Please note that this is a challenging route: you will be between two cliffs for about two hours, where missteps are not an option. Dry terrain is essential.
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From Saint-Pierred'Entrepont (Savoie), take the road to Saint-Même, then turn left onto the road serving the hamlets scattered across the hillside, until you reach Les Varvats, where there are a few parking spaces and a fountain.
(S/E) Take the forest path continuing south-east along the road. It climbs then continues along the hillside with some flat sections. Leave the paths on the right leading down to Saint-Même and those on the left leading directly up to Le Pinet, pass the Ruine-Bâton water catchment and reach the junction (altitude 1,280 m) with the Tracarta path (towards Habert de la Dame).
(1) Turn left to climb the Vallon de Pratcel trail, which is quite steep and winding at first, then flattens out as it reaches Pré de Pratcel, where theGR® 9 descends from the right.
(2) Continue straight ahead through the valley and at the first junction, turn left (GR® markings) to climb up the right bank towards Pas de l'Échelle, alternating between meadows and forests until you reach a rocky outcrop overlooking the path, at the foot of the corridor climbing Pas de l'Échelle.
(3) Leave the marked trail and take the path on the left that starts at the same level, passes under a rocky corbel and then begins to climb up steep grassy slopes under the Roche de Fitta cliff.
(4) The path passes a first spur and heads north, then continues to climb before levelling out and crossing several rather vertiginous cirques. A final spur (below Pointe des Clarets) allows you to change direction again, with a view of the summit of Le Pinet, just before reaching the junction with the path leading directly up to the Grotte à l'échelle (Trou de la Saignerie).
(5) Continue straight ahead along the Sangle du Pinet: the cirques on its western face are less exposed, but the path is a little less marked. Continue along the path to the end of the face when the path approaches the rocks overlooking the northern slope.
(6) From there, blue and yellow dots mark the route: turn right to climb above the first rocky outcrops, walk along a stony ledge and then, when the terrain allows, turn north again onto a higher ledge at the foot of the last rocky outcrop, which can be climbed in several places but is easier to bypass to the north to reach the summit of Le Pinet almost without using your hands.
(7) From the summit, descend via the marked path on the southern ridge. When the path branches off to the left, stay on the path which, sometimes on the western slope, sometimes on the eastern slope, follows the ridge line, crossing grassy areas and sharp limestone pavement until you reach the area of mushroom-shaped eroded rocks.
(8) Continue along the ridge path, which is less marked but increasingly easier, until you reach an area of meadows before the junction with the path that you already crossed, which climbs directly from Les Varvats, where you turn left onto the eastern slope to join the descent path, which makes a wide curve to the left.
There are several tracks: do not take the lowest one, but turn left onto one of the level paths heading north-east to reach the Doline du Pinet, a mineral formation clearly visible in the landscape.
(9) Go around this doline on the left to pass over the arch that closes it in the centre, then continue around to the right to descend southwards and rejoin the main path.
(10) Descend this path, which crosses a valley before steeper slopes descend diagonally to the right, towards the ruins of Habert St Vincent. Finish by walking along a rocky ridge under which caves have been carved out.
(11) Near the ruins, continue straight ahead to reach the bottom of the valley and climb a little opposite, making sure to stay on the meadows until you reach theGR®9coming from the Chalet de l'Alpe, recognisable by its posts marked with a red and white circle.
(12) Take this path on the right to easily cross the sharp limestone pavement closing off the plateau and reach the ridge line (old border markers) to the summit of Pas de l'Échelle.
(13) Descend the corridor of this pass via tight hairpin bends to reach the foot of the Sangle path taken on the way up.
(3) Descend via the same route you took on the way up and pass the Pré de Pratcel.
(2) Descend through the forest to the Tracarta crossroads.
(1) Reach Les Varvats via the forest track. (S/E)
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Difficult 
