Malecombe Circuit via the Chapelle de Sauveterre and Sainte-Anne

Head to Gap. At the Sénateur roundabout, take the Route de Malecombe, then turn right onto the Route de la Garde. Park in the car park opposite the “Les Olivades” restaurant, on the side with the recycling bins: make sure you do not take the spaces reserved for the restaurant.

(S/E) Continue along the Route de la Garde, leaving the access road to Les Méyères on your right, and cross the bridge over the Ruisseau de Malecombe.

(1) Just after the bridge, take the path on the right which leads to the Canal du Drac. Walk to the aqueduct and join the canal on the left. Walk along the canal for about 400 m until you reach the sign for “Le Ponchet”.

(2) Turn right to climb up to the Replat, which takes you above and parallel to the Canal du Drac, passing by the Source de Touvet. There’s a lovely view of Gap and the surrounding mountains, with former meadows now overgrown with broom but which were once ideal for grazing: in the past, this spot was known as ‘the goat’s field’. Carry on straight ahead until you reach the tarmac road, then continue in the same direction to the Chapelle de Sauveterre.

(3) Turn left (due south) onto the^GR® 93 towards the Saint-André district and La Freissinouse. Cross the canal and continue straight on downhill.

(4) Leave the^GR® 93 and turn left (path marked with a cross indicating the end of^{the GR®}) towards a small private family cemetery. Nothing remains of the Sainte-Anne Chapel, although it is still shown on the IGN map. Then continue south-east, skirting the fields on the right, until you reach a junction.

(5) Turn left and head northwards along the dog kennels. Continue to the ACCA hunting lodge at La Freissinouse, in the hamlet of La Bouyère.

(6) Follow the path which crosses the Torrent de la Rousine and continues to the right towards the Château. Pass through the hamlet and carry on straight ahead until you reach the oratory.

(7) Take the small road opposite, then immediately veer slightly to the right onto the Chemin des Cytises, which runs parallel to the D994 for a good hundred metres. You’ll reach an area with several closely spaced junctions.

(8) Turn left onto the small road that climbs north-eastwards to the junction with the Chemin de la Gardette.

(9) Turn right downhill, towards Pornet. You’ll come out onto Route de la Garde.

(10) Turn left to return to the car park (S/E).

The lovely Malecombe torrent, the Canal du Drac (also known as the Canal de Gap), the flat area known as ‘le champ de la chèvre’, the Chapel of Sauveterre, the panoramic view over the Champsaur, the Dévoluy, Céüse, all the mountains around the Gapençais region, and the cemetery at the Chapel of Sainte-Anne.