Sources de l'Arc - Col des Pariottes - Refuge du Carro

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Trek completed on 11 August 2025 in the opposite direction. It took us 8 hours (delayed due to the pass crossing). It's beautiful, but difficult and long, requiring considerable off-trail experience in challenging and tricky terrain.
The climb to the Caro refuge is classic and fairly easy, but long.
From the refuge to the pass, it is much more difficult: no trail, large boulders to climb over, slabs and a few patches of snow. At the top, you cannot reach the actual pass (the lowest point on the right), but further on and a little higher up, you end up in the moraine.
(The description seems rather sketchy to me...).
On the descent, in the opposite direction, the route is difficult to find at first (lots of cairns on false trails, small rock bars that are difficult to cross alternate with easy grassy terraces: we may have made a few mistakes).
Pass near a shepherd's hut at around 2,800 m (patous), then join the Chemin des Sources de l'Arc a little lower down, keeping to the left (a few cairns and sheep tracks).
The descent on this path is quite steep and long, but it is well marked and faster than via Caro.

Do not attempt the pass in foggy weather!

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Date of your route : Jul 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

What a trip!
We took the shuttle from Bonneval to L'Ecot, then set off on our two-day hike, returning via the Balcons trail back to Bonneval.
A beautiful trail, alone in the world in a truly magical setting.
As soon as you leave the Arc springs and head towards the pass, you need to know where you are, as the cairns are not always easy to find, but it's not too difficult.
Once past the pass, the trail to the Carro refuge is not obvious. You have to find a gap to descend a few levels and reach the lakes.
After a night at the refuge, with threatening skies and no wise advice from one of the wardens we spoke to (who could have told us to wait a while), we headed straight back, getting caught in a heavy storm.
Beautiful memories with my other half.

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No, we took another path (marked with cairns) to descend and rejoin the path leading up to the springs.
Thank you for your comment.

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Hello,
Yes, it's not easy to find the right path. At point 6, "Source de l'Arc", there is a sign indicating the direction of the pass. From there, you have to go to the left to find the cairns. They are small, and if you miss them, it becomes difficult to find the path.
I went back there last year and also had trouble finding the right path.
Did you see a huge rock at the pass that can be used as a shelter or bivouac?
Have a good hike!

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Date of your route : Aug 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello, we had initially planned to do the tour as described. Everything went well until we reached the foot of the pass (between points 5 and 7), but we never saw the cairns showing us the way to the Col des Pariotes. However, we found a well-marked trail heading due west, starting at the Grand Fond stream and joining the uphill trail just above the hamlet of La Duis. It was a lovely outing, even though we didn't complete the originally planned route...
Have a good day.

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Date of your route : Jul 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike that requires a minimum level of physical fitness.
There are a few tricky sections at the top of the Col des Pariottes and on the descent to the Carro refuge.

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Date of your route : Jul 15, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

No difficulty except when descending the Col des Pariotes on the Carro refuge side due to unstable scree.
A beautiful hike in a rocky landscape.

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Date of your route : Oct 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

All alone in the middle of the mountains for this walk. The snow on the peaks may have put some people off. But the scenery was sublime. You have to search a little to find the pass, but it's safe if you follow the instructions.

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Date of your route : Oct 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It had snowed a few days earlier on the pass, but I was able to cross without any problems. It's a beautiful hike, not very busy (especially in October). I didn't see anyone at the sources of the Arc, except perhaps two people who had come from Italy (refugees?). Seven people on the descent from the Carro refuge to Ecot.
Numerous ibex below the pass, on the Arc springs side.
Beautiful autumn colours, the mountain was peaceful.

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Date of your route : Sep 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did the route in reverse. Less steep slopes on the way up to the Carro refuge. The descent on the Arc springs side is perhaps a little steeper. Be careful with your knees. The Col des Pariotes is quite difficult to cross. There are no tracks, so you have to climb following the map through scree, large boulders and large slabs. A very beautiful walk.

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Date of your route : Aug 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike; we did it in the opposite direction.
The passage at Col des Pariotes is made difficult by unstable scree...
Overall, the difficulty is increased by the lack of GR-PR markings between the Carro refuge and the Souces de l'ARC...

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