Trek around Chambeyron Mountain Range (3) Refuge du Chambeyron - Maljasset

fr

The most demanding stage of the hike during which you'll go through at least 4 passes at over 2700 metres in altitude. Beautiful scenery all along the way! The "Lacs Marinet" offer the opportunity for refreshments before the final descent.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Trek around Chambeyron Mountain Range

Technical sheet

n°105334
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:

Caution, this route is Very difficult

This route requires a long and/or intense effort, either because of the difference in altitude or the distance involved, or both. In certain situations, there is also the possibility of technical and aerial sections.

  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.13 km
  • ◔
    Duration according to author: 8 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Very difficult
  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: No
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 748 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 1,452 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,937 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,908 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Lac est du Marinet: the biggest/Beautifully blue!
The (lower) Marinet lakes.
Colle de Ciaslaras

Description of the walk

Starting from Refuge du Chambeyron.

(S) Head north on the GRP "Tour du Chambeyron".

(1) At high point 2628, head off to the right, up towards Lac Long. Go around the left-hand side of the lake. Then take a right keeping to the foot of the debris cones. Head east until you get to Lac des Neuf Couleurs.

(2) Next take a sharp right turn (south) and head up a steep and windy trail. At the end of the bends, reach Col de la Gypière from the side, to the east.

(3) Cross over to the southern slope of the pass and head strait downhill. As the slope gets smoother, head left towards Bivouac Barenghi.

(4) Keep heading south within a mineral landscape. Go around a rocky ridge, circling around to the left hand side. Head north-east, going through a grassy area and reaching Colle dell' Infernetto.

(5) At Colle dell' Infernetto, locate what seems to be a wall from afar to the north: that's the climb to Colle di Ciaslaras, the next passage point of this stage... In the meantime, start heading down the Colle dell' Infernetto: it's a narrow trail, with lots of bends and handrails to help you through the tricky parts. You'll reach a grassy area which is just about level. Keep heading north. At the change of gradient, the climb to the pass is carried out on scree.

(6) Keep going north and head downhill on scree. Turn right (north-west) reaching Col de Marinet.

(7) Head north on a trail outlined on the slope directly below a ridge to the right-hand side (La Roche Noire on the IGN map). Get to the southern end of the largest of the Lacs de Marinet.

(8) Go around the left-hand side of the lake and go along the right bank of the smallest lake. Keep heading north then turn right to cross the lake's glacial rock bar on the way down. Head east regaining the GRP "Tour du Chambeyron" and "Tour du Bric de Rubren" trail.

(9) Take the trail to the left. Head down towards a landscape with lawns. Go past Bergerie de Mary. You'll notice some renowned climbing schools on the slope opposite the small valley (to the left-hand side). You'll reach a wooded area where the trail gets a bit windy. Once you're out of the wooded area you'll reach Ubaye River.

(10) Cross Ubaye River and take the path to the left (west) leading up towards the church. Keep heading west, quickly reaching efuge de Maljasset.

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 2,616 m - Refuge du Chambeyron
  2. 1 : km 0.25 - alt. 2,628 m - Junction to Lac Long
  3. 2 : km 1.14 - alt. 2,786 m - Lac Long (Mercantour)
  4. 3 : km 2.55 - alt. 2,845 m - Lac des Neuf Couleurs
  5. 4 : km 3.17 - alt. 2,925 m - Col de la Gypière
  6. 5 : km 4.13 - alt. 2,829 m - Bivouac Barenghi
  7. 6 : km 6.2 - alt. 2,708 m - Colle dell' Infernetto
  8. 7 : km 8.27 - alt. 2,937 m - Colle di Ciaslaras
  9. 8 : km 9.09 - alt. 2,787 m - Col de Marinet
  10. 9 : km 10.63 - alt. 2,540 m - Lakes of Marinet - Bivouac du Marinet
  11. 10 : km 12.34 - alt. 2,369 m - Connection with GRP - Bergerie Supérieure du Marinet
  12. 11 : km 13.37 - alt. 2,268 m - Bergerie Inférieure de Mary
  13. 12 : km 16.36 - alt. 1,911 m - Footbridge over the Ubaye
  14. E : km 17.13 - alt. 1,908 m - Refuge de Maljasset

Practical information

Refuge du Chambeyron: shelter open from April to September. Phone. : 04 92 84 33 83.
In Maljasset: shelter run by the C.A.F (French family allowance fund), open from June to November, catering. Phone 04 92 84 34 04.
No drinking water sources during the trek apart from at the shelters so bring water supplies with you.
It's a long stage so best not be cut off guard by bad weather along the way: don't hesitate to leave very early morning.
1/25000 scale map is a must. A compass wouldn't hurt...

In the nearby area

An outstanding high mountain setting.
Lac des Neuf Couleurs. Lacs de Marinet (possibility to swim in the summer).

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 2 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
Cedeka
Cedeka

Good evening,
The question of the weather is rather subjective...
We had a thunderstorm forecast for the end of the day...
Our first real break was at the Marinet hut... and the storm came up...
Despite the children, we didn't hang around! We ended up jogging before the lightning appeared before Maljasset!
At the Chambeyron hut, we met 3 hikers who had a Maljasset/Chambeyron topo with 8 hours 15 minutes of actual walking (Traversée des Alpes).
This was the only hike for which we were so far from the "target" walking time, which is why I passed on the information.
In addition, it was thanks to the site's topos that our steps led us to this magnificent Tour du Chambeyron! And for all that... THANK YOU!

Automatically translated
Netra
Netra ★

Hello Cedeka,

Thank you for your feedback. And congratulations to the children! I remember that this stage was the hardest of the circuit I proposed around Chambeyron.

I did this tour at the end of July/beginning of August and, at that time of year, there was no snow on the route at all. But I'm willing to believe that at the beginning of July there was still some. I'm going to add a warning to the description.

The time shown is for walking only, including micro-pauses (photography, navigation, etc.) but not one or more refreshment breaks. It is an estimate, based on an average pace of 3.5km/h on flat ground and obviously taking into account the difference in altitude. From memory (this was quite a few years ago), it took us over 7 hours (including breaks) to reach Maljasset... all the more so as we had bathed in Lac de Marinet. But I have no precise memory of our actual walking time.

Automatically translated
Cedeka
Cedeka

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did this walk with 3 children aged 8/9/12.
For all the stages described for the Chambeyron tour, we were within the times described, except for this one.
The usual guides give a time of 8 hours instead of 6 hours 50 minutes.
The description is very well done.
Bear in mind that in the presence of the névé of the Col de l'Infernetto, if the temperatures are low, you have to be very, very careful. Most guidebooks recommend ice axes and crampons if necessary.
On our side, the mild temperatures allowed the children to 'sledge' down the névé... It was a special situation... the snow had melted to a depth of almost 10cm!
Don't overlook the length of the stage: 17km.
The climb to the Col de Ciaslaras is very steep and very demanding.
Thanks to the writer of this guide to the Tour du Chambeyron, we were able to discover this beautiful Ubaye valley, the Chambeyron refuge and its new warden, Marie!
We even made a diversion on the way back to spend our last night there (ascent from the campo base via the Stroppia waterfall (1300m D+)).

Automatically translated
PAULF69
PAULF69

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 10, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

thank you for this description
very nice hike
thank you

Automatically translated
edcoll
edcoll
• Last modified:

I downloaded this track to get an itinerary for a project
I'll give my opinion after testing it next summer

Automatically translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Plateau de Sestriere to Col de Sanguiniere

Walker
↔8.83 km ↗+716 m ↘-712 m ◔4h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage (Alpes-Maritimes)
A short drive from St Dalmas le Selvage you will find this beautiful walk through meadows, woodland and up to rocky peaks.

Walking St-Dalmas-le-Selvage to Refuge de Gialorgues

Walker
↔24.87 km ↗+1,376 m ↘-1,376 m ◔11h 00 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage (Alpes-Maritimes)
A beautiful walk to a secret valley with a lush green meadow surrounded by rocky mountain peaks.

Walking Circuit of Monte Bersaio

Walker
Circuit of Monte Bersaio
↔16.74 km ↗+1,405 m ↘-1,397 m ◔8h 50 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Sambuco (Cuneo)
Circular hike from the beautiful village of Sambuco in the Valle Stura, Provence of Cuneo. The high point is Monte Bersaio directly above the village. The majority of the walk is through high alpine meadows. If done in late June or early July there will be a profusion of wildflowers and the final meadows, just below the summit of Monte Bersaio, are full of Edelweiss.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of the author. Do not copy them without permission.