Les sentiers perchés ancestraux – Rando

Le Bourg-d’Oisans

To know

Visitor alert

Route potentially subject to significant damage due to major weather events and whose viability may be uncertain, find out before setting off on this route.

A beautiful loop following the ancestral paths which linked the villages of Oisans, and which offers a breathtaking view of the plain of Le Bourg-d'Oisans and the Uissan peaks. Ascent and descent in the forest.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Departure: Bourg-d'Oisans Tourist Office
Height difference: 810 m
Loop duration: 6h30
Distance: 16,4 km
Level: difficult

MAP AND TOPO:

Oisans at the End of the Feet N°2

Bourg-d'Oisans – Villard-Reculas, by Old Dead Woman
IGN Top 25 Map No. 3335 East / OBP No. 2 – 271 & 241
(OBP 241 Vielle Morte – Villard Reculas temporarily closed!)

Villard-Reculas – Huez, by the Pas de La Confession
IGN Top 25 Map No. 3335 East / OBP No. 2 – 214

Huez – Le Bourg-d'Oisans
IGN Top 25 Map No. 3335 East / OBP No. 2 – 289 / 280 / 281

ROUTE

TEMPORARY ITINERARY! (until the reopening of Vieille Morte)
Bourg-d'Oisans – La Garde – Ribot d'en Haut – Under St Férréol – Huez – Steps of Confession – Round Stone – Villard-Reculas – St Antoine – Lachal – Pas de la Confession – Le Ribot d’en Haut (descent via OBP 266) – La Garde – Le Bourg-d'Oisans.

ORIGINAL ITINERARY
From Le Bourg-d'Oisans, head towards Vieille Morte via Les Essoulieux.
It is just before the ruins of the old hamlet Vieille Morte, coming from Bourg d'Oisans, that we find the path which climbs on the right through the woods towards Récompense/ Villard-Reculas.
The beech, oak and spruce forest is home to a rich fauna, the opportunity to perhaps encounter a roe deer.
A Villard-Reculas It is an area of ​​mountain pastures and hayfields that surrounds the village. The view extends over the plain of Le Bourg-d'Oisans and the Taillefer massif.

The houses of the village of Villard-Reculas are highlighted by a harmonious architecture using exposed stone and wood. At the church, either continue towards Lanchal (OBP 229) by the path that takes you through the meadows or stay on the paved road towards Huez.

Following the “route de la Confession” - a balcony road - in the schist cliffs between Villars-Reculas and Huez, the panoramic view over the entire Bourg-d'Oisans plain is superb.
Below Huez you can enjoy a plunging view of the Sarenne gorges.

According to the legend of the Confession, only pure souls could venture on this narrow road, exposed to falling rocks (the chamois love the slopes overlooking the road) and intimidating in case of vertigo. The Villarais therefore claimed to be of good virtue. An oratory at the start of the road, on the Huez side, was an obligatory stop to confess before setting out.

From Huez, take the road towards St Férréol to join the path that passes in front of the Chapel of St Antoine. Then cross to the right before going down directly to the Ribot d'en Haut, crossing the road to Alpe d'Huez twice.
A short descent through the forest, before crossing the road again, allows you to reach the Ribot d'en Bas.
Then we arrive at La Garde between the houses, by the road to La Ville. Next to the cemetery, the route continues towards Bourg-d'Oisans.
The descent cuts the bends of the Alpe d'Huez road before joining the Bassey road. On the main road, turn right to join the road towards the town centre of Bourg-d'Oisans.

VARIANT
Possibility of connecting the Pas de la Confession to the Ribot d'en Haut by the Chemin des Miettes (OBP N°2 -266). This very steep path always follows the slope line in small short bends. The path in the pine forest offers a panorama of the legendary bends of the Alpe d'Huez, the Bourg-d'Oisans plain and the Rochail massif.

TO SEE ON THE COURSE:
-The Oratory of Huez
-The Chapel of St Férréol
-Road of Confession
-Panoramic view of the plain

TO SEE NEARBY
-Sensitive natural area of ​​the Marais de Vieille Morte

TO KNOW
-According to the legend of the Confession, only pure souls could venture on this narrow road, exposed to falling rocks (the chamois love the slopes overlooking the road) and intimidating in case of vertigo. The Villarais therefore claimed to be of good virtue. An oratory at the start of the road, on the Huez side, was an obligatory stop to confess before setting out.
Pedestrian sportsHiking route
DifficultyDifficultDuration06h30Elevation730 D- ​​/ 810 D+Distance16,4 kmMax Altitude1541 m

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