Gravel : Vers le village le plus haut d’Europe
Sport, Cycling sports, Mountain biking itinerary, Gravel bike route, Electric mountain bike route
in Molines-en-Queyras
38.1
km
-
From Saint-Véran, I head for the end of the valley, where a magnificent chapel and a place of comfort, the refuge de La Blanche.
-
From La Chalp, my first stop is Europe's highest perched village, Saint-Véran. And its altitude is unequivocal: 2,050 meters for a place inhabited all year round. And it's higher than most ski resorts, built for leisure. Here in Saint-Véran, people have been living here for centuries, working in the meadows all summer or huddling together in the bitter cold in winter.
1 - La Chalp
Right from the start, I'm going along the Aigue Blanche, a torrent that carries its icy water.
2 - Saint...From La Chalp, my first stop is Europe's highest perched village, Saint-Véran. And its altitude is unequivocal: 2,050 meters for a place inhabited all year round. And it's higher than most ski resorts, built for leisure. Here in Saint-Véran, people have been living here for centuries, working in the meadows all summer or huddling together in the bitter cold in winter.
1 - La Chalp
Right from the start, I'm going along the Aigue Blanche, a torrent that carries its icy water.
2 - Saint Véran
At the entrance to Saint-Véran, I join the hay meadows at the bottom of the Aigue Blanche valley. The path, studded with thousands of flowers in June or blazing with autumn colors in October, is magnificent.
3 - The Aigue Blanche Valley
From level to level, the path climbs up the torrent: "la vallée de l'Aigue Blanche" (1953 m). This is a perfect example of the contrast between the sunny, alpine-covered adret slopes and the north-facing ubac, colonized by a larch forest.
4 - Chapelle de Clausis
At 2200 m, I leave the protection of the undergrowth for a more mineral, austere world.
5 - Lac de la Blanche
I continue on the path that crosses the plateau to reach "Lac de la Blanche" (2499 m). In season, the eponymous refuge welcomes thirsty hikers: with my speed, it's up to me to be the most courteous.
6 - The old copper mine
The road back begins. I reach the "old copper mine" (2260 m), which was part of Saint-Véran's wealth until 1865.
7 - The lovers' wood
On leaving Saint-Véran, I go straight ahead along a very pleasant path. I enter "le bois des Amoureux" (1960 m), an ode to beauty.
8 - Vallée d'Aigue Agnelle
In the heart of the larches, I turn around the mountain to find myself in the other parallel valley, the Val d'Aigue Agnelle.
9 - Pont de Lariane
"At the Pont de Lariane (2024 m), I join the Col Agnel road through Fontgillarde.
10 - Molines en Queyras
A little further down this road, the valley opens up as we approach Pierre-Grosse and Molines-en-Queyras, which are bursting with light, even in the depths of winter.
11 - The junction of the two Aigue torrents
The route crosses the village and dips down to the "jonction des deux torrents de l'Aigue" (1718 m): this will be my Ariadne's thread to get back to La Chalp.
Option to eat at the refuge de la Blanche.
To be visited in summer and autumn. However, the refuge is open from June 10 to September 30.
- Departure
- Molines-en-Queyras
-
-
Difference in height
- 1049.17 m
-
-
- From the Château-Ville-Vieille traffic circle, follow the D5 to Echalp.
-
-
Plain text period
-
From 01/06 to 31/10/2025.
Subject to favorable snow and weather conditions.
-
-
-
Environment
-
-
-
Spoken languages
-
-
-
-
-
Documentation
- GPX / KML files allow you to export the trail of your hike to your GPS (or other navigation tool)
-
- 1049 meters of difference in height
-
- Maximum altitude : 2480 m
- Minimum altitude : 1713 m
- Total positive elevation : 1049 m
- Total negative elevation : -1050 m
- Max positive elevation : 128 m
- Min positive elevation : -192 m
