Pic d’Escreins

Access: from Guillestre via the D902 road to Vars, turn left towards the Val d’Escreins, pass close to the Basse-Rua refuge and continue to the car park.

(S/E) At the end of the car park, cross the Rif-Bel via the wooden bridge and turn left towards the Pic d’Escreins (signposted). Cross the meadow along the nature trail towards the refuge, where you can see the ruins of Basse-Rua, then continue along the path on the right, marked in red and yellow, to reach the forest. Climb through the woodland along a very pleasant path.

(1) Leave the path leading down to the refuge on your left and continue along this track, which then becomes steeper and more rugged.

(2) Take care, but the path is well-maintained with handrails and metal steps. You’ll already start to catch some views. Continue along the path, sometimes through the woodland, sometimes out in the open on a balcony-like ledge, and cross numerous ravines to reach a junction.

(3) Carry on to the right and, after a stretch in the open, pass the Crête d’Agnès and reach the Crête de Cugulet.

(4) Carry on to the right; there’s another 80 metres of ascent or so, and you’ll reach the highest point.

(5) After taking in the magnificent 360° panorama to the full, head back down the same route to the signpost on the ridges.

(4) Head straight along the Cugulet ridge (marked with orange circles) on a relatively exposed path, climbing up to the summit of Cugulet (leaving the path you arrived on to your left). On the map, a path climbs directly to the right up the eastern side. As this seemed too exposed to me, I preferred to carry on a little further and do a round trip via the western side, climbing to the right.

(6) From the summit, head back down the path and climb up the opposite slope to the summit of Combe-Chauve, where you’ll find a cross and Notre-Dame-de-Combe-Chauve, a pink marble statue that watches over the Guillestrois and Mont-Dauphin.

(7) Head back down via a path through the woodland until you reach a forest track.

(8) At this junction, turn left, following the yellow markings, towards the Cabane de Cugulet.

(9) In this summer grazing area, you’ll be able to spot plenty of marmots. Go round the enclosure at the top and cross the meadow to rejoin an ascending path, clearly marked towards the Crêtes d’Agnès. Continue along this lovely ridge walk and return to the crossroads you passed on the way up.

(3) Head back down via the route you took on the way up to reach the car park (S/E).

Make sure you have sturdy footwear, a hat and water.
Refreshments are available at the Basse-Rua mountain refuge.

Val d’Escreins Discovery Trail
Ruins of the former summer village of Escreins, ravaged by fire in 1916 and permanently abandoned.
The chapel was restored in 1982.
A profusion of wild flowers: orchids, carnations, gentians, buttercups…
Marmots, chamois.
The statue of Notre-Dame-de-Combe-Chauve is the work of Marc Combe, a former operator of the Guillestre pink marble quarry. To install this statue at an altitude of 2,483 metres, it had to be cut into two parts, airlifted by helicopter and reassembled on site.