Pic de Gleize

MAP OF WALK

WALK DESCRIPTION: 

From the car park at Col de Gleize you walk north up through some woods. The path meanders and eventually comes out onto a grassy slope, which in spring is covered with tiny alpine flowers. 

Continue along the path – the lower path is better than the path going up the ridge, and eventually you will come to the col underneath the Pic de Gleize. (45 minutes to an hour). 

From the col you can go up to the Pic and then continue down the ridge back to the car (2 – 3 hours in total). At the Pic you have a magnificent view over the limestone massif of Dévoluy and the Champsaur valley. Please note some parts of the ridge down are quite exposed.

EXTENSION:

Or, from the Pic, you go back down to the col (retrace your steps). At the col look down to your left for the small path that descends. Please note this is a steep and slippery descent and there are cliffs at the bottom in some places. Use poles if you have them.

The path zig zags down to a T-junction. This is the “Sentier de Ronde” which traverses all the way around the bowl of the valley. You can turn left and follow it through woods and under dramatic limestone cliffs until you reach the road. Here you turn left again and follow it back to the car park (4 -5 hours in total)

Or, if you turn right at the T junction with the Sentier du Ronde it will take you all the way round the valley to Chaudun where there is a Gite. 

From there you walk back up the road to the car park which is a good 45 minutes to an hour of climbing at the end of the walk. (6 - 7 hours in total).