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(S/E) From the car park before the bridge below the village of Les Gourniers, cross the bridge and follow the road heading north as you enter the village. Head towards the Chapelle Saint-Marcellin, which you’ll reach via a track that quickly turns into a footpath.
(1) Walk past the chapel and continue along the path towards the Cabane de Pré Antoni.
(2) Ignore the path branching off to the left on the flat section and continue north-east.
(3) After crossing the footbridge, stay on the path for a further 250 m.
(4) Then climb the slope on the left diagonally to reach the top of this slope (half grassy, half stony). Emerge above the last larch trees well to the left, or take the vague stony gully just before that leads to the foot of the rock face. Now take the chamois track which runs horizontally to the right to reach the small gap formed by the rocky outcrop.
(5) From the gap, climb to the left (easy scrambling) following the chamois tracks. Pass alongside a small felled tree trunk. Climb a few more metres vertically and veer right to reach the overhanging grassy slope that follows.
Now climb diagonally to the right to go round the rocky spur overhanging 150 metres higher up. Continue the climb straight up, 80–100 metres from the Ravin de la Dublée on your right, crossing the small rocky ridges that cut across the slope.
(6) Once past this ridge, continue up the slope above, cross the next ridge and veer gently to the right to reach, further up, the ravine further to the right which cuts through the larger ridge.
(7) Enter this ravine via a steep 2-metre section at the start (though easy), then follow it to its summit (at the level of the small rock outcrop on the ridge line to the left).
Reach the ridge line by crossing to the left.
(8) You’ll come to the bastion; follow it to the left for about thirty metres to find the easiest way to cross this first ledge, climb above it by leaning slightly to the right, and cross the second ledge from right to left. The slope soon steepens slightly; continue close to the ridge line.
To cross the next and final step, head left towards a sloping limestone slab and climb up its right-hand side, using it for support. After a few easy zigzags across the step, you’ll emerge onto the ridge 20 metres from the summit.
(9) For the descent, head to the north summit (2,919 m) then follow the east-facing ridge down to a small rock pinnacle.
(10) From there, choose the route that seems best to reach the lake below.
Do not attempt to descend directly down the face from the 2,919 m point (crumbly rock outcrops).
(11) Pass via the Col de la Reyna.
(12) Downstream from the lake, keep to the right bank of the torrent to find the start of the path (cairn).
Descend by sight: the route runs along a ledge above the torrent and never comes close to it.
(13) At the end of the small plateau (cairn), veer sharply to the left to find the passage through the large rock barrier further down. Once you reach the old Cabane de la Petite Selle, cross the flat meadow to rejoin the path at the dry stream at the far end of the meadow.
(14) 100 m further on (at the cairn), follow the path which climbs 40 m in altitude. At the next cairn, the descent begins to the left. At the 1,800-metre mark, continue straight ahead along the path to reach Les Planiers, which you passed on the way up.
(2) Continue straight ahead and, following the reverse route of the outward journey, reach Les Gourniers (S/E).
Visorando Member
Moderate 
National Park
Difficult 
