Tête de Cialancioun via the Upper Roure Lake

On the climb up to the Col de Vars on the D902, take the exit for Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye. After passing through the village, take the D25. Follow this road to Maljasset. Park in the designated car park on the left-hand side of the road at the entrance to the hamlet.

(S/E) From the car park, walk through Maljasset, past the chapel and the Maljasset refuge (1), then keep to the right to reach the Y-junction signposted for Maurin.

(2) Turn right towards the Cols de Mary and Marinet. Cross the Ubaye river, then follow the^{GRP® trail} to the vicinity of the Bergerie de Mary

(3) Head south-east, following the signposts for the Col de Mary and Col de Marinet. Cross the Torrent de Mary to reach the sign for the Bergerie Supérieure de Mary, which is on the opposite bank.

(4) At the signpost, turn left towards the Col de Mary.

(5) At an altitude of around 2,600 metres and 350 metres before the pass, leave the^GR®. Head up to the left towards the Tête de Cialancioun, following the faintest of gullies heading east (see video).

A gentle climb takes you to a wide, flat area where you can see a few cairns. Turn 90° to the left, following the cairns, then rejoin the path (which does not appear on the IGN map) leading to the Lac Supérieur du Roure, the round one. Follow this path to reach the Lac Supérieur du Roure from the north.

(6) Go round the southern end of the lake on the right, then climb slightly up the slope on the left bank of the Béal du Roure valley, following the cairns.
Then descend a few metres and climb back up its central section (cairns), heading east.

(7) Following the cairns, leave the valley floor and climb up the slope to the right. Make your way from cairn to cairn through the scree to reach the foot of the gully descending from the Col de Cialancoun. Via a steep climb to the south-east up this gully, reach the Pas de Cialancioun.

(8) Climb up to the right along the north-eastern ridge of the peak. Reach a first secondary summit on the ridge, then descend a few metres towards La Madone. After signing the visitors’ book, make a final short ascent up the broad ridge to reach the summit, marked by its cairn.

(9) Return in the opposite direction via the same route (S/E).

I’ve made a video that captures the atmosphere of this route well and shows the points we passed through.

What can I say about this hike?
This route is quite physically demanding due to its length and the steepness of the slope leading up to the pass. Otherwise, there are no technical difficulties. You don’t need to use your hands. It’s just walking. The ascent along the ridge isn’t exposed, provided you stay as close to the centre of the ridge as possible. The summit area can accommodate a group of walkers.

On the scree, you need to keep a close eye out for the cairns.
To save time, I strongly recommend using a smartphone for navigation with the Visorando app, which is excellent.