Rocher de Pansaret and Tête de Gaudissard circular loop

From the CD 1075 (Col de Luz-la-Croix-Haute road), from the hamlet of La Gare de Celles on the CD 7, head towards Chichilianne. At the first junction, take the CD 7b on the right towards Richardière, then turn right again onto the CD 7c towards Trézanne. Car park to the right of the thatched-roof chapel.

(S/E) Start descending for about a hundred metres, then turn right onto the Chemin de Gaudissard heading west. The road soon becomes a stony track, then a forest track that climbs up the left bank of the Ruisseau Beaugelas before reaching its bed at a point where it flows over limestone slabs. Follow this section up to a crossroads.

(1) Turn left, cross the stream and climb a zigzagging path through the forest; it is quite steep at first but the gradient eases off until you reach a grassy clearing.
Turn sharply right to take the path that winds its way up through the Bois de Pelard. It is little-used and not very wide, but clearly marked on slopes that become increasingly steep: do not lose it. At the top of the switchbacks, the path crosses to the right (take care when passing fallen trees lying across the path) and joins a forest track from below.

(2) Follow this track to the right; it cuts across the Combe du Fau, then goes round a spur and even descends slightly to a new valley floor. Take it to the left along an old forest track and the bed of a seasonal stream, follow it up its open section, then turn sharply right to climb up the ridge—partly grassy, partly wooded—where you resume the ascent. This old track gradually veers to the left and ends at a clearing.

(3) At the end of the plateau, head up to the right, straight into the forest, towards the ridge that begins to come into view through the trees. This section is off-trail and quite steep, but a few switchbacks can be made to gain height, always heading west. You eventually reach the ridge where you come across a path coming from Gaudissard on the right.
Follow this path to the left; it runs alongside the gullies on the opposite face for a few exposed metres, then continues either along the ridge or on its right flank, which is now wooded. This ridge leads to the summit of Rocher de Pansaret, finishing with a grassy slope on the left, where the path consists of steps to climb. If you have veered into the woods to the right, you can reach the continuation of the ridge above the gullies, then return via the wooded ridge to the true summit, which is partly grassy.

(4) Descend via the ascent route, staying on the grass for a while if it is dry, then rejoining the ridge heading north-east. Pass the short exposed section again, then continue down the ridge on its right-hand side through the forest. This section is quite strenuous due to the steepness of the path, but not exposed as it is in the forest.
The slope eventually levels out and the ridge route reaches the small pass of Gaudissard, a junction where a path from Trézanne, passing through meadows and clearings, joins from the right.

(5) Continue along the now gentle ridge, which climbs briefly and runs alongside a fence. At a meadow on the right, the path turns left into the wooded slope.
To climb to the Tête de Gaudissart, leave the path, go through the gate in the fence (with a handle) and head up the meadow, first staying at the edge of the forest, then heading upwards and crossing to the right to re-enter the forest and reach the first summit (1,486 m). Turn right to follow the ridge, descend to a small pass, then climb up to the second summit (1,489 m) and continue south-east to reach the cliff edge, which offers a panoramic view.

(6) Retrace your steps, cross the small pass again and descend through the meadow until you rejoin the path. Turn sharply right to follow it, initially on level ground, then downhill along the mountainside, with a few narrow sections on steep slopes, before reaching a crossroads at the Col des Pellas.
(It is possible to stay, from the summit of the Tête de Gaudissard, on the ridge that heads north and descends towards the Col des Pellas, but this path is very steep and it is easier to descend as indicated on the normal route via the meadow).

(7) Turn sharply right to take a path that descends and then winds through a series of tight, well-defined hairpin bends, following a ridge leading to the bottom of the Ruisseau de Trézanne, where the path follows the stream bed for a while (mainly on the right bank) before crossing at a cairn to veer off to the left bank and reach a meadow.
Go through the fence and stay on the track, which runs alongside the forest at the foot of this meadow, until it joins the track leading to the Col de Papavet.

(8) Take this track downstream; it crosses the stream at a ford, joins the marked trails at Seiterat and leads back to Trézanne (D)A).

Navigation requires constant attention, as there are no markings (except at the end of the return route in the Trézanne valley), the paths are rarely used and there is even a section completely off-trail.

But the main difficulty lies in the slopes to climb or descend: in particular, the ascent from (3) is straight up the slope off-trail through the forest, and the descent between (4) and (5) is particularly gruelling due to its steepness in the forest: you’ll need to use walking poles as well as trees to steady yourself: dry ground is essential. In short, this route is not suitable for a family outing. Gaudissart remains, however, more easily accessible than Pansaret.

Most of the route is through woodland, but the final section is along a ridge and the views from the peaks are particularly sweeping: in addition to the imposing Mont Aiguille due to its proximity, the rest of the Vercors (eastern range), Dévoluy, Écrins, Taillefer and Belledonne are all part of the landscape.