Névache and the Clarée Valley: Painted Chapels and the Lakes under the Frontier
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
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Clarée Lakes Walker
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300
XP
+100 France
= 400 total
2 days
Névache and the Clarée Valley: Painted Chapels and the Lakes under the Frontier
300 + 100 XP
North of Briançon the Clarée valley climbs past Névache and its painted churches and chapels to high lakes under the frontier ridges, such as Lac Laramon at 2,359m. At Plampinet the chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Grâces is painted with 15th-century frescoes of the vices and virtues, and Névache's church of Saint-Marcellin, also of the 15th century, holds a baroque retable of carved and gilded larch.
Required Activities
1
of 3
Walk from the Fontcouverte car park, over the footbridge opposite the Auberge de la Fruitière, up through the larches to Lac Laramon at 2,359 m and on to Lac du Serpent at about 2,450 m — 8.7 km and 600 m of climbing, about four and a half hours there and back
2
of 3
In the chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Grâces at Plampinet, work along the west wall and put a name to each of the seven deadly sins by the animal it rides: pride on a lion, avarice on a badger, gluttony on a fox, lust in a red dress on a goat, anger on a leopard, envy on a greyhound and passion as an old woman on a donkey, all chained together and led off to hell by the devil — with the seven virtues praying in the row above, Faith kneeling with her rosary
3
of 3
Go into the church of Saint-Marcellin-et-Saint-Pelage at Névache, built in the second half of the 15th century, and find the baptismal font carved by Ambroise Maritan — the same man who in 1617 built the little chapel of Sainte-Marie at Fontcouverte that you pass at the start of the lake walk
Walk from the Fontcouverte car park, over the footbridge opposite the Auberge de la Fruitière, up through the larches to Lac Laramon at 2,359 m and on to Lac du Serpent at about 2,450 m — 8.7 km and 600 m of climbing, about four and a half hours there and back
In the chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Grâces at Plampinet, work along the west wall and put a name to each of the seven deadly sins by the animal it rides: pride on a lion, avarice on a badger, gluttony on a fox, lust in a red dress on a goat, anger on a leopard, envy on a greyhound and passion as an old woman on a donkey, all chained together and led off to hell by the devil — with the seven virtues praying in the row above, Faith kneeling with her rosary
Go into the church of Saint-Marcellin-et-Saint-Pelage at Névache, built in the second half of the 15th century, and find the baptismal font carved by Ambroise Maritan — the same man who in 1617 built the little chapel of Sainte-Marie at Fontcouverte that you pass at the start of the lake walk
Before you go
The chapel at Plampinet is deconsecrated and belongs to the commune, and its frescoes are damp-damaged and under a restoration appeal, so it is not reliably unlocked — ask at the mairie or the valley tourist office for the key or the opening times before driving up. The lake walk starts above 1,850 m and holds snow into early summer, so this is a July-to-October route.
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Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
300 XP
France country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
400 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in France.
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