Tête du Puy via L'Oriol Sainte-Marguerite

Access: From L’Argentière-la-Bessée, head up the N94 towards Briançon. Pass the Whymper statue and the two hairpin bends, then on the climb, 900 m further on, turn sharply right and take the small road towards Sainte-Marguerite. At the end of the village, take the stony track and park on the right-hand side of the hairpin bend at an altitude of 1,487 m (small parking area for two vehicles). Ideally, you should have a high-clearance vehicle such as a crossover, but we have seen standard cars make the climb.

(S/E) From the hairpin bend, head south along the track for 500 m.

(1) Turn 90° to the left and head up the very steep path towards the east. Please note, this junction is unmarked. After a steep climb through a dense larch forest, our path opens out onto a track. This leads to the Oriol de Sainte-Marguerite, but to get there we will need to take small paths at times.

(2) Follow the lane to the right for about a hundred metres.

(3) Leave the lane and take the small path on the left instead. This path is more enjoyable and marked by cairns, allowing you to cut across the bends in the lane. Follow this small path to the last junction before the hamlet (elevation 1904m).

(4) Instead, head up the lane to L’Oriol Sainte-Marguerite. Alternatively, a small marked path leading to the oratory also takes you to the hamlet, though it is a little longer. Walk through the hamlet, past the refuge, then to the charming carved wooden trough.

(5) Head north-east up through the pastures towards the last dilapidated chalet. Immediately after passing it, you’ll reach a Y-junction not shown on the IGN map. Take the path climbing to the right. This path is difficult to follow and sometimes disappears into the grassy slopes. After crossing east-southeast (azimuth 106°), the path climbs steeply southeast (azimuth 137°). It then passes between two distinctive rocks and emerges into a meadow.

(6) Cross the meadow southwards for about a hundred metres, then head up the slope to the south-east. The path, which becomes clearly visible, heads south-west, then south, and finally south-south-west, passing to the left of a rocky outcrop on the steep ascent leading to the Crête des Queyrelets.

(7) Climb up a steep section towards the west, then continue along the ridge in the same direction. The well-marked path descends towards a small pass then resumes its ascent, traversing beneath the right flank of the rocky bastions. Cross a pile of boulders for about fifty metres, following the cairns closely, then rejoin the ridge line. Via a final north-westerly ascent up the grassy slope of the peak, reach the summit of the Tête du Puy.

(8) From the summit, return in the opposite direction via the same route to the car park (S/E).

I’ve made a video with the names of the peaks, showing the route and the atmosphere of the walk.

Due to the steepness of its slopes, this route requires stamina.

The paths are lost in the grass in places, making it difficult to find your way.
As with any route, you’ll need to bring a map and compass, but I also recommend using GPS or a smartphone for navigation.
Don’t forget to download the track and the digital map.
The Visorando app on your mobile is perfect for this.

For those using Basecamp, please note that the small path leading south-east from the two rocks no longer exists on the ground. Instead, there is a path through the meadow.
You can take a flask and top up your water supplies at the Refuge de l'Oriol.