.
Please respect the peace and quiet of the area and take your rubbish away with you.

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.

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Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
clobap
clobap

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The climb is a bit tedious, but it allows you to discover the peaks. The descent along the right bank of the Clarée is more interesting because it passes close to the torrent and is a path with a few tricky spots along the edge.

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VCANET
VCANET

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little walk with superb views of the nearby peaks.

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randobrc
randobrc
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An easy walk in fine autumn weather
Head off to the right from the car park on a stony track and return to the left on a more mountainous path, though without any difficulties.
The walk along the stream on the way back is very pleasant.
The circular route takes about two hours and seems accessible even to less experienced walkers.
Take the time to admire the scenery and the majestic mountains.
We didn’t make it all the way to the refuge.

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michem
michem

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 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 to go on early in the morning.

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.