Not to be attempted in winter! Between 6 and 7, there is a high risk of avalanches, especially towards the Combe de la Charbonnière.
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Start at the Les Clots car park, altitude 1,232 m, accessible by car via the Villard-de-Lans climate school.
(S/E) With your back to the houses, follow the wide path on your left heading east towards "La Fauge - 10 min". Ignore the steep and direct path on your right marked "Col Vert - 1 hr 55 min, Pas de l'Oeille 2 hr 25 min"; you will return via this path.
(1) At the top of the first hill, stay on the central path, which is almost flat and now crossed from right to left by a wide cross-country ski trail. Follow the sign for "Col Vert 1 hr 45 min; 3.1 km" and "La Fauge 10 min - 0.5 km".
(2) At the place called "La Fauge - 1240 m", follow the sign for "Abri de la Fauge 1.1 km", staying on the path in front of you at this crossroads. This path winds its way through the meadows facing south.
(3) When you arrive at "l'Abri de la Fauge - 1310 m" (the shelter is under the trees in front of you). At the signpost, turn left towards the south-east and go through the cattle gate, which is designed to prevent animals from passing through, and climb up to the "Bergerie de la Fauge - 0.2 km", a south-east-facing climb.
The trail now branches off from the main path to avoid passing too close to the sheepfold.
A sign with a pedestrian symbol invites you to use this new path.
When you reach the Bergerie de la Fauge (1,343 m), go through a fence with a sign that says: "Bergerie de la Fauge alt:1,343 m, Col Vert 1 hr 20 min - 2.8 km". Continue straight ahead towards the east on the path furthest to the left. The wide grassy path and other trails heading east are less reliable for finding point 4.
(4) 100 m before the forest, you will see a small yellow sign opposite and above you, which you ignore. On your left, the path crosses the stream and heads north along the forest. There is no sign for "Le Col Vert" at this point.
At the entrance to the forest, you will find a yellow and green signpost.
(5) Just below the Roybon Refuge, go through the gate and immediately turn right, climbing towards the Roybon Refuge a few metres above. Go past it and continue uphill towards Col Vert. Climb a steep slope (be brave!) and you will arrive at Col Vert (1,766 m) in about 1 hour.
(6) Descend from the Col Vert for about 100 m to the sign "Sous le col - Alt 1650 m", turn left towards Péronnard (10 min) and follow the signs for Combe Charbonnière (25 min).
(7) When you reach Combe Charbonnière, descend the scree slope on the right, following the signs for "La Bergerie de la Fauge (30 min and 1.5 km)" heading north-west.
When you see the sheepfold, the path turns left towards "La Fauge" - "Villard-de-Lans", passing through a gate.
(3) When you return to the cattle grid at "l'Abri de la Fauge" (1310m), head west through the pine trees towards "Les Glovettes, 25 min - 1.6 km", "la cote 1336, 10 min - 0.6 km".
The trail enters the forest and climbs up through the Collet des Clots towards the Clos de la Mene, a little-known but very pretty spot.
(8) When you reach the 1336 m elevation, turn right onto the ski trail and head north towards the Clots car park via L'Aversin. A few hundred metres further on, you will reach L'Aversin.
(9) You will see the new cross-country ski trail in front of you and, on your left, a signpost and a path leading down to Les Glovettes. Between this path and the trail you should not take, there is a very small path leading up to a dead end and finally the right one, a path that descends towards Les Clots in 10 minutes with the forest on your left and fields between piles of stones and low walls on your right.
You will then return to your starting point at the Les Clots car park (S/E).
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