in this guidebook. A circular GR route is generally referred to as a tour.
There are also several three-digit GR trails in the area, which again carry the same initial digit, and often link routes to the longer trails, such as the GR541, which links the GR54 in the Écrins to the GR58 in the Queyras. (This system has analogies with UK road-numbering – M6, A65 and so on.)
Looking back down to Saint-Véran (Stage 4)
There are at least 65,000km (c. 40,000 miles) of GR trail throughout France, and the network is still expanding. In addition to the long-distance trails there are many regional, usually shorter trails, referred to as ‘GRs de Pays’, as well as an abundance of local footpaths, or ‘Sentiers de PR’ (Petites Randonnées). In all, there are well over 160,000km (100,000 miles) of country footpaths in France.
Italy also has its long-distance trails. The major Alpine route is the Grande Traversata delle Alpi, an alternative to the French Grande Traversée. Rather confusingly, these are both abbreviated to GTA. The Italian traverse runs from Carnino in the south, across the Argentera massif, skirting the Monte Viso region to the Gran Paradiso, and on to end at the foot of Monte Rosa at Macugnaga, near the Swiss border.
A second Italian trail of relevance to the Queyras Tour is the circular Tour of Monte Viso (Monviso in Italian). This starts at the Pian del Re, the source of the River Po, and circles the peak of Monte Viso and adjacent mountains. The route, which takes three or four days to complete, goes from the Pian del Re to the Rifugio Quintino Sella (for an optional and very long ascent to Monte Viso), and on over the Passo di San Chiaffredo to enter the Vallone di Vallanta (Valante in French).
The trail climbs in this valley, passing the refuges of Gagliardone and Vallanta, to join the route described in this guidebook. The Tour crosses the Passo di Vallanta (Col Valante) to enter France and descends to the Refuge Viso. Soon after this the Monte Viso trail parts company with the Queyras Tour to cross back into Italy at the Colle delle Traversette and descends back to the Pian del Re.
The Walking Tour of the Queyras, GR58 and GR541
The Tour of the Queyras described in this guidebook (henceforth referred to as the Tour) makes use of two GR trails and their variants and a number of non-GR footpaths. The two GR routes are the GR58 (Tour du Queyras) and the GR541.
The Standard GR58
The standard GR58 Tour du Queyras, opened in 1984, is a circular tour from Ceillac > Saint-Véran > Refuge Agnel > Col Vieux > Lac Foréant > Lac Egourgéou > La Monta > Ristolas > Abriès > Lac du Grand Laus > Col du Malrif > Les Fonts de Cervières > Souliers > Brunissard > Furfande > Les Escoyères > Ceillac. There are two alternative routes from Les Escoyères to Ceillac, both referred to as the GR58, i.e. either via the Col de Bramousse or via Montbardon and Col Fromage. The standard route of the GR58 lies entirely within France.
Variants to the GR58
There are also four official alternative routes (variants) to certain parts of the standard GR58. These are all on the eastern or northern sections of the route, and two of them enter Italy. The variants are as follows.
Pic d’Asti and the Pain de Sucre (Stage 4)
GR58A From Abriès to Souliers via the Lac du Grand Laus, Aiguilles, Chalvet and Les Meyries. A relatively low-level variant (except for the climb to the Lac du Grand Laus), but which involves considerable ascent, descent and re-ascent before joining the standard GR58 route before Souliers. This variant is not used on the Tour described in this guidebook.
GR58B From L’Echalp in the upper Guil valley to Abriès via Italy. The route enters Italy at Col Lacroix and descends to the Rifugio Jervis at Ciabot del Pra. The return into France is made via the Col d’Urine. The Tour in this book uses part of this route.
GR58C From the Refuge Agnel to La Monta via two excursions into Italy. This major two-day variant is from Refuge Agnel > Col Agnel > Soustra valley > Passo della Losetta > Col Valante > Refuge Viso > Col Sellière > Pellice valley > Ciabot del Pra > Col Lacroix > La Monta. A small section of the route is coincident with the Italian Tour of Monte Viso. This variant is walked in its entirety in the Tour described in this guidebook, Alternative to Stages 5 and 6.
GR58D From La Monta to Les Fonts de Cervières. This is a variant, and has been dubbed the ‘high-mountain alternative’. The route is from La Monta > Sommet de la Lauzière > Collette de Gilly > Le Roux > Col des Thures > Col de Rasis > Col du Malrif > Les Fonts de Cervières. The whole route of this variant is included in this Tour.
These four official variants are detailed here so that references to them on signposts or maps will make sense. Note that these variants are waymarked in the same manner as the standard GR route (see Waymarking and Navigation).
The GR541
The GR541 is a long-distance trail linking the GR54 (Tour de L’Oisans) in the Écrins with the GR58 in the Queyras. The two great massifs of the Écrins and the Queyras are separated by the wide and deep Durance valley, where the town of Briançon is situated. The valley also carries the main-line railway from Gap to Briançon, and a major route nationale, the N94. About half of the GR541 is followed in the Tour described in this book, namely the eastern section – from the Durance valley into the heart of the Queyras at Furfande. Not only is this a fine route in itself, but it also allows the walk to be started straight from a main-line railway station, without further travel arrangements.
There are two routes from the Durance valley to Furfande – the standard GR541 and the GR541 variant. The latter, which is used in the ascent to Furfande on Stage 1, crosses two high cols and passes a mountain lake, and is scenically the finer of the two routes. The standard GR541 is used on the final descent of the Tour in Stage 12.
Tour of the Queyras described in this guidebook
The walking Tour in this guidebook includes most of the standard GR58 and a large proportion of the major variants described above. Minor variants are taken occasionally (like that to the Col de Saint-Véran and the Pic de Caramantran on Stage 4) where the route and scenery are preferable to the standard trail. The various optional and alternative routes are all described. In addition, the Tour includes a number of optional ascents of mountain summits that are passed on the way, but which are not part of any official GR route. In all, the Tour crosses 24 cols and provides optional ascents of 17 peaks (see Overview Maps).
There is certainly plenty of variety on the trail, from woodland glades to rocky, high-level cols, from Alpine pastures to airy summits. The Tour includes two excursions into the Italian Alps, and there are opportunities to shorten or lengthen the route as time and conditions dictate. The route is ideal for those new to Alpine walking, while also providing optional challenges for the more experienced. Most of the day-stages are not especially long, allowing plenty of time for admiring the magnificent scenery or attempting an additional summit or footpath. Time is available at the end of a two-week holiday to visit Guillestre and nearby Briançon.
Walkers resting by the Lac de Souliers (Stage 10)
Climate – When to Go
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