Tour of the Tête du Lac Autier

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A beautiful loop in the Gordolasque valley that takes you close to five lakes, including the superb Lac Autier and Lac Niré. There are also some beautiful waterfalls, including the vast Cascade de l'Estrech. Numerous chamois can be seen throughout the hike. A few ibex and marmots can be spotted below the Lac de la Fous dam.

Details

n°129028
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.53 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 911 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 911 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,595 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,684 m
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Photos

Chamois in the Gordolasque valley
Lake Autier
Ibex under Caïre Autier
Lake Niré

Description of the walk

(S/E) From the Pont du Countet car park, follow the track that runs along the Gordolasque on the right bank heading north.

(1) At marker 413, cross the footbridge and climb eastwards for a few metres until you reach marker 414.

(2) Take the path on the right that climbs south-east to begin the ascent into the Vallon du Lac Autier on the left bank.

(3) When you get close to the stream at the bottom of the valley, cross it, following the yellow markings towards the northeast. You will reach Lac Autier.

(4) At the lake, retrace your steps for a few dozen metres and look for cairns on the right (north). Follow the fairly obvious cairned trail that climbs above the lake. Keep heading northeast to go around the Caïre Autier on the right. The end of the trail is on stable scree and leads to a pass at the top of the Vallon de la Gordolasque facing Mont Clapier. View of the Cime du Gélas, Malédie and Chamineye and three small lakes in the valley.

(5) Go around a rocky hillock to the south to join theGR®52, which connects Gordolasque and Valmasque via the nearby Baisse du Basto. Descend to the left on theGR®52towards Lac Niré (north-west). Be careful, there is a lot of snow at the start of the season. On 28 June 2015, there was snow up to the first of the three lakes (confluence with the Vallon du Mont Chamineye).

(6) At Lac Niré, continue on the same path heading north-west until you reach marker 418.

(7) At marker 418, where the trail meets the Vallon de la Fous, take the trail on the left that climbs a few metres northwest to reach the Refuge de Nice (or Victor de Cessole).

(8) Continue along this trail to go around Lac de La Fous on its right bank.

(9) After the dam, marker 416, descend to the left towards the south-west, following the Gordolasque on the right bank.

(10) When you reach a three-way junction, take the path on the left that crosses the Gordolasque and follows it on the left bank. Pass by the amazing Mur des Italiens and the Cascade de l'Estrech. Return to the starting point by crossing the Gordolasque again.

(2) Continue straight ahead to return to the Pont du Countet car park, descending on the right bank (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,684 m - Parking - Pont du Countet
  2. 1 : km 1.21 - alt. 1,781 m - Footbridge over the - Gordolasque
  3. 2 : km 1.41 - alt. 1,834 m - Start of the Lac Autier valley
  4. 3 : km 2.36 - alt. 2,113 m - Autier Lake Valley
  5. 4 : km 2.92 - alt. 2,265 m - Lake Autier
  6. 5 : km 4.17 - alt. 2,567 m - Go around the rocky outcrop.
  7. 6 : km 5.63 - alt. 2,362 m - Lac Niré
  8. 7 : km 6.5 - alt. 2,244 m - Marked 418, on the left
  9. 8 : km 6.72 - alt. 2,224 m - Refuge de Nice
  10. 9 : km 8.02 - alt. 2,154 m - Beacon 416, fork in the road, left after the - Lac de la Fous
  11. 10 : km 9.17 - alt. 2,014 m - Three-way junction, on the left
  12. S/E : km 11.52 - alt. 1,684 m - Car park at Pont du Countet

Notes

Beware of snow at the beginning of the season!

This route passes through a protected area, which may be subject to special regulations:

Worth a visit

Lake Autier and Lake Niré.
View of the highest peaks of the Mercantour (Gélas, Malédie).
Abundant wildlife.
Numerous waterfalls.

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 57 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Espedaillac
Espedaillac

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Route already completed several times over the last 20 years. Circular route with an elevation gain of nearly 1000m over the first 4 kilometres, partly through scree above Lake Autier. Then the descent to the Niré lakes is far fromeasy for a first-timer. Be careful to follow the route. Do not attempt this hike alone. After the Niré lakes and the Nice refuge, there are no further issues. Enjoy your hike and be careful

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User 7553961
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

First of all, it's great to have these routes online. Would it be possible to make them more concise but with a few more illustrations, or did I miss the photos?
For example, I couldn't find the trail to the GR at point 5, which gave me quite a scare, as I ended up descending straight down a very unstable slope. Or even the climb to the lake, crossing from the right bank to the left bank in the Autier valley, which I always miss, even with routes from other publishers.
Finally, on the descent to the Nice refuge, I almost cut across a steep rock face instead of climbing the hill that was hiding the refuge, even though it was clearly visible from the previous point.
Otherwise, the Gordolasque is as sublime as ever, but inevitably overcrowded since it is impossible to access the sanctuary of the Madonna of Fenestre, another major starting point for hikes for the people of the Maralpine region.
Thank you again for your guidance

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User 15545052

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike. After point 5, you need to stay alert to remain on the route and rejoin the GR.

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User 5822294

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a beautiful, challenging hike. Extraordinary views and ibex galore.

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User 9356392

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Easy-to-follow route, beautiful but challenging hike, with a fairly steep climb to reach Lake Autier. Chamois, ibex and marmots come surprisingly close to hikers. We completed the hike within the allotted time, even though we are not experienced hikers, with picnic breaks and photo stops along the way.

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Pipo
Pipo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike exploring 3 lakes: lac Autier, lac Niré and lac de la fou.
At this time of year, crampons are essential after passing the Niré drop, where the descent is quite steep in icy snow towards Lake Niré, marked on the map with dotted lines.
Walk completed in 6h30

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Joey20
Joey20

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This was a classic route. A few difficulties getting to the top, but nothing insurmountable. That said, the descent is a little more complicated. We did the hike in November, so we encountered quite a bit of snow on the way down.
To be more precise, you'll be descending into a scree hidden under the snow, so it's important to be very careful to avoid injury. Poles are recommended for this type of terrain.

A magnificent hike that took us 7h30 to complete.

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RANDISA
RANDISA

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hike in the opposite direction (inspired by LAURENTGRI) after a night at the Nice refuge. The day before: Le lac long de la Gordolasque n°2258865.
Superb hike. Luckily I had the app to find the junction at point 5.

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LAURENTGRI
LAURENTGRI

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike! We did it in the opposite direction. From Lac Niré (6) to Lac Autier (5), we followed the GR, and then, as far as Lac Autier, we followed the cairns! Saw quite a few chamois between these 2 lakes!

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Barbara et Denys
Barbara et Denys

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Big descent in a sometimes unstable scree without markers.quite physical until the refuge of Nice....sinon magnificent hike where you can see ibex, chamois and marmots.

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jpderail
jpderail

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent day's hike that takes you all the way from the Gordolasque valley to the small valley with its succession of small lakes. The difference in altitude makes the walk rather challenging. There are no real difficulties and no dangerous areas. However, the scree at the summit at point 5 is relatively tedious, particularly on the descent into the valley.
The scenery is superb and there are plenty of chamois offering great encounters with the park's wildlife.
The scenery would no doubt have been even more beautiful in June when the vegetation was in full bloom.

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bebeghislaine
bebeghislaine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We had a nice hike and Lake Autier is still as beautiful as ever. We slept at the Nice refuge so that the next day we could go up to the Mont Clapier lake.

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om.jones12
om.jones12

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike with a variety of scenery.
Peaceful up to Lac Autier. Wilder and more mineral up to the pass. Descent to the Nice refuge through a scree slope. Then a good path back to the car park.
Lots of chamois, surprisingly shy... despite the crowds on a Sunday in August.
The loop took 4 hours 45 minutes, not including the break.

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Véronique Cessac
Véronique Cessac

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Magnificent hike! When I got to Lac Autier, I had trouble finding the unmarked path back to the GR. I took a dangerous, steep path, then finally followed the cairns and got back on the GR. When I reached higher ground, I noticed that there was an easier path and I'll do it again, being more careful after the lake. Don't hesitate to zoom in on the map to identify the little paths. The rest was sublime!

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ethnolog
ethnolog

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

superb hike over 2 days - many sections of path were restored after the storm - difficult to find your bearings after lac autier - many cairns everywhere give the direction to follow but they are scattered over several possible routes in the scree - beautiful path halfway up - at the pass, beautiful view to the right but the rest of the route is to the left - pass between two boulders surmounted by two cairns - descent towards the lakes on the GR52 very steep and rocky - many chamois who are not shy and superb flowers - rest of the hike without difficulty.

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.