Le Gicon, a sea of clouds above the Sautet lake
We set off as a pair from the Hauts-Gicons car park in Saint-Disdier — and took the loop the opposite way round from the guidebook, climbing via the Aup hut. The ascent is demanding; the reward, up there, was unlike anything we had seen this summer: a sea of clouds resting on the Sautet lake.
| Outing | 24 August 2026, as a pair — loop done counter-clockwise to the guidebook |
| Distance | ≈8.3 km — +800 m of climbing (Visorando guidebook) |
| Summit | Le Gicon, 2,086 m — one of the Dévoluy’s finest viewpoints |
| Best for | Walkers — steep, partly trackless climb, not for children |
The other way round, via the Aup hut
The classic route climbs along the west cliff and descends the scree towards the Aup hut. We did the opposite: up the Queyras stream track to the hut (1,575 m), then the steep slope above — rolling scree and trackless sections. This is the demanding part of the day: it climbs hard, you pick your line and place every step. Several walkers in the guidebook reviews actually recommend this direction, precisely to climb these slopes rather than descend them.
Once past the rock step, the Gicon’s north shoulder unrolls to the summit — and the whole Dévoluy opens up at once.
The sea of clouds
At the summit (2,086 m), the view is genuinely sublime: that day, a sea of clouds covered the valley and the Sautet lake, with the Obiou in the foreground and, beyond, the Vercors, Chartreuse and Oisans ranges. You linger. The Gicon’s flanks are also home to chamois and black grouse — discretion recommended in the early morning.
The full route is described in the Visorando guidebook for Le Gicon (8.26 km, +801 m, ≈4h40) — in the classic direction; allow the same the other way round.
Our tips
This is not an outing for children: the slope above the Aup hut is steep, loose and partly trackless — proper shoes and poles make all the difference, and avoid it in wet weather. Little water along the way: carry plenty, as everywhere in the massif.
Start early: it is the best window for the light on the Dévoluy’s western wall — and the right window to hope for a sea of clouds. The Hauts-Gicons car park (at the antenna above Saint-Disdier) is about a twenty-minute drive from the chalet.
