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Park at the car park at the end of the Upper Névache Valley, which is the Laval car park.
(S/E) From the roundabout at the Laval car park, head due east towards the ruins of a shepherd’s hut. Join a path that skirts a small hillock to the south and crosses the Ruisseau de Saint-Jacques, still heading east, before climbing towards the bed of the Torrent de Cula; it is clearly marked with light yellow circles. The path veers north-east, climbing through blueberry bushes. Continue along it to reach the footbridge over the Torrent de Cula.
(1) Cross the footbridge to follow a faint cairned path heading south-east on almost level ground (stay slightly above the cairns). Shortly after a slightly marshy area (IGN elevation 2262m), leave the contour line to climb diagonally up the slope, still heading south-east. If you reach rocky escarpments, do not attempt to cross them, but climb up to the left, where the grassy slope is steeper. This will take you to the wideGR®® de Pays du Tour du Mont Thabor path, marked in red and yellow.
(2) Join the path and turn right towards the south, following it to the Replate junction.
(3) At the junction, follow the direction of the signpost towards Lac du Serpent. The path climbs eastwards and soon reaches Lac Laramon.
(4) Go round Lac Laramon off-trail to the right to enjoy the reflections of the Cerces in its waters, and rejoin the main path at the northern end of the lake (IGN elevation 2385m). Set off again on the path, which climbs quite steeply eastwards to reach Lac du Serpent shortly after a flat area criss-crossed with shepherds’ walls.
(5) Also go round the lake to the right off-trail to enjoy the view; large boulders form a rocky outcrop to the south-east of the lake, and you’ll need to feel your way a bit to get over them. After crossing the lake’s tributary (the Ruisseau des Gardioles), head straight north up the slope to rejoin the main path which climbs towards the Pic du Lac Blanc. The path climbs steeply northwards and reaches a small plateau at the end of a well-rounded glacial cirque (IGN elevation 2665m, see this photo – note that it was taken from the opposite direction, from a higher vantage point).
(6) Small cairns line the often dry bed of the Ruisseau de la Gardiole, whilst the main path climbs higher up to the right, along the slope. Leave this main path to follow the cairns and the stream bed, thus reaching Lac des Gardioles.
(7) Lac des Gardioles is not named on the IGN map. Go round the lake to the right, and follow the bed of its northern tributary up to reach Lac Supérieur des Gardioles, equally unnamed on the IGN map, above the IGN elevation of 2688m.
(8) Go round the lake on the right-hand side as well (to enjoy the reflections of the Écrins range in its waters), and head due west, following the trickle of water flowing from it onto the plateau. You will thus arrive at a small lake which the IGN associates with a cross that I have never seen (if you spot this cross, please take a photo and mention it in the comments! – updated 14/10/2018: Denis has pointed out to me that the cross – see his photo – is in fact marked on the ground and can even be seen in satellite images).
(9) Go round this lake to the right and cross its outlet to descend south-south-west towards the clearly visible lake below. This last lake, the largest of the Gardioles lakes, is the Lac Inférieur des Gardioles.
(10) Stay on the eastern shore of the lake to go round it on the left (for once) and find a path that seems to lead towards a tiny pond below (visible on the IGN map near the 2552m contour line – see photo). Follow this path down south towards this small lake. The path veers south-west before reaching the small lake; continue to follow it (it sometimes disappears into the grass or scree but a few small cairns show the way), on a very gentle descent.
Reach a large boulder lying in the grass below the path (photo) just as the slope becomes a little steeper.
(11) Turn 90º to the right at this large stone, and leave the path to descend west-north-west towards theGR®® de Pays taken on the way up. If you reach rocky outcrops, do not attempt to go over them but turn sharply left to descend the slope and go round them from below.
You will thus reach theGR®® de Pays roughly at the junction you passed on the way there.
(2) Do not follow theGR®®, but continue descending south-west to take the route you took on the way up. Pass by large piles of stones (the shepherds have cleared the mountain pastures) before crossing the slightly marshy area again that precedes the cairned path leading to the footbridge over the Ruisseau de Cula. As you pass, note the shepherd’s shelter beneath a large rock.
(1) Cross the footbridge over the Ruisseau de Cula and turn left, heading south-west, to descend along the stream. This brings you to the Laval car park (S/E).
Visorando Member
Very difficult 
Difficult 
