A route that climbs steeply along the sublime Archiane cirque, to arrive on the Vercors plateau. For me, it is truly the most beautiful area I have traveled on this side of the Alps! A large cirque surrounded by immense cliffs, Mediterranean vegetation which gradually transforms into a pine forest, a vertical path leading to a vast high-altitude steppe where meadows and fir trees extend to infinity...
From the car park at the bottom of the village, go to the refuge then take the path which follows the river. Pass the Mediterranean level and then climb among the deciduous trees and then the conifers. The cliffs gradually become narrower as we progress towards the bottom of the valley.
At the crossroads of the four paths, take the path which climbs steeply in the scree on the left. After a steep climb we finally arrive on the immense Vercors plateau. It's time to enjoy a picnic in the shade of a fir tree while admiring the view of Mont Aiguille.
Depending on the time you have, you can take a short walk around the plateau before going back down. For example, the sheepfold of Jas New is not very far.
The descent is along the path which passes at the bottom of the Archiane valley. Be careful, the path is not very marked at the start and it is difficult to guess where the valley passes. However, the valley quickly steepens and you just have to follow the path which passes through the scree. We quickly find the crossroads of the four paths.
Towards the end of the descent, you can follow the discovery trail which allows you to pass along the cliffs of the Archiane cirque. In addition to the pretty viewpoints, you can admire the families of vultures that live in the cliffs. Finally, go down a path in the undergrowth which takes us back to Archiane and its pretty fountains with fresh water which are a pleasure at the end of the summer afternoon!
FR 
EN 
IT
0 Comments