From the Col d'Izoard, at an altitude of almost 2400m, the short Casse Déserte hike offers a spectacular, almost effortless walk. The traverse of the giant scree is impressive, and the geological structures that emerge from the scenery are unusual. Strange orange-hued shapes rise up in places, forming tooth-like formations, oddly shaped needles and even natural arches. The views over the Arvieux valley, the Clot la Cime summit opposite and the Col d'Izoard are superb. A lovely walk, best enjoyed at the end of the day, when the sun is soft and the light beautiful.
Après le pierrier, depuis le bout du sentier
Technical summary
■ Departure point: Col d'Izoard, Queyras, Hautes-Alpes (05)
■ Type of route: high-mountain loop hike
■ Distance: 1.3 km
■ Cumulative elevation gain: +60 m
■ Cumulative negative elevation gain: -60 m
■ Estimated total time: 45' to 1h ■ Min and max altitude: 2365 m / 2405 m
■ Marking: obvious trail
■ Equipment: none
■ Equipment required: none
Difficulties: none, but the crossing of the scree can be impressive as it is steep and the passage is narrow if you pass each other.
Access to the place
From Guillestre, take the departmental road up to Chateau-Queyras, then turn off towards Arvieux. Pass Arvieux, La Chalp and Brunissard to tackle the iconic Col d'Izoard climb. At the pass, park. Starting point of the hike.
Itinerary description
Course
From the pass parking lot, descend a few metres to the south on an extension of the parking lot to find the path that begins the traverse.
Once at the end, you can explore a little around the arch and on the final promontory, advancing as far as you can for plunging views over the valley. Return by the same route, this time with slightly different perspectives.
Via ferrata de Pra Premier, Arvieux 9 August 2021 Above Brunissard, the Pra Premier via ferrata is an opportunity to discover the high-altitude Queyras mountain pastures…
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