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Col du Lauteret

Hautes-Alpes  >  France

Mountain pass popular with cyclist because of the Tour de France. But also a great birding spot. You can explore the surroundings or walk the Crevasses Trail.

Added* by Thierry Martin
Most recent update 27 June 2021

Description

A good way to explore the surroundings of Col de Lauteret is the Sentier des Crevasses. A trail of 6 km out and back that is primarily used for hiking and backpacking but also good for birdwatching. Walking the Crevasses Trail from the Col du Lautaret, offers a breathtaking view of the eastern glaciers of the Massif de la Meije and let you discover a protected nature area in the heart of the Réserve Naturelle du Combeynot. This reserve has a varied fauna with more than 200 recorded species of birds. The Crevesses Trail brings you mainly alpine species like Red-billed Chough, Yellow-billed Chough, Golden Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Citril Finch, Ring Ouzel, White-winged Snowfinch, Northern Wheatear, Black Redstart and if you are lucky Bearded Vulture.

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Français: Balade sur le Sentier des Crevasses depuis la Col du Lautaret, offrant une vue époustouflante sur les glaciers orientaux du Massif de la Meije : découverte d’un espace de nature protégé au cœur de la Réserve Naturelle du Combeynot.

Details

Access

Easy parking on one of the Col de Lauteret parking areas. Click on the P in the map to get directions. From the parking you can directly walk the Sentier des Crevasses. It is a moderate walk of about 3 km one way and back. At the peak of the tourist season in summer it can get very busy on the parkings and on the trail. So it might be a good idea to plan a visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

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Français: Stationnement aisé sur l'un des parkings du Col de Lauteret. Cliquez sur le P dans la carte pour obtenir les directions. Depuis le parking, vous pouvez directement marcher le Sentier des Crevasses. C'est une marche modérée d'environ 3 km aller-retour. Au plus fort de la saison touristique en été, il peut y avoir beaucoup de monde sur les parkings et sur le sentier. Il peut donc être judicieux de planifier une visite tôt le matin ou tard dans l'après-midi.

Terrain and Habitat

Mountain , Canyon/cliff , Grassland , Scattered trees and bushes

Conditions

Open landscape , Mountainous

Circular trail

No

Is a telescope useful?

No

Good birding season

Spring , Summer , Autumn

Best time to visit

Summer

Route

Narrow trail

Difficulty walking trail

Average walk

Accessible by

Foot

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

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