Tour de la Font Sancte

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Completed from 31 July to 2 August in a clockwise direction (unlike the Visorando guide, which suggests a counterclockwise route). In my opinion, the clockwise direction is more enjoyable, particularly for the progression of the landscapes and the division of the stages.

Difficulty: demanding route, not for beginners. Three long days that are fairly similar: ~17/18 km and 1200/1300 metres of elevation gain per day. The last stage in a clockwise direction is closer to 16/17 km than 13 km as indicated in some guidebooks.

Refuges: excellent, with a warm welcome and very good meals.

Landscapes: varied and splendid, between high mountains, valleys and abundant flora and fauna.

Crowds: very few people encountered, which makes the tour even more enjoyable.

Water: we had 2 litres each + a filter bottle, which was more than enough each day thanks to the numerous water points.

In summary: a magnificent but challenging tour, recommended for hikers with a good level of endurance.

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Date of your route : Jun 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed from 13 to 15 June 2022

Day 1: Ceillac - Cabane des Chalances for the bivouac, but a lack of water forced me to change my itinerary. Allow around 8 hours, including breaks, to complete the route with a 17 kg rucksack and the weight of age (65 years old).
The climb through the forest to the Belvédère is pleasant and without any particular difficulties. Along the way, you can admire an engraved rock and, at this time of year, lily of the valley. At the Belvédère, there is a remarkable view of the Ecrins massif.
There is a short tricky section through pink granite boulders to reach the Pelouse valley. When you arrive at the Andrevez sheepfold, the stream is already dry. Climb up to the rocky ridge for a short break before tackling a difficult section through a corridor to reach the Andreveysson ridge (very steep climb, very rugged terrain. In addition to walking poles, you will need to use your hands in some places).
Descent into the Val d'Escreins where the tricky passages are secured by cables and metal steps. Arrival at the ruins of the hamlet of Haute de Rua and there a big dilemma: the Rif Bel torrent was dry and I had no water left (I usually always set off with 2 litres in my Camelbak and 1 litre of sparkling water, but that day I had only taken 1 litre instead of 2 and the bottle of water.(I had to share with my dog, and the only water sources were practically at the start of the route.) So I decided to head down to the Basse Rua refuge, which was still closed but had a tap outside where I could refill my water supply. I descended about 500 metres until I found a resurgence of the Rif Bel so I could set up camp on the left bank.
Day 2 Basse Rua – Ubaye Valley.
After a good night's rest, I reached the Val d'Escrein car park (at this precise point, you can see that the distance indicated on the signpost between Val d'Escreins and Ceillac is 17 km, whereas from Ceillac to Val d'Escreins it is 14 km? I continued along the left bank to the footbridge to cross the Rif Blanc upstream from the hamlet of Haute Rua, where the torrent flowed. (Between my bivouac site and the footbridge, earthworks had been carried out, which explains why the torrent had disappeared for nearly 800 metres). I headed towards the Col des Houerts on a well-marked trail through a forest of majestic trees before crossing the mountain pastures and then reaching a very mineralised terrain. There is a beautiful view from the Col des Houerts over the Ecrins, the Ubaye valley and the Chambeyron massif. On the way down, you can see Lake Vert on the right. The descent is on a well-marked trail with a few steep sections where I spotted a chamois, before reaching the D25, crossing it and joining the trail that runs alongside the Ubaye. After 300 m, there is a nice spot to pitch your tent and enjoy the Ubaye for a quick wash.
Day 3 and final day. Ubaye – Ceillac.
Follow the Ubaye and join the D25 at the hydroelectric plant, cross the village of La Barge (fountain for supplies where I took 3 litres as a precaution) and take the path on the left to climb to the Girardin pass. The path is very well marked, but the first spring, the Fontaine de l'Oiselet, has already dried up. Above the Girardin hut is the only spring, where you can admire the work of our ancestors who carved troughs into the rock, one below the other. After a short break, continue the climb and enjoy the panorama from the Col Girardin with a magnificent view of Lake Sainte-Anne and the Queyras. The descent to the lake is very pleasant and can be done almost at a run. On that day, there was a crowd around the lake and the chapel. Another short break before reaching Lake Miroir, where we were slightly disappointed by the wind and overcast sky. After another break, we returned to Ceillac, admiring the wood carvings of tales and legends along the way.
Despite the lack of water on the first day (forewarned is forearmed), it is an excellent hike with magnificent views and a very varied route. I highly recommend it.

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Date of your route : Aug 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

I completed part of this hike in one day.
Lightweight gear: water, rain jacket, food, torch.
Leaving from the Fond de Chaurionde car park at 9 a.m., I headed towards Lac Miroir, taking a path just before the Cime du Melezet. From the lake, I then took a shortcut via Pas du Curé/Col de la Colette Verte. I descended towards Cabane des Chalances. The next stage was Col des Houerts, descending to Ubaye, then climbing back up via GR5, Col Girardin.

This third pass was a bit tough on the legs, but the descent to finish at Lac St Anne at the end of the day was fantastic. Absolute calm and a superb setting.
Return to the car park at 10 p.m.
Only short breaks of 5-10 minutes, and running (but not only) on the descents.

For my part, I only saw one water source on this route, in the village of La Barge.

2.5 to 3 litres were enough.

First hike in Queyras. A real treat, especially on the descent from the first two passes.
Magnificent but challenging!

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Date of your route : Jul 25, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A magnificent three-day hike!

All stages are interesting, with a preference for Basse Rua > Maljasset (despite the uninteresting end on the road) and for Maljasset > Ceillac (Col Girardin, Tête de Girardin and Lac Miroir).
I did it by camping in a tent each night near the refuges (the one in Basse Rua was very quiet, while the one in Maljasset was packed).

It's a bit challenging, but it's definitely worth doing.
Highly recommended!

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Date of your route : Jul 21, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did this hike in bivouac mode and self-sufficiently. So we decided not to necessarily stop to sleep in the refuges.
Initially, we had planned to start walking at the end of the day on Wednesday. However, as we arrived in Ceillac at sunset, we postponed our departure until the following day.
After stocking up on supplies at the Thursday morning market (we also filled our water bottles at the village fountains and didn't get sick), we set off.
The climb through the forest is a bit steep at first, but the view from the Belvedere is really nice. We continued on to the Andrevez sheepfold, where we took a picture of a marmot basking in the sun on a rock (I stopped counting the marmots. Over the three days, they were absolutely everywhere). The sheepfold, while not luxurious, is perfectly adequate for spending the night, especially in bad weather.
We fill up our water bottles at the spring below and make the warm climb up to the ridge. We have a snack at the foot of the Pic d'Escreins before descending to the Basse Rua refuge, where we take a break for ice cream and check the weather forecast for the next day. We refill our water bottles, cross the ruins of the old village, and head for the Chalances hut... already occupied by other hikers. No matter, we pitch our tent not far from the stream, after the footbridge. Given the weather forecast at the refuge, we decide to get up at 5.30 a.m. to make the most of our route without the rain... But no such luck, the rain wakes us up. We wait for it to pass, then climb roughly following the stream before tackling a steep climb through the forest. I spot some ptarmigans (too far away and too fast for the camera... too bad).
The climb up the Vallon de la Sellette is really enjoyable and full of encounters. A dozen chamois, below the ridge on the left and in the scree on the right, marmots (again), and ibex. A small spring in the rocks, at the V of Vallon de la Selette on the map, between points 2449 and 2699. We continue the climb to the pass. We put down our bags, climb up, and there we are, we've reached our 3000 Barely enough time to enjoy it before the weather takes a turn for the worse, and the storm accompanies us on our descent to the Cabane des Houerts. We light the little stove, dry ourselves off, eat a hot meal; the sheepfold is really nice. We refill our water bottles at the little spring and descend towards the valley, following the stream and its waterfalls.
Tarmac is boring, and as we hadn't planned to go to the refuge at Maljasset, we take the GR5 (a variation on the route described in the guidebook), which is apparently less steep than the route from Maljasset.
Our goal was the Girardin huts, where we discover 1,600 sheep, their shepherd and his five patous. The patous are impressive, but they do their job and the shepherd keeps watch. After chatting a bit with the shepherd (who was very friendly, by the way), we squatted in the old stone sheepfold. It was equipped with a small stove and a low wall. It wasn't very clean, but it did the job nicely.
The next morning, rather than heading for the pass, we set off (almost) directly towards the observation post (we started from point 5 on the GR5 map and climbed up the sheep tracks).
On the way, I found... a ski, and as a matter of principle I don't leave any rubbish (as far as possible) behind me, so I attached it to my bag and off we went
I have to say, it certainly got people talking when we passed them! Descent to Lake Sainte Anne where the water is really very cool (especially for swimming, it's really cold). We continue through the forest, the mirror lake, then the final descent which ruined my feet
In any case, it was a great hike, the scenery was breathtaking, in short, do it, it's great.

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