La Viste

A unique little walk overlooking the Lac de Serre-Poncon

TOTAL DISTANCE: 6km
APPROXIMATE TIME: 2hrs 30mins

START: Rousset
FINISH: Rousset

After walking in a certain area for a good length of time, you can begin to create vague categories of routes and walks. For instance, in this area you can begin to discriminate between the valley walks of the Ecrins and the mountain walking of the Queyras. La Viste, however, which sits outside both the Ecrins and the Queyras parks, is equally outside any form of categorisation. It lies to the south-west of the Lac de Serre-Poncon's barrage and is a steep wooded hike.

The view from La Viste. The blue pool is the tip of the Lac de Serre-Poncon

Park wherever you can in the small hamlet of Rousset up the hill from the barrage (which is, incidentally, the largest dam in Europe and a great place to buy souvenirs). Although there are few designated parking spaces, there is more than enough space to park on the eastern periphery of the small village.

From here, head to the centre of the hamlet, where hopefully you will spot a yellow and red horizontally-striped sign. Follow these signs for this walk.

The walk begins along a dusty track through an arrangement of yellow fields; depending on the time of year you may be met by either fields of barley or large hay bails, which are scattered around in many of the fields. Patches of woodland appear occasionally to both the left and right.

At the junction approximately a hundred metres from Rousset, take the higher track.

As the incline of the track begins to increase, you will begin to see the recognisable point of la Viste in front of you, the strange smattering of trees along its southern face and the slag-grey tinge of its lower crags just two of the mountain's quirks.

As the track veers to the left, and the base of la Viste forms the walker's handrail on the right hand side of the track, the land on the left of the track falls away and the views of the hidden valley beyond begin to open up.

This valley is spectacular: the road on its western edge and agricultural areas cling to the side of the cliff opposite; the hamlet of Viere nestles at the edge of the gorge surrounded by high hilltops.

Continue down the track, and an altogether different sight appears: a hillside full of solar panels offers a different view altogether, and a reminder of the changing nature of these mountain areas, especially those outside the boundaries and sanctuary of the national and regional parks.

However, though the view into the valley is a unique one, careful attention must be payed to the right hand side of the track, as you need to spot the path up onto the hillside itself.

During your journey along this track there should be three paths up to the pinacle of la Viste: the first is a signposted path, which is steep and takes you up too early; the second is not signposted and not on the map so should be ignored; the third is the path to take.

This is itself a steep path, but if you persevere up through the woodland for approximately four hundred metres, the incline will begin to plateau and you can begin to see between the trees to the views beyond.

The views here are indeed tremendous: the full ridge is displayed to the south, whilst the lac de Serre-Poncon and the mountains beyond reveal themselves through the trees.



Care must be taken, however, as the path from here on falls away in places; viewspotting here should be taken with the greatest amount of care, and any perseverance towards the very top itself is not advised due to the dangerousness of the cliffs and the unreliable nature of the path which hovers very close to them.


As the incline begins to level out, suddenly the land falls away.

Instead, I advise to remain at the first level section and admire the views from here. Afterwards, retrace your steps back to Rousset.

A lovely morning or afternoon walk with unique views, la Viste is a very different walk to others in the area.