Hiking in the French Alps

Your tour start in Ceillac, a lovely village in the heart of the Queyras, surrounded by peaks and meadows. If you arrive by high speed train in Oulx, the transfer is about 1hr40. From the nearby Mont Dauphin train station, it is a 30 minute drive (45 minutes by bus) to join the village. From the town of Guillestre, the road winds its way along the cliffs as you enter the secluded Queyras massif. 

If you have time, take a stroll to the nearby waterfall (Cascade de la Pisse) to stretch your legs after your journey and get ready for the start of your adventure tomorrow. 

The Queyras National Park makes for a great first alpine hike. The absence of glaciers and technical terrain is coupled with a proliferation of infrastructure and traditional alpine villages for hikers. The Tour du Queyras is often referred to as a mid-mountain walk, but it's important not to underestimate the challenge; today's route still involves ascending over a thousand meters to reach the Col des Estronques.

After leaving Ceillac you walk into the depths of the valley, passing only a couple of isolated hamlets. The mountains pulse with life as the whistle of marmots, hum of bees, and crescendo of crickets all provide a soundtrack to your percussive footsteps. Wildflowers of every colour carpet the grassy pastures at your feet.

Crossing a "col" (mountain pass) is one of the most exhilarating moments of alpine trekking. After being confined to one valley with towering mountains concealing the landscape beyond, the next valley reveals itself after the col, as if you'd stepped through a window. From Col des Estronques, you can see tiny Saint-Véran straight ahead, the highest village in Europe - and one of the loveliest too: it boasts the accreditation "Most Beautiful Village in France". 

13km, 7.5Hours, Ascent/Descent: 1242m/845m

From Saint-Véran, it is straight into a steep, lung-gasping climb. It’s over quickly and your reward for such swift progress is a meandering balcony that provides you with spectacular views down into the valley and up to the rocky peaks above you.

The path is an alternative to the main GR58, providing a quieter and more secluded experience. It is as if you have the mountains all to yourself, as though you're an intruder in a realm where marmots hastily retreat to their burrows, disrupting the stillness only with their sharp and piercing whistles.

Col du Longet is visible from a great distance, like a blue window in the sky that's bordered by mountains on either side. Step through to find yourself at the head of a new valley. A descent brings you through the dappled shade of Larch forests to the L’Aigue Agnelle stream.

Molines-en-Queyras is a tranquil village to spend the night.

18km, 6Hours, Ascent/Descent: 650m/963m

A shuttle bus will transfer you from Molines-en-Queyras to just below Col d’Agnel, France’s second highest paved pass and a border with Italy. The journey is a spectacle in itself, with breathtaking views flashing past the window, each vying for your attention. As you reach Refuge Agnel and begin your hike, one sight emerges as the clear winner: the imposing 3,200-meter-high pyramid of Le Pain de Sucre (Sugarloaf), resembling a colossal vertical flint. The best part is, you walk directly towards it and get a closer look.

Have your cameras ready: Col Vieux boasts one of the most impressive panoramas of the entire tour for the least amount of climbing (only 300 metres!) Lac Foréant appears like a sapphire cradled by the mountains, and it only gets more impressive as you get nearer. Much of the land around the lake has been roped off to protect this fragile habitat, resulting in a remarkable display of wildflowers that add bursts of colour and life to the landscape.

The adventure continues past cascading waterfalls, and a second lake, Lac Egorgéou, before following the River Guil to the pretty village of Abriès.

19km, 6.5Hours, Ascent/Descent: 309m/1332m

The GR58 is designed to take you through the numerous highlights of the Queyras region rather than opting for the most direct route. As you ascend from Abriès, contouring through meadows, breathtaking views unfold, reaching up into yesterday's Vallee du Haut Guil and down the Vallee Guil, where you'll spend a significant portion of the next two days.

Ascending gently through a forest of Larch trees with the Malrif stream bubbling to your left, the forest seems infinite as the trees undulate over the hills' contours as far as the eye can see. But the forest comes to an abrupt end and as you emerge above the treeline, you find yourself in a meadow of vibrant wildflowers and noisy crickets. Here begins the challenging part of the hike, as the path crosses back and forth along the same hillslope in large switchbacks, leading you slowly towards your goal.

But, Lac Grand Laus is worth the effort. The colours and clarity of the water are as inviting as a Carribbean beach and might tempt you for a swim… until you remember you’re 2,583 metres high. Maybe just dip your toes? After a break beside the lake, the path swings back towards the valley and drops down to Aiguilles.

15km, 6.5Hours, Ascent/Descent: 1038m/1112m

After a climb from Aiguilles, you’ll enjoy an effortless balcony section that reveals great views as you peer down into the valley and up to the rocky peaks. From this grand vantage point, you might recognise valleys you walked through and cols you battled over and begin to piece together the journey so far.

While much of the tour has passed through relatively untouched nature, today’s journey passes through the hamlets of Meyriès, Rouet, and Souliers to provide an insight into how people have tamed these wild landscapes. The scattered houses that make up these villages appear to hang above the valley with meadows, grazing pastures and a magnificent backdrop surrounding them.

From Souliers, you’ll walk north towards the mesmerising views of the east and west peaks of Côte Belle, with a craggy ridgeline between them that resembles castle ramparts. Turning left, you’ll pass over Col Tronchet and down into La Chalp-Arvieux.

19km, 7.5Hours, Ascent/Descent: 1192m/971m

After a taxi to Montbardon, this final hike is a spectacular one, climbing to admire the spectacular view from Col Fromage, climbing a little further to Col Bramousse, and then descending to Ceillac. Full circle!

After skirting along the base of an impressive rock wall, ‘Les Plates’, you’ll step onto Col Fromage, 2,301m, where I’m afraid there’s no cheese, but only an impressive view to greet you. Although Ceillac now lies at your feet, that’s not the end of the climbing; you’ll ascend a little more to Col Bramousse. Watch your step as you walk along a lofty balcony that needs a bit of a head for heights, but great views reward you.

As you descend back into Ceillac’s attractive square between Mairie and the Church, you’ll feel a sense of familiarity and achievement. This is where your journey began and now finishes. Congratulations on completing the Tour du Queyras!

15km, 6.5Hours, Ascent/Descent: 1059m/917m

The tour ends in Ceillac, from where we can arrange transfers to several train stations.