N°21:La Crête du Penon

From the shop, return to Saint Guillaume and take the first right. Continue to the footbridge. Cross there, then climb up to the departmental road. Travel about 200m in the direction of Gap and take the camping road on your right just after the bridge. You will enjoy a specially laid out path for you. Take the path that climbs quite steeply on your right after the small bridge. Follow this trail to the village of Risoul where you will rejoin the departmental road. Then follow the departmental road to the town hall junction. Climb to the left of the town hall (direction Collet). Take the forest track (old Risoul road) that goes up to the station. Reach the Tourist Office. Follow the direction to Lake Pré du Laus which leads west at the top of the station. This pleasant road rises through the larch forest then reaches Lake Pré du Laus and descends slightly to the shelter located between the ridges of Martinat and the Penon ridge. A magnificent view then opens up with the Durance valley, the Embrunais and Lake Serre-Ponçon! Take the path after the shelter which follows the Penon ridge then dives into the forest. After some hairpins, you reach a logging track that you must follow down. The path narrows again and turns left. This nice easy descent through the larch forest arrives above the hamlet of Barbein. Just before the houses, take left the Plan de Phasy path. The route ends above the Rotunda and the hot springs. From there, return towards Guillestre via a balcony trail above the road that heads to "Les Isclasses". Once you reach the road, take it downhill to access "Les Isclasses" and then the industrial area of "Le Villard". Climb there passing the Fromagerie de la Durance in order to find the National road. Climb about 200m then turn right at "Gaboyer". Then return by the same route to Saint Guillaume. From there, take the second left where you can finish your ride on the embankment along the Guil. A small path hides on the right to reach the shop. You have arrived!

CULTURAL: Risoul 1850 station

PEDAGOGICAL: Long climb, know how to manage your effort.

SOCIAL