Not far from the Orcières (Gap) station, there is a small quiet valley which is ideal for snowshoeing in winter... A winding road will take you to the village of Prapic from where the route starts. If we arrive at the end of the day, we can spend the night in the stopover lodge under free management in the village. Get ready to start this snowshoe hike in Prapic!
From the village, follow the path which gently climbs into the Drac valley. The start is relatively flat and ideal for admiring the landscape on snowshoes. Then we cross a steeper glacial barrier to arrive at the Saulce chapel. Beware of avalanches in this passage in years when snow is abundant!
We pass next to the du Laire jump, which can be admired from a small bridge. Continue to the bottom of the valley and finally climb very steeply up to the bar hut. This is a building whose shepherd leaves the upper floor available to hikers. No place to make a fire, but being upstairs already insulates quite well from the cold.
For those who haven't had their fill of hiking, you can take a short walk on the adjoining plateau which is magnificent at sunset. The most courageous can take an extra day to attempt an ascent to Mourre Froid at 3000 m. From a distance the route seemed quite doable to me… However, there is a world of difference between seeing the route from afar and being on site, so be careful!
After a refreshing night at altitude (or not for those who couldn't sleep because of the cold...), we can continue the hike towards the Vallon Cros cabin. Again, we hiked this path without issue as snow conditions were minimal, but you better be wary if the snow is fresh!
Then follow the bottom of the valley towards the Terce cabins. The place is panoramic and ideal for a picnic! Then go back down along a ridge to the Saut du Laire. All that remains is to follow the route in the opposite direction to return on snowshoes to Prapic. What a beautiful valley is that of the Drac!
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