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The route starts at the Col de la Colombière (note that parking can be a bit of a headache on busy days).
(S/E) Take the path towards the Grotte de Montarquis and Lac de Peyre.
(1) At the Chalet de la Colombière, carry on to the right towards the Grotte de Montarquis (the path on the left is the one you’ll take on the way back). After a few short ascents and descents on a route that’s a bit uneven in places, you’ll reach the ruins of Montarquis (an alpine chalet destroyed in 1962 by an avalanche).
(2) The slope then becomes noticeably steeper, and you arrive right in the middle of the Montarquis valley; you then turn right, following the foot of the cliff (be aware of the risk of rockfalls, which is not negligible).
(3) After passing by a small cave, you reach asecond cave, similar to the one at Montarquis, with a relatively wide entrance: I’d encourage you to take a few steps inside.
Continue along the path (unmarked from this point) towards the pass (unnamed, but clearly visible). Once you reach the ridge, head almost straight on towards a small summit (another unnamed spot).
(4) From here, you can enjoy the view: nearby are Pointe Dzérat and Pointe du Midi; to the north-east, the Tour du Bargy; and to the south-east, towards Pointe d’Almet and the Aravis Range. Retrace your steps back to the pass and look out for a well-marked path on the left leading downwards, which takes you to the bottom of the Combe Sauvage.
(5) Continue straight on, climbing up a barely visible track through predominantly grassy terrain. A little further up, the path suddenly veers to the left, following a moderate slope; then, not far on, turn right towards a clearly visible gully on a steep slope. At first, you skirt a scree slope on your right, then gradually the terrain becomes rockier.
You reach the Cu Déri couloir; extreme caution is required due to a real risk of rockfall in this area; whilst it is certainly possible that rocks may be dislodged by ibex or by unstable ground, I would advise you, as a starting point, to avoid dislodging any rocks beneath your feet as far as possible (and, when in a group, it is best to walk close together rather than spread out). To make the ascent up this fairly steep slope easier, I recommend taking the left-hand side of the couloir, which is less slippery and offers more stable footholds (at times, it is even better to take one or two climbing steps along the edge). Watch out for a chasm at the top of the couloir (which can be avoided by keeping to the left).
(6) You reach the pass (Porte d’Enfer): head right, climbing towards the ridge line. At a gap, continue carefully to the left along this section, which requires the use of your hands (relatively easy but slightly exposed to the drop).
(7) The summit, marked by two crosses and a cairn, is reached shortly afterwards. Depending on visibility at the time, there are stunning 360-degree views to be enjoyed: nearby, the Bargy Range; a little further away, the Aravis Range; Mont Blanc to the east; and La Tournette and Lake Geneva further to the west. The summit platform is relatively wide, but take care of the nearby cliffs , which drop sheer.
Retrace your steps back to the Porte d’Enfer.
(6) Head right into the gully, following the descent, then, at the bottom, turn right and head uphill, aiming for the foot of the cliff (beware of the potential risk of rockfalls), then the ridge line. In rocky terrain, follow the cliff along a path that is moderately visible at times.
Once you reach the ridge, follow it to the left, staying more or less close to it, along a clearly visible path, all in an exposed setting, mainly on the Cenise slope to the west.
(8) The moderately marked Pointe de Balafrasse comes into view. To reach it, turn right towards the nearby ridge line.
Carry on along the path and, not far on, you’ll come to the path leading to the Col de Balafrasse. From here, continue to the left on a gentle descent towards the lake
(9) You reach Lac de Perye, a lovely spot for a short break. You then head due east and take a path downhill; the route follows one of the many tracks, with slopes of varying steepness. After a short while, you reach the Chalet de la Colombière, which you passed on the way out.
(1) Continue to the right to return to the Col de la Colombière (S/E).
The Cu Déri sector (5) - (6) is indeed very complicated and requires a clear head. I would advise against doing it in the opposite direction. For our part, after starting on all fours, we walked along the right-hand side of the rock face for a short while before returning to the centre towards the end. On the first section, we had a few scares due to rocks slipping under our feet, so we made sure that one of us climbed while the other stayed in a safe place, and so on.
Visorando Member
Moderate 
Difficult 
Very difficult 
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