Itinerant Hiking in the Devoluy

We'll meet at 9am at the Pont du Trabuëch car park, Le Clos Michel, in Lus-la-Croix-Haute. If you're arriving by train, the meeting point will be directly at the station, where the guide will pick you up before heading to the start of the hike at the Pont du Trabuëch.

This first day marks the meeting with the guide and the rest of the group. We start our adventure at La Jarjatte, an enchanting spot surrounded by limestone cliffs, still little known to tourists. Here we enter a massif with a unique atmosphere, the Dévoluy, the real French Dolomites but without the crowds: a raw, unspoilt and confidential territory.

We climb up to the Col des Aiguilles (2003 m), first through a mixed forest, then along a winding path that takes us into the mineral world of the Alps, where chamois and herds can be seen on these spectacular walls.

After a picnic break on a mountain pasture plateau, we descend into the vast Aiguilles valley, with an uninterrupted view of the massif. At the Col du Festre, we continue on a beautiful traverse to the hamlet of La Cluse, where we are welcomed at the gîte de l'Yvraie. Here, the experience is authentic and profoundly natural: a not-to-be-missed stopover, where it's not unusual to meet the shepherds and share a simple moment at the rhythm of the mountains.

This second day, the most alpine and the most intense, will leave us with unforgettable memories. After a hearty breakfast, we set off early into the forest towards Aurouze mountain, where we will reach the highest point of our trek. We'll be heading up the wildest side of the mountain, a desert landscape of raw beauty, accessible only by making an effort off the beaten track. After a few rocky inclines, we reach the plateau and the observatory (2564m).

A well-deserved break allows us to recharge our batteries before opting, if we wish, for a return trip to the Tête de la Cluse, offering an exceptional panorama of the Écrins, Dévoluy and the Northern Alps. We then start the descent via the superb Combe Ratin, then a gentle, accessible path to our second stopover, in the village of Saint-Étienne-en-Dévoluy, in the heart of the massif. After this intense day, it's time to rest and celebrate!

Technical difficulty: most of the climb is on scree.

This third stage, rich in contrasts, gets off to a gentle start before offering us a magnificent panorama in the afternoon. The morning begins on the rolling path of the Tour du Dévoluy GR, skirting a torrent and crossing a mosaic of landscapes shaped by man over the centuries, between natural resources and environmental constraints.

At the foot of the south face of Montagne du Gicon, which rises to over 2000 m in the heart of the Dévoluy, we begin our ascent through the mountain pastures. At the summit, a breathtaking view awaits us: l'Obiou, le Faraut, le Grand Ferrand and the Pic de Bure, explored the day before. We descend along the ridge, then through pastures and traditional hamlets, skirting the torrent.

We arrive at the gîte at the end of the afternoon to enjoy a final evening together over a good meal.

On our final day, we head for the unique karst world of Dévoluy. From the former farmland now reclaimed by nature, we head for the mountain pastures of the Col de Charnier (2105 m). Here, the atmosphere is unique: sheer cliffs, majestic valleys and, above all, the sky alive with the presence of numerous vultures. Their soaring flight, dozens of them, is an impressive and striking sight.

Between Grand Ferrand and Roche Courbe, we walk through a striking mineral landscape, far from any hustle and bustle. The view opens out onto Lac de Lauzon and, further on, the Vercors and the Diois. A final contemplative pause before descending to La Jarjatte, where this adventure draws to a close.