Le col de Freissinières

"Whilst coming down from the Fressinières pass one July morning, where there were still névés on the the slopes that had the least sun, two animals were running in the snow. Two roe deer at 2500 metres in altitude! What fantastic adaptability! »
Blandine Delenatte and Jean-Philippe Telmon, wardens

Mines
A few remains of the exploitation of the ancient mine are disseminated around the sector of Fangeas. These mines go back to the Middle Ages, a period during which we exploited silver-lead and copper. It was a small exploitation, no doubt associated with the mines at Fournel. The metal mined was used to mint feudal currency. The mine works are now filled in and flooded, which has enabled us to find well preserved remains: scaffolding, turned wooden bowls, the sole of a shoe. Archeologists have been excavating the mine for the last ten years they started by siphoning off the flood water from the tunnels. The mines are not accessible to the public and we have deliberately not communicated their exact location. For more information about this heritage, contact the mining museum at l'Argentière la Bessée.

Marsh tit

Black Grouse

Alpine Accentor

Chamois

Alpine Columbine

The alpine ibex

Turk's cap lily

Yellow gentian

Common frog

Large marsh grasshopper

Marmot

Mountain houseleek

Snowfinch

Glacier buttercup

Round-leaved penny cress
Description
From the Cascades Car Park, take the path to the left, where you will find the entrance to the National Park, indicated by three explanatory panels (Leave the bridge that leads to the winter trail to the right). Cross the footbridge over the Oules stream and follow bends in the path along a large waterfall before crossing a zone of scree. As this 'summer' trail crosses an avalanche zone, it is not used in the winter. It has a gentle slope and is wide, enabling the inhabitants of Dormillouse to restock with the help of tracked wheelbarrows.
- At the following junction, stay on the track to the right (the one to the left leads to the Fangeas lake and the Terres Blanches pass).
- Follow the trail towards Dormillouse and before the footbridge, turn left following the signs for lac Faravel, lac Palluel, Fressinières pass.
- When you come to the next fork in the road, take the footpath to the right towards the Fressinières pass.
- When you arrive on the Arduin plateau, carry straight on at the 4 roads crossroads towards the Fressinières pass. The trail enters the forest of larch and follows the right bank of the Biaysse climbing up to the Chichin valley. It crosses the Chichin glacial cross-cliff by means of a small footbridge, reaches the pastoral hut, continues along the edge of the Lauzeron lake then weaves in and out of the moraines until it reaches the pass.
- The return trip is made by the same route. It is also possible to reach Prapic and return via the Terres Blanches over 2 days.
- Departure : Cascades Car Park, FressinièresCascades Car Park, Fressinières
- Towns crossed : Freissinières
Altimetric profile
Sensitive areas
Julien Charron
julien.charron@ecrins-parcnational.fr
Recommandations
No camping in the Cascades Car Park (including inside a vehicule), bivouac permitted at least an hour's walk away from the park boundaries.
No campfires in the heart of the Park.

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".
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Transport
Nearest SNCF train station: l'Argentière les Ecrins - www.voyages-sncf.com then taxi. (Taxi Pellegrin 06 98 88 17 78 / Taxi Billau 06 08 03 45 90)
Access and parking
From the main RN94 road north of la Roche de Rame, head towards Fressinières on the D38 then D38B roads. Go through Fressinières and follow the D238 road, which heads right up to the Cascades Car Park on the valley floor. This is the end of the road in the bottom of the Fressinières valley. In the snowy season, the road is closed.
Parking :
Source

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