Gravel : L’aventure de l’itinérance en Gravel

Quench your thirst for curiosity by reaching the historic heritage of Mont-Dauphin via the vertiginous road to the hamlet of Gros! A perfect walk in spring, early summer or autumn, as the road is hardly protected by the forest canopy.

1 - Mont Dauphin
From the large parking lot, I take the road towards Eygliers, a somewhat isolated and charming village.

2 - towards Rua d'Aval and Le Coin
In the village, the narrow road runs alongside typical houses. It climbs upwards, giving a fine view of Eygliers. It criss-crosses fields of poppies and the first mountain shrubs. I continue to climb, skirting the cliff for a while via the D37. The road gets narrower and narrower, and it's hard for vehicles to pass each other. I take advantage of my height to observe the breathtaking view to my right.

3 - Gros (point of return)
The Scots pines take advantage of the mild Alpine climate to climb to higher altitudes. They are the milestones on the way to "le hameau de Gros (1,385 m)", where you discover a different world, with the brighter light typical of the Briançonnais region, which heralds the Alpes de Haute Provence. The vertiginous balcony road joins the hamlet, offering a bird's-eye view of the Guillestrois. While its south-facing position offers its inhabitants plenty of light in winter, the sweltering heat of summer undoubtedly forces them to close their perciennes and shutters.

4 - Font d'Eygliers
On the way back, I follow the same road until I approach Eygliers. In a hairpin bend, I take a road to the left (route des Blancs) and continue downhill towards the Guil, the gateway to a world apart. The roads drawn in white on the Michelin map swirl around and give the impression of getting lost. I pass through fields and villages that were emptied of their population in the 19th century and are now being reborn as beautiful, remarkably restored homes, like the one at Font d'Eygliers (1,015 m).

5 - Mont Dauphin
The route continues down to Guillestre via a little-used road. The upper town can be reached by crossing the "Pont du Simoust (900 m)", an impressive structure dominated by the Guil gorges. As for me, I follow the river to the foot of the fortress of Mont-Dauphin, which I reach via one of the toughest climbs. Curtain walls, ramparts and moats encircle the small houses: Vauban had imagined a real town. Built to oppose the enemy, the stronghold has remained intact and defied the test of time.

After spending the night at the refuge (remember to book during the high season, from June 10 to September 30 and December 15 to April 10), we'll take the same route back down to Saint-Véran, where we'll take the easy road to Ville-Vieille. At the traffic circle, it's cool to head back up towards Aiguilles.
Before setting off on these two-day hikes, it's a good idea to be aware of the risk of thunderstorms, which often occur in late August afternoons.

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