Tête de Garnesier

Good evening,

I had climbed up to the Col de Lauteret, and I couldn't find a trail, so I continued on the main path until I found a sign pointing to "Lus-Croix-Haute", and I had to turn back...
But I have no regrets, because the views from this spot of the two Garnesiers were magnificent! I quickly took out my camera to capture the moment.
I returned to Col de Lauteret and climbed a little way before finding the path that came from Pâle Contier.
For the descent, I went to the Tête des Ormans, and from there, I took a direct route to find the valley...
The classification of hikes on Visorando seems somewhat subjective to me... But in no way can this hike be described as "very difficult"...
I'm not particularly comfortable with heights, and I'm a bit prone to vertigo, but on the Tête de Garnesier, there are no paths close to the edge... I remember having no difficulty climbing to the summit. What's more, the Tête de Garnesier is not very popular; this part of the Dévoluy is not nearly as well known as other more famous peaks (Grand Ferrand, Grande Tête de l'Obiou, Pic de Bure, among others...)
The climb to Grande Autane (2,782 m), which is much more difficult than that of Tête de Garnesier due to a long passage along ridges with a poorly defined path, is also classified as "difficult"...
The hike to Lake Cédéra (in the Champoléon Valley) is described as "very difficult", even though there are no ridges or exposed passages... Essentially, it is a long distance of 20 km with a significant elevation gain (1,520 metres)... This also shows that everyone can have a different perception of the actual difficulty of a hike!

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Date of your route : Sep 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello
A magnificent hike with exceptional panoramic views of all the surrounding mountains.
During this hike, we opted for a few changes that seemed easier to us for reaching the summit:
- After point 8, there is an intersection with signs pointing to "Col de Lauteret" (straight ahead) and "Col de Plate Contier" to the right. We took the latter route, which allowed us to arrive directly at the pass.
- At the Col de Plate Contier, we took the path that branches off to the right under the Tête des Ormans.

We returned via the same route.

If I may, I think it would be better to classify this circuit as "very difficult" given the challenges of the ridge passages and after the Pas de L'Agneau, which require a certain level of comfort on this type of route. This is to prevent inexperienced hikers who are prone to vertigo from attempting such a circuit.
Thanks to the author for this hike
The DD

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Date of your route : Jun 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Superb hike starting from La Cluse... but be careful, the downloaded route takes you down from the Col de Plat Contier into a valley and back up a gully, then up a steep and uncomfortable slope to reach the Pas de l'Agneau! There's no point in doing this unless you want to exhaust yourself unnecessarily.
At the Col de Plat Contier, turn right and climb towards the Tête d'Ornans, cross the scree and continue towards the Tête de Garnesier, then return by the same route....

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Date of your route : Aug 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

For your information, it is not very useful at point 4 to go back down to reach point 5, as this lengthens the route. This route is good for people who may be apprehensive about crossing the ridge. Otherwise, at the top of the Col de Plate Contier, it is preferable to turn right and follow the ridge. After 150 metres, a cairn indicates a wide, stable path on the left that leads directly to the Pas de l'Agneau (point 5). For the return journey, via the Tête des Ormans, follow the ridge as far as possible to the end. You will see the uphill path at the end and can cut straight across the mountain pasture, which presents no difficulty.

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Personally, I never download the walks onto my phone, and I don't have a GPS.
I just print or copy the description, which is more than enough for me! And I study the route a little before setting off, noting down the main points.
So, of course, sometimes I struggle, I get lost, I add extra kilometres, but I've always managed fine, because I've been hiking since 1979 and I've acquired a certain knowledge of the mountains in general...

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Hello,
When I posted my comment, I also sent the information directly to Visorando, but they cannot change the GPS points or replace the creator's GPS point with another one.
That's why at the start of the hike there is a sign with a link asking you to switch to another GPS track.

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I don't spend my time reading descriptions when I'm walking, or watching videos, as I prefer to discover the hikes with my own eyes.
What's more, I don't regret climbing up to the Col de Lauteret at all, where I was able to enjoy a beautiful view...
And walking a good kilometre along the path leading to Lus-la-Croix-Haute Gare also allowed me to see the Têtes de Garnesier and Ormans from a different angle...
I was then able to continue my hike towards the Col de Plate Contier, finding my own way, so no worries!

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Hello JODIDO,
As you know, I always make videos to accompany my guides on the website or those of my colleagues, as my reviews include links to my videos.
Having also done this hike, I posted my review, which includes a link to the video showing our route in detail.
I clearly indicated what to do.

Here are a few sentences from the video:
"After passing through this mountain pasture area, the trail climbs gently towards the Lauteret Pass (you will see the archers' sign).
A few metres from the pass, you take a sharp right turn towards the next pass, Plate Contier.
Finally, when you reach this pass, turn right onto the embankment like the hiker (arrow pointing to the hiker, then directional sign for the head of Garnesier)."
Here is the link to the video again.
https://youtu.be/WIaieaBPmvg?si=d0mZAK8Z...

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Date of your route : Oct 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike that takes you through constantly changing landscapes.
After passing through Provençal vegetation, you find yourself crossing lush green mountain pastures.
When I reached the sign for "Les Archers", there was a sign for the Col de Plate Contier.
However, I followed the description to reach the Col de Lauteret, but from the crossroads, it was impossible to find the path despite the sign indicating the Col de Plate Contier.
I continued for fifteen minutes on the trail towards Lus-La-Croix-Haute Gare, thinking I would find a passage on the right-hand side. But as the Tête de Garnesier seemed really far away, I turned back to return to the initial crossroads. I climbed a little at random into the forest before finding a path that took me back to the one that starts at the "Les Archers" sign. So there is no point in climbing up to Col de Lauteret.
A gradual climb to reach the Col de Plate Contier, with beautiful views from this spot.
And then we tackle the toughest part of the hike, a 462-metre climb in a completely mineral environment. Once we reach Pas l'Agneau, the Tête and Roc de Garnesier come into view and it's a feast for the eyes!
We continue climbing along the ridge to finally reach the summit! Our efforts are rewarded by the beauty of the peaks that stretch out before our eyes: Pic de Bure, Grand Ferrand, the Écrins Massif and Vercors in the distance! After chatting with another hiker, I was alone for my snack break!
Descent to Pas l'Agneau, then an easy climb to reach Tête des Ormans, where the views are quite similar to those from Tête de Garnesier. I reached the bottom of Les Archers by descending the grassy slopes and small scree slopes. Back on the GR, and a gentle descent to return to La Cluse.
17 km (including the detour), 1,315 metres of elevation gain, and 8 hours in total, with a 1 hour 15 minute break.

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Date of your route : Jul 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A hike that surprised me with the diversity and beauty of the landscapes on offer. However, I followed a slightly different route.
The start of the route is very Provençal (yes, we are south-west of Dévoluy), with lavender fields and warm temperatures (we start at 1,200 metres). Gradually, the environment becomes greener. This is the second part of the route, characterised by mountain pastures, below Les Archers. At Fontaine de Lara, it is best to cut directly towards the Col de Plate Contier (follow the ski touring trail on the IGN map).
At the pass, the Tête de Garnesier reveals itself, haughty. But this is nothing compared to the arrival at the Pas de l'Agneau: Tête and Roc de Garnesier offer a fascinating mineral spectacle. And what can we say about the view from the summit, which sweeps across the entire region, from Ventoux to Grand Veymont, Les Ecrins, La Chartreuse...
On the descent, the crossing to the Tête des Ormans is a logical choice, in an atmosphere that is still rocky, but with beautiful alpine meadows a little further on.
I then headed straight down the slope, with the aim of climbing back up to the Col du Grand Vallon, towards Les Archers and Tête du Pin. A very beautiful detour, before returning to the Col de Lauteret and the end of the trail I hadn't taken in the morning.
All in all, this summit was a wonderful surprise, much less well-known than its illustrious neighbours, and well worth more than just a quick glance. And what potential for ski touring in winter...!

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Date of your route : Jul 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with superb scenery and magnificent views over the ridges. It's a shame we had to turn back just before the Tête Garnesier because of storms. We'll do it again next time.

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Date of your route : Jun 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb suggestion made yesterday after climbing the Col de l'Aiguille the day before and returning via Chauvet.
I loved it, really very nice. Bring plenty of water or Micropure tablets, as you can collect water up to 100 metres below the Col de Plate Contier.

This walk is a real treat.

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Thank you, Franck. It's not that easy to replace, but I'll put the link to your track in the description. That will indeed be simpler.

Thank you very much for this constructive exchange.

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Yes, the gap is between 4 and 5.
You can see the path that leads to point 5 on the right of the photo https://www.visorando.com/index.php?comp... the route descends 100m to the left, which makes the climb back up quite difficult.

There is another problem (but much less annoying) between (7) and (8), where again the text is correct but the route is not

At (2), the GR now passes behind the Bergerie.

I redid the route using the same waypoints (and even the same labels). Perhaps it would be easier to replace it? :
https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-/363...

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OK, is the problem only between (4) and (5)? What route change do you suggest? The same as between (4) and (5) on bouvierjr's hike? Thank you for your help.

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