The Croix du Carrelet crests
Les crêtes de la croix du Carrelet
Les crêtes de la croix du Carrelet - Kinaphoto - Parc national des Ecrins
Villard-Reymond

The Croix du Carrelet crests

Fauna
Flora
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A fine, easy-going, trilogy circuit combining the quiet of the mountain pastures, the landscape of the crests and the peace of the forest.

The magnificent Alpine meadows form a gateway and an invitation to enter the Grand Renaud corrie. In these wild and virgin landscapes, the absolute quiet of the area encourages observation and contemplation. Once you reach the crests, the feeling of isolation gives way to an overwhelming impression of ethereal freedom. The return through the forest immerses the hiker in aromas, a perfect trilogy for recharging your batteries.


Description

Park in the entrance car park below Villard-Reymond and take the forest path below the Chemin De Velzut (1614m), which follows the curve of the Cirque du Grand Renaud. After crossing several hollows, the path loops upwards through the magnificent flower meadows in the mountains. The path leads up steeply to Le Grand Riou (1608m), with a plunging view above the wild torrent. From Le Grand Riou, to the left, the winding ascent runs through the vast Grand Renaud corrie, then takes a sharp turn toward a small rocky col up to Le Clot de La Selle (2083m). Continue round the slope through the grass below the crest, until you reach the top. You can then enjoy a panoramic view as far as Croix de Carrelet. The steep, winding descent provides a nice view, then runs through a magnificent forest of larch, pine and spruce. At Col de la Maison du Loup (1785m), turn off towards Villard-Reymond.

  • Departure : Villard-Reymond
  • Arrival : Villard-Reymond
  • Towns crossed : Villard-Reymond and Villard-Notre-Dame

7 points of interest

  • Pipistrelle commune
    Pipistrelle commune - Jean-Pierre Nicolet - PNE
    Fauna

    Common pipistrelle

    Brown in colour with relatively short ears, the common pipistrelle and the kuhl's pipistrelle are rivals for the title of Europe's smallest bat. The common pipistrelle can be found in a wide range of ecological environments, even above an altitude of 2,000 m. In late 19th century France, school books celebrated the virtues of the bat. They are insectivores, eating a quarter or a third of their weight each day in mosquitoes and other insects. They emit ultrasounds that cannot be heard by the human ear. This technique helps them to find their way in the dark and capture their prey. They are often to be seen around lampposts, hunting insects that are attracted to the light.

  • Campanule thyrsoide dans une pelouse à grande fétuque
    Campanule thyrsoide dans une pelouse à grande fétuque - Bernard Nicolet - PNE
    Flora

    Yellow bellflower

    This campanula is easy to recognise, with its tufts of highly compact yellow flowers. It is one of the few Alpine biannual plants. The seeds scattered in autumn produce large, slender leaves the first year, growing in a rosette shape. The flower only blooms the second year, when it ensures its posterity, then dies. The plant can be found on Alpine grassland (from altitudes of 1,000 to 2,600 m) and on rocky ground and soil that is rich in limestone. Standing on a thick, hollow stalk with a great many leaves, it is 10 to 40 cm tall.

  • Accenteur alpin sous les rayons du soleil
    Accenteur alpin sous les rayons du soleil - Damien Combrisson - PNE
    Fauna

    Alpine accentor

    The alpine accentor is roughly the same size as a sparrow. It is another inhabitant of the high mountains. On its back, its ash grey plumage is striped with a few black streaks. It has characteristics russet blazes on its flanks. It can regularly be seen hopping around the meadows and perching on the bare stone, singing. It frequently comes to peck on crumbs around the refuges. When winter comes, it moves down into the valleys. Its seasonal movements even take is as far as rocky areas on the coastline. At snowmelt, it is a formidable predator of small invertebrates rendered motionless by the cold along the snow line.

  • Vautour fauve en plein vol
    Vautour fauve en plein vol - Christian Couloumy - PNE
    Fauna

    Griffon vulture

    In flight, the silhouette of the griffon vultures is unique: rectangular, massive and contrasting. Their wingspan varies from 2.6 metres to 2.8 metres and they weigh 6 to 9 kg... before eating! When on the ground, they are characterised by their brown and cream colouring and a long neck, covered with short white fluff, which protrudes from a ruff of downy white feathers. Vultures are gregarious and live in colonies on the cliffs. This species is primary a scavenger.

  • Grassette commune
    Grassette commune - Jean-Pierre Nicolet - PNE
    Flora

    Butterwort

    Its light green, almost yellow, leaves give it away against the damp ground. The top sides of its sticky leaves are a real trap for the midges that venture onto them. The plant is carnivorous, to make up for the lack of nitrogen in the damp ground..

  • Tétra Lyre au printemps
    Tétra Lyre au printemps - Robert Chevalier - PNE
    Fauna

    Black grouse

    The upper limit of the forest is the best place to find the black grouse. Relying on her dull plumage, the hen stays camouflaged in the undergrowth. So it is very difficult to spot her. By contrast, the black and white cocks with red «eyebrows» are far less inconspicuous, especially during the breeding season when their loud bubbling and grating calls echo around the mountains in the early morning.

  • Villard-Reymond, le village
    Villard-Reymond, le village - © Parc national des Ecrins - Pascal Saulay
    Architecture

    Villard-Reymond

    Perched at an altitude à 1640 m, this is the highest village in Isère, and the second highest in France. 40 people live here today (but just six permanent residents), while there were almost 300 inhabitants 150 years ago. The fairly gentle slopes and favourable orientation gave rise to pastoral farming, despite the high altitude. The farmers used to work at the Ornon slate works, the women worked at home for glove-makers in Grenoble. Access to the valleys has always been difficult, and in 1960 a cable car was used to take cattle down into the Bourg d’Oisans plain. Today, people live in and visit Villard-Reymond for the quality of its environment.


Forecast


Altimetric profile


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.

Black grouse - winter

Impacted practices:
, Land
Sensitivity periods:
JanFebMarAprDec
Contact:

Black grouse - winter

Impacted practices:
, Land
Sensitivity periods:
JanFebMarAprDec
Contact:

Black grouse - winter

Impacted practices:
, Land
Sensitivity periods:
JanFebMarAprDec
Contact:

Black grouse - winter

Impacted practices:
, Land
Sensitivity periods:
JanFebMarAprDec
Contact:

Black grouse - winter

Impacted practices:
, Land
Sensitivity periods:
JanFebMarAprDec
Contact:

Recommandations

Herd protection dogs

In mountain pastures, protection dogs are there to protect the herds from predators (wolves, etc.).

When I hike I adapt my behavior by going around the herd and pausing for the dog to identify me.

Find out more about the actions to adopt with the article "Protection dogs: a context and actions to adopt".
Tell us about your meeting by answering this survey.

Information desks

Maison du Parc du Valbonnais

Place du Docteur Eyraud, 38740 Entraigues

http://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr/valbonnais@ecrins-parcnational.fr04 76 30 20 61

Reception, information, temporary exhibition room, reading room and video-projection on demand. Shop: products and works of the Park. Free admission. All animations of the Park are free unless otherwise stated.

Find out more

Oisans Park house

Rue Gambetta, 38520 Le Bourg d'Oisans

http://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr/oisans@ecrins-parcnational.fr04 76 80 00 51


Video presentation of the natural resources of the Oisans mountain and its crafts. Information, documentation about the Park, projections, reading space for children. Accessible to people with reduced mobility. Free admission. All animations of the Park are free unless otherwise stated.

Find out more

Access and parking

D526 to La Palud, then the D210 to Villard-Reymond

Parking :

Villard-Reymond car park, just before arriving in the village

Source

Parc national des Ecrinshttps://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr

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