Col du Bastillon

Description

From the clearing, walk along the dirt track to the La Pierre mountain pasture (2039m), where the route's starting points are located to the right. Follow the Combe du Drône sign on the track that continues upstream from the alpine pasture with the red and white markings. You soon come to a fork in the path, turn left and climb halfway up the slope, approaching the left of the Drône stream, which you cross on stones just above. Rising with a moderate incline, you reach a wide pastureland plateau that you climb up to its end, following the clearly visible markings on the stones, and then bend slightly to the right towards the upper part of the valley, which becomes more stony. You arrive near a well-marked fork in the road on a boulder and, leaving the track that heads to the left, follow the track marked for the col that continues straight on. Cross the stream again and climb up a large grassy promontory with a few hairpin bends to reach a plateau. The path winds its way for hours among the low grassy rises that characterise this section and which serve as a basin for the beautiful small lakes not far from the track. Always walking without an excessive gradient, you approach the now clearly visible pass, and at the beginning of the final stretch on scree, you reach it with the last slightly steeper hairpin bends. From the pass, to the north, there is a fine panorama of Val Ferret and a partial view of Lacs Fenetre, while from south to west, the imposing northern slopes of Grand Combin and Mont Velan can be seen, as far as Pas des Chevaux and Grand Chenalette. On the descent, you can also pass by the four clearly visible small lakes without lengthening the route much.