Tour de la Viste

La Viste is a peak overlooking the Serre-Ponçon dam. Walking around it offers beautiful views of the lake, as well as the surrounding mountains (Ecrins massif, Ubaye) and the Durance valley.
Please note that this hike should only be undertaken in good weather, with no risk of storms, as it involves fording numerous streams. In addition, a short section on a very steep slope, which is actually easy, may cause discomfort for those prone to vertigo.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.45 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 902 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 899 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,549 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 801 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The starting point is at Baie des Lionnets on the D3 road between Chorges and Espinasse, shortly after the tunnel exit and before reaching the lake museum: there is an unmarked car park just after the bridge over the Rolland stream (S).

(1) South of this car park, take theGRP® trail around Lake Serre-Ponçon, marked in yellow and red. It enters the forest and climbs rapidly until it reaches a tarmac road after about 500 metres.

(2) Take this road westwards (turn right) to the village of Rousset, (3) which you cross, still following the GRP®.

At the edge of the village, the tarmac road gives way to a track which you follow, still heading west, following the yellow and red markings, until you reach the Col de Pré du Laus (1068m).

(4) Three paths lead off from this pass: leave theGRP® trail on your left, which continues towards Espinasse; leave the path marked "Vière 7Km" on your right; and take the middle path, which descends rapidly to meet the Trente Pas torrent after 1250m.

(5) Cross this stream and climb up the right bank. Shortly afterwards, admire a magnificent group of "demoiselles coiffées" (rock formations) on the right.
The track continues northwards, gradually climbing, and arrives at a first fork one kilometre after crossing the stream. Take the left-hand path. You will arrive at a second fork (signposts). Both paths lead to Vière.

(6) Take the shorter of the two paths on the right, unless the stream you have to cross immediately is large. After a steep climb, you will come out just in front of the church in the village of Vière, which no longer has any permanent inhabitants.

(7) Leave the village to the west, crossing the Claret stream, and climb up the track on the right towards the Col de la Croix des Près. After 1.5 km, you will reach the pass (1,388 m), where there are picnic areas.

(8) After the picnic areas, turn immediately right (east). Do not take the Gapian path that branches off to the right shortly afterwards, but continue straight on for 1 km until you reach a clearing with a hut, the Clot Clavary.

(9) Three paths lead off from Clot de Clavery to the east: take the one furthest to the right (signposted "chemin de la procession" and marked with yellow and red markers), as this is where you will find theGRP® trail around the lake, which you will now follow until you return to your starting point.

This path climbs steeply to the ridge, which we will follow for 1.5 km, enjoying beautiful views of the path we have just walked, Chorges and the mountains above it (Piolit, Aiguilles de Chabrières) and Lake Serre Ponçon. You will reach a viewpoint with orientation tables. From there, the path descends. Follow the yellow and red markings closely to reach a clearing under a high-voltage power line, the Clot Charmentier. Continue to follow the yellow and red markings until you almost reach the D3.

(10) Do not take the D3, but climb up to the right along a wide track towards a small pass (1115 m). There are beautiful views to the west over the colourful ravines carved into the marl. Leave a track on your left and continue south along a narrow path signposted "Rocher Chabrand et saut de Rolland".

(11) After 500 m of fairly level trail, leave the Chabrand rock trail, which continues straight ahead, and turn right towards the Rolland waterfall via a winding trail on a steep, bare slope, following the yellow and red markings. At the bottom of the trail, turn right and you will soon reach the Rolland waterfall, an impressive waterfall in a canyon.

(12) Cross the torrent upstream and continue to follow the yellow and red markings on the right bank. After crossing several tributary torrents, you will finally arrive at the starting point (E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 801 m - There is an unmarked car park after the bridge over the stream.
  2. 1 : km 0.14 - alt. 812 m - Head south from the car park - View of the - Lac de Serre-Ponçon
  3. 2 : km 0.6 - alt. 882 m - Turn right onto the tarmac road.
  4. 3 : km 2.49 - alt. 1,023 m - Rousset
  5. 4 : km 3.41 - alt. 1,066 m - Col de Pré du Laus
  6. 5 : km 4.9 - alt. 980 m - Cross the Trente Pas stream.
  7. 6 : km 5.8 - alt. 1,054 m - Take the shorter of the two paths on the right.
  8. 7 : km 6.76 - alt. 1,189 m - Leave the village via the O, cross the stream
  9. 8 : km 8.94 - alt. 1,390 m - Col de la Croix des Près
  10. 9 : km 10.17 - alt. 1,433 m - Clot de Clavery - Take the rightmost path.
  11. 10 : km 13.59 - alt. 1,242 m - Climb up to the right of the D3 along a wide track.
  12. 11 : km 15.28 - alt. 1,060 m - Leave the Chab rock trail on the right.
  13. 12 : km 16.81 - alt. 879 m - Le Saut de Rolland (Rousset)
  14. S/E : km 18.45 - alt. 804 m - Car park at the starting point

Notes

Walking poles are useful, especially for the descent to the Rolland waterfall.

Worth a visit

Close to the starting point, you can visit the interesting Serre-Ponçon Dam museum.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
Oce5
Oce5

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike that I decided to split into two parts, camping halfway through.
I read the other comments, but personally I think the circular should be done in the direction indicated. Personally, I prefer to start with the least attractive part and finish on a high note 🤩. Note that the route is poorly marked on the app from point 10 onwards. Do not follow the red trail on the app, but rather the GRP yellow and red trail. This meant I had to walk an extra 2 km 🤣. Be careful, the river crossing at the end is a bit tricky to find, as there has been quite a lot of runoff, making the trail markings no longer visible. There is a lovely cabin at the end of the circular route that is not mentioned, but I recommend stopping there for a snack with a view of the lake and nice tables outside. 🥰 Thank you for this hike, I loved it.

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LeandThib
LeandThib

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hike completed in early August 2022. The first part of the route to the viewpoint is not particularly interesting (lots of tarmac, forest path exposed to full sun, etc.). From the viewpoint, there are some beautiful views and a challenging descent at the Rolland waterfall. We did not follow the Visorando route from the viewpoint but took the GRP trail instead due to several inconsistencies.
Please note that this hike should be avoided in summer as it is mostly exposed to the sun.
Thank you for sharing this hike.

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OULD HOCINE
OULD HOCINE

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

very beautiful route
magnificent views
interesting elevation (you need to be fit)

Thanks to whoever mapped out this route.
(hike completed without GPS, which may explain the "Good" rating for reliability of the route description)

Anne Lise and Olivier.

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jolo07
jolo07

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The route is done in reverse, so the descent is easy on the knees!
Medium difficulty, good signposting.

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pierrecroi
pierrecroi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

At the start of the hike, avoid following secondary ravines. Although this allowed us to see two chamois, who were quite surprised to see bipeds! When you zoom in as far as possible on the map, you can avoid these mistakes; it is best to print out this area, especially before the Rolland jump.

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claudeRdR
claudeRdR

Thank you, Daubram05, for this lovely route, which is much shorter than the one I suggested, but allows you to see the essentials. And it's a good idea to do it when the lake is very low, as it is at the moment. I'm going to go there!

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daubram05
daubram05

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 26, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Here is a slightly different route that passes by Rolland's jump, starting from Les Hyvans.
Superb views of the lake at low level.
See this video with GPS coordinates at the end of the film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BfngJiZ...

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bibi
bibi ★

Thank you for your comment. Did you encounter any problems with orientation due to the description or the map layout?
Kind regards

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xav05
xav05

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

An interesting hike. The start along the road is a bit long and the forest paths are a bit dreary. The second part, starting from the cross in the meadows, is much more pleasant, but the pleasure of the magnificent landscape is still there. Thank you for the walk.

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PASCALOU27
PASCALOU27

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike, which deserves to be classified as moderately difficult rather than easy. Indeed, a few climbs, as well as the final descent over scree, but also the length of this hike, warrant this upgrade.
When you arrive in Viére, be sure to descend to the left about a hundred metres after the church to cross the Claret stream and take the uphill track on the right.
The view of Lake Serre-Ponçon and its dam is magnificent when you are on the ridge and during the descent.
I'm not sure if it's easier to do the hike in the opposite direction, as the climb up the scree and through the undergrowth is arduous.

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maomax
maomax

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did the route backwards, and I think it's much safer and easier for those with knee problems, as the steep slope with loose rocks is easier to climb uphill.
The signposting in this direction is very good. It took us 6 hours. The description is very reliable.

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pel
pel

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

- Given the length and the somewhat dizzying scree slope towards the end, this hike should not be classified as "easy". It is not suitable for children.
- At the start, between points 1 and 2, be careful: the correct path branches off slightly to the right after the first marker (it is not the widest path!).
- At point 4, follow the directions in the commentary, which do not correspond to the route shown on the phone screen (Visorando app) in GPS mode.
- At point 7, leave the village to the west, descending to the left.
- After point 8, to reach the Clot Clavary wooden hut, the path is not exactly straight but follows a large cultivated field on the right.
This is a beautiful hike to do in spring, before it gets too hot!

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marlotte05
marlotte05
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 04, 2014
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I did this tour backwards and, honestly, I'm not disappointed! I think that, on the one hand, the markings are easier to follow (red and yellow markings + numerous signposts) and, on the other hand, the hike is much more beautiful and enjoyable. The hike starts on an easy track, then a path through the marl (certainly easier going uphill than downhill) and then a parish specific to Brittany route along multiple shaded paths!
The tour ends in the village of Rousset.
All this with multiple panoramic views of the magnificent Serre Ponçon lake!

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jodeman
jodeman

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2013
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very nice hike, but be careful, there are two main points that need to be changed in my opinion:
Firstly, and most importantly, after the thirty-step stream, turn right at the second fork and not at the first one you come to, as we did. We wasted about three hours trying to find Vière on this path, except that we weren't on it at all. We turned back to take the longer route and realised there was a second fork. At this second fork, there are signs for Vière 2.8 km to the left and Vière 1.1 km to the right. We turned right. It's a steep climb up a narrow path.
Secondly, we're just getting back into shape after several years of inactivity, significant weight gain and heavy smoking... Everything you could want. So we chose this route because it was marked as easy. For all beginners, do as we did, plan for two days and take it easy. You can sleep at Clos Clavary, in the cabin. We actually put our tent inside...
Otherwise, it's a superb hike with plenty to see...
To make sure you don't get lost, even though the route is very well marked, follow and don't stray from the mountain bike trail to Clos Charmentier, where the paths separate, as it is much more visible. Up to that point, it is exactly the same route.
Do not go when it is snowing or raining heavily!!!!! There are many torrents with beds that show that they can be dangerous in case of rain on the route!!!!
With a lot of luck, you may see wolves, lynxes, birds of prey, etc. We were lucky enough to see a golden eagle flying overhead at the Thirty Steps Torrent, but we didn't have time to take a photo...
Respect nature!
Spring water is available in Vière.

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