Randonnée pédestre : Sur les pas d'antan

From the Tourist Office, go to the Col de La Morte and cross the D114. Take the Chemin de la Scie towards the waterfall. After 300 m continue straight on the Chemin de la Scie (unpaved road becoming a trail) leading to the Cascade. Join the waterfall by the track going down to the left. Cross the footbridge that crosses the torrent of Guériment: the penstock that operated the old swing saw (R1) until the 1960s is visible above the building that housed the saw (currently private property).

Then go down along the torrent du Guériment, pass a barrier and go down the Chemin de la Cascade to the D114. Cross the departmental road and turn right. Follow the playground on the pedestrian path. Cross the D114: the memorial stone of the Paul Mistral family (R2) is a few meters from the war memorial.

Passing in front of the school and the town hall, then around the turn of the D114. To your right, observe the old STD refuge (Société des Touristes du Dauphiné).(R3)

Just after the former STD refuge, cross the D114 to pass between the buildings of the hamlet of Le Couvent. Notice the rounded protuberance of the building on the left: it is a bread oven whose access is located inside the house, as well as the cement basin (R4), which was the only water point for men and animals (private property), in winter and summer, until the 1950s. (there was no running water on the farms). Then cross the culvert that crosses the Guériment and continue on this path (taking care not to walk in the hay meadows on either side). At its end, turn right until you reach the Grand Rif farm.

Shortly after the farm, ignore the first road on your left and continue along the main road until you reach the next intersection. There are 3 paths: take the one in the center and continue to a small pass. Leave on the left path: about 40 m away you can see the ruins of a farm and its cistern (R5): having no source nearby, the water from the thatched roofs was collected and stored in a cistern for the needs of men and animals.

Retrace your steps (about 40 m) and turn left into the Combe du Lacca. Walk about a hundred meters until you see on your right the ruins of a building (R6) which included 3 houses (presence of terminal no. 35 of an orientation trail above the ruins).

In front of the ruins: then take a narrow winding path that begins and goes up into the forest to join the Chemin des Grangettes. Turn right on this road until you reach the parking lot of the Desert hamlet.
Admire the view on: the pastures and the ski slopes, Le Grand Serre (in front of you), the village of Sappey below, the Vercors, the Grenobloise basin, the Chartreuse, Chamrousse Olympic station, the Belledonne chain. You can go up to the Desert Cross (R7) at the end of the parking lot of the Desert hamlet.

Cross the parking lot again to find the top of the Desert road and go to the René Mistral museum (exhibition of old tools, evolution of the ski resort, etc.).
50 m after the exhibition, turn right at the corner of the Desert bread oven (private property).

Continue on the Desert road (200 m from the Chapel) to the Cochettes ski lifts parking and take the path that passes under the two ski lifts. Follow this path for 450 m until you find the Desert road and turn right.

At the level of the building ‘Grizzli I and II’, turn left and go down the driveway of the Château de Paille to reach the communal bread oven (R9) .
Then go along the right-hand side of the lake (a hill reserve that supplies the artificial snow factory) and pass in front of the artificial snow factory.

Find the road to the desert and pass the old forge (R10) (private property).
Take the D114 on the right and go up to the Col de la Morte and the Tourist Office.