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To get to the start, from Lus-la-Croix-Haute, follow the D505 towards La Jarjatte. Continue up the valley to the car park located just after the hamlet of Les Granges des Forêts.
(S/E) From the car park, follow the wide path heading east towards the bottom of the Vallon du Buëch, with the Rocher Rond in your sights. You will come to a wooden bridge over the Buëch: do not cross it, but turn left onto a steep path climbing north towards the Cabane du Fleyrard (signposted) along a torrent. This path joins the track leading to the hut.
(1) At this point, turn left onto this path (west) to quickly reach a hairpin bend and head east again. After two more hairpin bends, the path arrives at a crossroads at the Torrent du Lauzon.
(2) Do not follow the road to the Cabane du Fleyrard, as shepherds also value their privacy. Instead, take the marked trail towards Lac du Lauzon, which first climbs eastwards before joining a ridge rising straight north towards the lake.
(3) The path quickly turns into a well-marked trail that passes through small rocky steps before reaching the lake.
Go around the lake via its north-eastern shore, then take a path on the right that joins theGR® du Tour du Dévoluy.
(4) At the junction with theGR®, turn right to follow the well-marked red and white trail leading to the Col de Charnier (northeast). You will reach the pass after a few small switchbacks through some limestone rocks.
(5) At the pass, follow the path closest to the Lauzon ridge on the left to enjoy the view of the lake. This path heads due west and disappears fairly quickly. You can either follow the ridge all the way or head closer to the bottom of Vallon Pierra, then turn south through the blueberry bushes and rhododendrons to return to the ridge a little east of the summit of Tête du Lauzon. Follow this ridge to the right until you reach the summit.
(6) From the Tête du Lauzon, continue along the ridge that borders the cirque forming the bottom of the Vallon Pierra, first westwards then northwards to pass the IGN 2316m and 2302m peaks, which offer beautiful views of Tréminis.
Stay on the ridge to return eastwards and climb the limestone slabs that lead to the Tête de Vallon Pierra.
(7) From the Tête de Vallon Pierra, retrace your steps in the opposite direction, then cut across the scree towards the bottom of the Vallon Pierra as soon as the slope allows for a comfortable descent. This will take you back to the path you took at the start of the climb. Continue along this path due east to the Col de Charnier.
(5) At the pass, retrace your steps in the opposite direction.
(4) Do not turn left; stay on theGR® to avoid descending to the lake. TheGR® climbs westwards into a small valley below the Tête du Lauzon. You can follow the ridge to your right off the path to enjoy the view of the Buëch valley. At around 2,020 m, you pass a small pass and theGR® continues to descend westwards to reach a ridge where it turns left in hairpin bends towards the Col des Aurias.
(8) A few metres above the pass, turn right to descend a series of switchbacks, heading generally north-west to reach the edge of the Forêt du Nel. The well-marked trail remains in the mountain pastures until the Col de la Croix, still heading west.
(9) At Col de la Croix, take the path on the left descending southwards (signposted for Cabane du Fleyrard). Stay on this path to descend along the stream (do not turn left to follow the various paths leading to the Cabane du Fleyrard). When the slope levels out, the path turns into a track and veers south-west, joining the tarmac road shortly before reaching the Granges des Forêts.
(10) Turn left onto this tarmac road and follow it gently uphill to the starting point (S/E).
Visorando member
Very difficult 
Moderate 
Extremely difficult 
