Pic de Rochebrune

Date of your route : Sep 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We set off early at dawn to avoid rockfalls. That's why there was no one else around except for a few chamois we encountered at the Col des Portes.
We did the trail with two friends. It took us about 6½ hours. The pebbles and boulders slowed us down a bit, but it was fine.
After that, it became a bit more technical but more enjoyable.
After crossing the ledge, we climbed up to the antennas. The view from the summit was extraordinary.
This summit is not within everyone's reach, but it is still accessible.
Much easier than the Viso, anyway.

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Date of your route : Aug 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
I have just completed this hike, which I would describe as an adventure. I would advise caution due to the difficulties of the route. In my opinion, and after discussing it with people there (who seemed quite comfortable and climbed to the summit fairly quickly), the most difficult part is not the final section but the section between the Col des Portes and the breach.
It's important to get your bearings as you climb, as following the cairns isn't enough. It's easy to get lost (even with a GPX route, a slight deviation can change everything), fail to reach the breach and find yourself in a dangerous situation (which is what happened to me). I find that the description for this section lacks precision, so don't hesitate to look for other more detailed descriptions and gather reliable information.
The descent is particularly difficult on steep slopes with unstable rocks and slippery terrain. It is not easy to spot the passages visually and you can quickly encounter difficulties.
In conclusion, I would say that this is a technically interesting hike, allowing you to get started in alpine terrain, but don't underestimate the difficulties of orientation and descent. Do this with someone who knows the area or is experienced, and prepare well beforehand.

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Date of your route : Nov 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello, everyone. Superb hike with 360° views. I've done it a dozen times, always with one or more friends accompanying me. Not to be done alone. There's a good amount of rocks to navigate, then a big climb with a rope now in place at the foot of the last section. Nothing too difficult and within everyone's reach. Then follow the ledge to the right, which leads to the Rochebrune antennas. And there, in good weather, it's magical.
I note the comment that mentions a precipice of several hundred metres??? After 12 visits, I have never seen anything like it. Better not to write anything and come across as a novice than to put pen to paper and leave no doubt about it... No, I recommend this hike, despite the slightly long walk on scree. Thanks for the guidebook. Good work.

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giscardo

Here is a message from the author that I am transferring here because, due to a bug, he cannot access this section at the moment.

{{You have probably turned onto a climbing route.
In fact, it is only a few metres long and the passage on the ledge presents no difficulty.
I feel it is important to respond to this information, which does not correspond to reality and which may discourage hikers from undertaking this route, which is not technically that difficult.
The maximum difficulty encountered during the final ascent is rated at 2 max on Campto Camp, which is manageable for any hiker. Due to the altitude and the risk of falling rocks, I have nevertheless rated the difficulty as ED.}}

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giscardo

Here is a message from the author that I am transferring here because, due to a bug, he cannot access this section at the moment.

{{You have probably turned onto a climbing route.
In fact, it is only a few metres long and the passage on the ledge presents no difficulty.
I feel it is important to respond to this information, which does not correspond to reality and which may discourage hikers from undertaking this route, which is not technically that difficult.
The maximum difficulty encountered during the final ascent is rated at 2 max on Campto Camp, which is manageable for any hiker. Due to the altitude and the risk of falling rocks, I have nevertheless rated the difficulty as ED.}}

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Date of your route : Jul 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike in a magnificent setting at the Col d'Izoard.
The ascent of the Pic de Rochebrune is over scree and rocky terrain, using cairns for guidance, but it is very doable. You just need to take your time to find the landmarks.
However, I think it is important to warn hikers: at the breach, after the short climb on the rock face at the knotted rope, you then have to head to the right to walk along a ledge several metres long with handholds and footholds, but with a precipice several hundred metres below your feet... You need to be well informed, as this section is not a classic hike in my opinion, and this hike deserves to be classified as extreme for this reason.
But otherwise, I recommend it!

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Date of your route : Sep 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike to the pass. The climb to Rochebrune above the pass is exposed and sometimes poorly marked, but the view is well worth the effort... Not to be missed, even if it is a little difficult at the end.

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Date of your route : Sep 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Alone, female, of a certain age.
I think it took me eight hours in total.
It had snowed at the end of August. There was still snow on the way up to the Col des Portes, then on the final section. It was hard snow, which required care and caution.
But I loved it, the view at the summit was magnificent, clear as it often is the day after bad weather.

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Date of your route : Sep 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike with beautiful views of the Queyras peaks and Monte Viso / 7 hours in total, including a 45-minute break at the top and a 15-minute break at the cross (Col des Portes). The hike is easy up to the Col des Portes, where we witnessed rockfalls from the Pic de Rochebrune on the north face's debris cone, but the hiking route does not pass through this area, so there is no need to worry. After that, the path is a little steeper, but the cairns make the ascent easy to follow. Once at the top, it's hard to go wrong: either you go back down or you see the knotted rope on your left. I read in the comments below that it has disappeared, but that is not (any longer) the case; I used it on 18 September 2020.
The last part of the climb is more complicated, which is why the hike is classified as very difficult. It involves a bit of climbing, and a fall would be fatal, so you must not be afraid of heights. In short, it's not for everyone, but it's fantastic.

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Date of your route : Sep 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Please note that the knotted rope has disappeared. Instead, take the horizontal ledge, which is not secured.

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Date of your route : Aug 08, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Hike over scree and stones/rocks to the pass. A bit challenging, even if the scenery is very pretty. Then the climb to the peak requires good stamina and a bit of agility.

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Date of your route : Jul 27, 1987
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I did that a long time ago, twice.
A 5½-hour ascent/descent seems very short to me. The video says 9 hours, which is more realistic!
I suggest leaving very early from the Col de l'Izoard, at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m.

BEWARE of rockfalls! Especially between the breach and the summit, where it is very unstable.
I would advise against setting off if there is someone above you.

Rocks can also fall in the morning, shortly after sunrise, when the temperature rises.
Even late in the day, the traverse of the breach to the north side ledge may be icy.
A light ice axe and a small rope to reassure your partner are useful.

Be careful of storms that can come from the west, behind you, as you climb towards Portes with a sky full of stars to the east!

At the Portes pass, there is a shelter in the rock: follow the cliff to the west, on the north side.
I was stuck there for three hours during a terrible storm and a deluge of stones at 7 o'clock in the morning.

I would like to emphasise that this is not a traditional "hike" but a mountain outing with all the qualities and precautions that this requires.
The video: "This hike... is borderline mountaineering." YES!

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