Route No. 6: Les Sagnes
L'Argentière-la-Bessée

Route No. 6: Les Sagnes

Quoting : R2
Level :
Medium

Corresponding snowshoeing ratings :
R2

Recommended for :
- Occasional hikers (1-2 outings per week)
- Active families with sporty children (aged 10 and over)
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Description

To check snow conditions, click here.

2km walk from the Pousterle lookout - 75m ascent and 105m descent

This short hike takes you from one side of the Col de la Pousterle to the other, via the small Plateau des Sagnes, with views of Vallouise, Mont Pelvoux and the Fournel valley.

Markings: blue or purple flags and black " piétons/raquettes " signs on a yellow background.

Description:

From the Pousterle lookout, accessible from the Nordic chalet or from the hamlet of Prey d'Aval, head south up towards Les Sagnes and Les Têtes.
  1. At the top of the climb, turn right and cross the plateau to its southern end.
  2. At the end of the plateau, start the descent towards the Fournel lookout.
  3. At the bottom, carefully cross the cross-country ski trail, then turn left to reach the viewpoint.
You can return by the same route, or by taking route no. 5: Col de la Pousterle.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
  • Towns crossed : L'Argentière-la-Bessée and Les Vigneaux

Gear

Make sure you have the necessary equipment: 

Water and snacks
Warm clothing (avoid jeans)
High boots (hiking, rigid snow boots)
Walking poles
Sun screen
Sunglasses
Hat/cap
Small first-aid kit

Sensitive areas

Along your trek, you will go through sensitive areas related to the presence of a specific species or environment. In these areas, an appropriate behaviour allows to contribute to their preservation. For detailed information, specific forms are accessible for each area.

Peregrine falcon

Impacted practices:
Aerial, Vertical
Sensitivity periods:
FebMarAprMayJun
Contact:
Parc National des Écrins
Julien Charron
julien.charron@ecrins-parcnational.fr
Find out more

Recommandations

Prices for activities other than cross-country skiing in the Nordic area are available here and on sale at the lift ticket offices and at the Puy Saint Vincent Nordic Chalet.

A few rules:

→ You use these routes at your own risk. Find out about the weather conditions and avalanche risks published by Météo France. Also, don't hesitate to ask at tourist information offices or the Nordic chalet before you set off. 

→ For avalanche-prone trails, we strongly advise you to take your avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe with you.

→ Night-time activities on Nordic areas are prohibited. It must be supervised by a professional and must be authorized by the ski slopes service.

→ Several itineraries are shared with cross-country skiers and ski tourers: give them priority, always walk along the edge of the piste and be vigilant when crossing these shared paths.

→ Many routes cross downhill ski slopes; be vigilant and give skiers the right of way.

→ Don't walk in the cross-country ski tracks, straddle them.

→ Respect the signposting: dangers, prohibitions, trail directions, among other things.

→ Don't overestimate your abilities! 

→ Dogs are tolerated, on a leash, off the cross-country ski trails (dogs prohibited on the Lauzet itinerary of the Puy-Saint-Vincent ski area, reserved for approved sled dog teams). 

→ Take your garbage with you!

Please note: This information is given for guidance only. It is your responsibility to check the weather forecast before setting off and not to overestimate your possibilities. The Tourist Office and the PNE cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident. In case of doubt, contact professionals: instructors or equipment hire companies.


Emergency contact details: Secours Montagne: 04 92 22 22 22 or 112

5 points of interest

  • Fauna

    The Eurasian pygmy owl

    The call of this small, nocturnal bird of prey can be heard in the spring, and also in the autumn when it can utter some peculiar sounds. Active during daytime hours and at dusk, the pygmy owl is a predator of passerine birds and small forest rodents. But when they spot it, passerines will come together in large numbers to mob it, so as to prevent any attempted surprise attack. It is restricted to mountain forests where it seeks out trees with woodpecker cavities in which it builds its nest.

  • Pass

    The Col de la Pousterle

    A pousterle (in the local high-alpine Occitan language) is a small gate, a postern. It comes from the Latin posterula which means back door. This place name is sometimes given to a pass, which could be described as a gateway between two valleys! The glaciers carved out this gateway through which an arm stretched between the glacier occupying the Fournel valley and the glacier flowing down the Vallouise valley.

  • Flora

    The larch

    The symbol of the Southern Alps, this softwood tree loses its leaves in winter, and is swathed with gold and lights up the mountains in autumn. The larch forests are maintained by the grazing of flocks. Without them, other trees like the fir or other pine trees could grow, creating a different kind of forest. A pioneer species, the larch establishes freely in light conditions. Its solid rot-proof wood has always been used in the construction of houses. 

  • Fauna

    Forest-dwelling bats

    Bats don't just live in caves! In summer, some forest-dwelling species shelter in old hollow trees or woodpecker holes during the day. Sometimes, the females also form little colonies here, where their young will be born (one bat pup per female). In this forest, which is still young with very few old trees, artificial roosts have been installed to help the bats and to facilitate their study.
  • Panorama

    The Fournel valley

    This is the southern side of the Col de la Pousterle and its view over the very long Fournel valley, known for its mines, ice waterfalls, blue thistles, its canyon and other treasures. Lower down is L'Argentière-la-Bessée. At the highest point, right in the distance, is the Champsaur!