On the ridges of France’s Cerces massif — the GR 57

Tours

34:28 h

55.6 mi

16,950 ft

Just a stone's throw from Italy, the Cerces massif is characterised by wild landscape, imposing rocky ridges and high, sharp peaks. Between the Vanoise, the Queyras and the Écrins, the massif offers some of the most beautiful views of the Alps. Alpine lakes, flower-strewn mountain pastures, exceptional ridges and scree – you can be sure of one thing: you're in for a treat when it comes to hiking.

The GR 57 has no technical difficulties but the elevation gain on certain stages means that you need to have some experience of hiking up mountains before setting off. You can divide some of the stages into two separate days. On stages 2 and 3, however, you won’t find any huts apart from those proposed as starting and finishing points.

I’ve split the route into six stages that end at a hut or at a place where you can easily find accommodation. There’s more information on the website of the Compagnie des refuges Clarée-Thabor:
refugesclareethabor.com/fr/il4-refuges,gites_p2-les-refuges-et-gites.aspx. If you’d prefer to camp then you’re in luck – wild camping is allowed on the entire route.

The GR 57 starts and ends in Névache, in the heart of the Clarée valley. You can arrive from Briançon SNCF train station thanks to the Linkbus shuttles, but book in advance. In summer, buses run between the Roubion car park and the centre of Névache, Ville Haute. You’ll have to leave your car in Roubion to get to the start of the hike as public transport use is encouraged in the valley. You’ll find all the information on how to get to Névache on the dedicated page of the Clarée tourist office website: claree-tourisme.fr/acces-rapide/acces.

Finally, to take advantage of the snow-free paths and the unique atmosphere of the huts, I recommend exploring the GR 57 between mid-June and the end of September. It’s possible in winter too, but only with touring skis on your feet!

On The Map

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Le GR 57

53.0 mi

15,975 ft

Last updated: February 3, 2023

Tours & Highlights

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 1: Névache to the Chardonnet refuge — the GR 57
Expert
06:28
10.4 mi
1.6 mph
4,525 ft
2,425 ft
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
This first stage of the GR 57 takes you from the small village of Névache to the Chardonnet refuge.

The Clarée torrent accompanies you as soon as you leave the village. You follow it for nearly two and a half kilometers before starting your ascent of the Col de Buffère. Along the way, you pass by the…
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Stage 2: the Chardonnet refuge to the Drayères refuge — the GR 57
Expert
06:34
11.0 mi
1.7 mph
3,150 ft
3,375 ft
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
The warm-up is fast on this second day, which takes you to the Drayères refuge.

From the start of the stage, you begin your ascent of the Col du Chardonnet. Along the way, you pass by Lac du Chatelard then follow the Chardonnet stream. You evolve in the heart of the valley of the same name, surrounded…
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 3: the Drayères refuge to the Mont Thabor refuge — the GR 57
Expert
07:03
10.3 mi
1.5 mph
3,975 ft
2,875 ft
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.
This third stage is magnificent. You will climb to the top of Mont Thabor before reaching the refuge of the same name. I suggest you take a slight detour from the official route of the GR 57 to discover this mythical mountain of the Cerces massif.

From the Drayères refuge, you start by taking a gradual…
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Stage 4: the Mont Thabor refuge to the Granges de la Vallée Étroite — the GR 57
Intermediate
02:53
5.11 mi
1.8 mph
50 ft
2,375 ft
Intermediate Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
This fourth stage is much shorter than the previous ones. The Granges de la Vallée Étroite are the only place where you will find accommodation between the Mont Thabor refuge and Plampinet. If you have strong knees, you can easily combine this stage with the next one, and descend nearly 1,600 meters…
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Stage 5: the Granges de la Vallée Étroite to Plampinet — the GR 57
Intermediate
04:45
7.22 mi
1.5 mph
1,800 ft
2,800 ft
Intermediate Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
This fifth stage takes you across the Thures plateau to the small hamlet of Plampinet.

From the Granges de la Vallée Étroite, a few hairpin bends allow you to climb to the bottom of the Col des Thures, where you will discover the magnificent Lac Chavillon. Here you are on the Thures plateau. This vast…
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Stage 6: Plampinet to Névache — the GR 57
Expert
06:46
11.6 mi
1.7 mph
3,475 ft
3,100 ft
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
This sixth and last stage is not the easiest of the route, but it promises you a great day of walking on quite grandiose paths.

From Plampinet, you cross the Clarée and enter the undergrowth. A forest path takes you below the Fort de l'Olive, a fortified defense post built at the end of the 19th century…
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