The "Aulp du Seuil"

Description

Start point: car park at the "Col de Marcieu", located in the village of Saint Bernard du Touvet, in the Chartreuse massif.

Over approximately 400m take the small paved road towards Saint-Hilaire du Touvet situated 100m on the right after the pass- signs posted midway in front of the housing estate. At the end of the road, a trail heads North (gate) deeper into a wooded area; after a large loop on the left, take the path heading North on the right, cross the ski slopes and the ski lift. You get to a forest path, passing another trail and reaching screes (start of a short steep climb) topped by a fir plantation (check landmarks for the return route).

After a long walk in the South-West direction, and some twists in the forest, the path reaches a little clearing (place called "L'Alpette", altitude 1458m) which offers a breath-taking view on the vast rocky cirque where you can notice the upward path. You quickly reach the bottom of the cliff and the trail goes upward towards the cirque then climb large carved steps protected by barriers and other wooden poles for most of the path.

At the top of the cirque, a horizontal trail under a rocky canopy brings you to the Cross marking the passage, after bypassing one last mountain spur.
Take the same route back.