Olan Mountain Hut – Clot Mountain Hut (Xavier Blanc)

de fr

A very beautiful third stage, albeit a little long, mainly at the bottom of the valley along the Séveraisse.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Tour du Valgaudemar

Details

n°124882
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.28 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,152 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 4,216 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 7,684 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,566 ft
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Combe Froide Waterfall
Crossing above the Combefroide torrent
View of La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, where you’ll need to head back down

Description of the walk

(S) From the Olan refuge, head down towards La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar via theGR®54alternative route.

(1) At the junction with the path coming directly from the Col de Colombes, stay on the path leading downwards until you reach the road (signposted – you can’t go wrong).

(2) Turn right onto the road (D48) and head towards La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar (refreshments, welcoming terraces).

(3) In the centre of the village, turn left to rejoin theGR® de Pays du Tour du Vieux Chaillol. Follow the path that runs alongside the Séveraisse. At the hamlet of Le Bourg, turn left onto the bridge, then right onto the opposite bank, and continue straight on until you reach the Refuge du Clot – Xavier Blanc (1,397 m) (E).

Waypoints

  1. S : mi 0 - alt. 7,661 ft - Refuge de l'Olan
  2. 1 : mi 1.85 - alt. 5,669 ft - Junction
  3. 2 : mi 3.53 - alt. 3,602 ft - Picnic by the water’s edge - Séveraissette (rivière)
  4. 3 : mi 3.98 - alt. 3,583 ft - Turn left to rejoin the GR
  5. E : mi 8.28 - alt. 4,583 ft - Refuge du Clot - Xavier Blanc

Notes

Accommodation at the Refuge du Clot (Xavier Blanc) (1,397 m)

(2) Just before reaching the road, there’s a spot for a picnic by the river (on the other side of the water), in the shade.

Note: it may seem odd to head back down the valley you left the day before, but there isn’t really any other option. The direct route between the Olan and the Pigeonnier via the Col du Bâton is mountaineering and not hiking.

Worth a visit

Don’t miss the Combe Froide waterfall as you pass by.
Once on the road, it’s just a five-minute detour to reach La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, where you can enjoy a well-deserved ice cream on a terrace (or something else, depending on your preference).

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.

Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 3 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 22875755

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The descent from the refuge is long, steep and very hard on the knees.
The rest of the hike follows the riverbed and does not present any particular difficulties.
On this last section, the markings are sometimes missing.

Machine-translated

luluschnaps
luluschnaps

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Rolling trail
with varied terrain
breathtaking views over the valley
passing by beautiful waterfalls

Machine-translated

hippolyte09
hippolyte09
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello. The second day of our circular walk. A very easy path, but only on the descent towards the village. Beautiful views all along the descent of the village and the peaks opposite. After passing through the village, the path follows a lovely stream through the trees before reaching the Xavier Blanc mountain refuge.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Oules du Diable, Cascade du Buchardet and Cabane de l'Aup

Visorando Member
Oulles du Diable, Cascade du Buchardet et Cabane de l'Aup
↔8.64 mi ↗+1,978 ft ↘-1,969 ft ◔5h 40 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar (Hautes-Alpes)
Very nice, accessible hike: no difficult passages, breathtaking views of the glaciers all the way, regular waterfalls, marmots, an incredible end to the hike with the Oules du Diable. Hike done on August 23, 2014, a year with a lot of water, we were lucky: waterfalls and torrents "at full throttle" and a very flowery route!

Walking Les Oulles du Diable from La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar

Visorando Member
Les Oulles du Diable depuis La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar
↔1.81 mi ↗+732 ft ↘-728 ft ◔1h 30 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar (Hautes-Alpes)
A circular loop to discover the Oulles du Diable, the result of the formidable force of nature. The climb to the hamlet of Les Portes is very steep, as is the end of the descent. However, be careful of this dangerous torrent where tragic accidents regularly occur! Please note: a few metres after the Pont du Diable, the path is closed because it has disappeared due to a landslide following bad weather. You must turn back.

Walking A 13-day grand tour of the Parc des Ecrins via the GR® 54

Visorando Member
Grand tour du Parc des Ecrins sur 13 jours par le GR® 54
↔105.16 mi ↗+37,625 ft ↘-39,075 ft ◔13 days ▲Very difficult
⚑Departure from La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar (Hautes-Alpes)
A very challenging 180 km route with 12,000 metres of elevation gain, requiring excellent physical fitness. Stages offering spectacular scenery, steep mountains, passes, wildlife, flora and colours. The most beautifulGR® route we have ever done. We completed the route in August, the ideal time to tackle the most difficult passes, which are likely to be snow-covered early in the season, such as La Muzelle, l’Aup Martin, the Pas de la Cavale, de la Valette, Vallonpierre and de La Vaurze.

Walking La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar - Refuge des Souffles

Visorando Member
La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar - Refuge des Souffles
↔6.40 mi ↗+4,393 ft ↘-1,496 ft ◔7 hrs ▲Very difficult
⚑Departure from La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar (Hautes-Alpes)
Thefirst stage begins with a variant ofthe GR® 54 and takes you to the Refuge des Souffles via the Col de Colombes, Lac Lautier and the Col des Clochettes, avoiding the route through Villar-Loubière. A challenging route with a 1,400-metre climb and steep gradients right from the start. A good way to get your legs going for thefirst stage and a good warm-up for the rest of the route. The scenery is already exceptional, promising some fabulous stages ahead.

Walking Pont des Oules du Diable and Cascade de Buchardet

Visorando Member
Pont des Oules du Diable et Cascade de Buchardet
↔4.17 mi ↗+528 ft ↘-518 ft ◔2h 25 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar (Hautes-Alpes)
Magnificent walk between the Pont des Oules du Diable and the Cascade du Buchardet waterfall.

Walking Cabane de l'Aup

Visorando Member
Cabane de l'Aup
↔7.11 mi ↗+1,565 ft ↘-1,562 ft ◔4h 40 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar (Hautes-Alpes)
A magnificent hike in the Navette valley. You are invited to discover beautiful heritage sites, bearing witness to a vibrant way of life up there in this hanging valley. And, on the way back, let yourself be surprised by the torrent as it flows through the heart of the rock.

Walking Les Oules du Diable

Visorando Member
Les Oules du Diable
↔0.75 mi ↗+69 ft ↘-69 ft ◔0h 25 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar (Hautes-Alpes)
Near La Chapelle-en-Vagaudémar, in the hamlet of Les Portes, a quick detour takes you to the Navette torrent and, beyond the Roman bridge, to the Oules du Diable with their bubbling giant's kettles.

Walking The Pétarel Lakes

Visorando Member
Les Lacs de Pétarel
↔7.22 mi ↗+2,900 ft ↘-2,871 ft ◔5h 50 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar (Hautes-Alpes)
Lakes of breathtaking beauty in a mineral setting, with magnificent views of the Valgaudemar peaks.

For more walks, use our search engine .

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