Le Meale

Hit the heights - no ice axe required! 

START: Parking du Meale (near Les Orrs)
FINISH: Parking du Meale (near Les Orrs)
DISTANCE: 5 miles
TIME: 3hours

One of the best parts of remaining outside the Écrins National Park is the possibility of getting on to the tops of mountains fairly easily. While the valleys, lakes and glaciers are wonders to behold, ice and cliff make the high Écrins peaks largely inaccessible without ice axe, climbing gear and a wealth of experience. Outside, however, anybody can bag themselves an alpine top, and with it a great panorama of views too.

Le Méale is one such mountain. Sat almost exactly opposite to Mont Guillaume, with an equally spectacular view of the entirety of the Lac de Serre-Ponçon, Le Méale is a great viewpoint for those who prefer walking without having to lug an ice axe about.


The walk itself begins at the seemingly purpose-built car park which lies on one of Le Méale's flanks, though this is relatively hidden so some directions may be necessary. First of all, make your way up to the small village of Les Orrs. From there find the sign which says "parking de l'eglise" (church parking) and take this road. Follow this road up and passed the church parking itself, and you will find yourself on an un-tarmacked road, which will slowly but surely take you up to the carpark itself.


View this route in a Larger Map

From the carpark, located in the forest which covers the majority of the mountain's flanks, the way should be pretty clear: all sign posts so far point to a single path, leading steeply north out of the car park.

Continue up this path and soon you will come to a much wider track used by forestry vehicles. Take this track round to the right.

Walking up this track, you will see a series of what look like dried up river courses either side of the track. When you do, look up to your left and take some time to gaze up at the amazing rock scenery, and indeed further time to picture what it must be like in winter, with the water courses in full flow!

You will not have to walk far before you come to a junction, with a narrower path diverging off the main forestry road. As the signs (all of which look forlorn on the floor - whoever put them up evidently could not be bothered sticking them in the ground) indicate, you should take the sign which only reads "Le Meale" - the other route is longer and for not any particular extra gain. Therefore, be sure to take the other path, leaving the forest road behind.

Follow this path as it climbs higher and higher through the forest; it is not particularly steep so you should find it no bother, though be wary of when the path switches back on itself.

Soon the path crosses yet another forestry road: ignore this red herring and cross straight over the road and on to another path. There are waymarkers here so you should see it easily.

Climb higher through the forest, and shortly you will find yourself on an open terrace walk, with views over the trees to your left towards lac de Serre-Ponçon, and you will be able to see the awe-inspiring cliff faces and rock formations up to your right. Be sure, however, to only watch the views when stationary: this is the trickiest section of the walk, with parts of the path being quite dusty and slippery. Take care.

Once passed this bit, however, you are rewarded greatly: although the views disappear along with the cliff faces and scree, you soon enter an alpine forest-cum-meadow. Here, flowers intermingle with the trees: flowers of blue, purple, yellow and red all line either side of the path, as if nature opened out a colourful carpet to guide you up to the top.

Looking north and west, towards the Ecrins National Park

After ascending a little further, you will come to another junction: this is in fact the alternative route joining back to hit your path - take the path round to the left. The top beckons.

Continue through the last extent of the forest and soon the trees disappear, leaving just you, the meadow flowers and the increasingly spectacular views. Follow the path round until you see a cairn on your left. This is not the top (I know you're tired, but you still shouldn't get your hopes up like that!) but is instead an indicator to get off the path you are currently on - for some bizarre reason this path does not go directly to the top, instead skirting the side of the hill. When you hit the point at which you see the cairn, head towards it, and you should pick up a separate path which leads you directly up to the cairn which acts as the true marker of Le Meale's top.

Le Meale's cairn.

The top itself is quite iconic: a lonely cairn atop a jutting summit, looking down over the valley. While the view to Lac de Serre-Ponçon is perhaps not quite as good as from further down the hillside, other views have opened up to you. To the south, Pic de Morgon sits out into the main Serre-Ponçon valley; to the west the snowy bulks of the Écrins loom menacingly; you can glare back in the knowledge you have ascended a top which requires no ice axe or crampons; to the north, the Queyras regional park sits splendidly in the sunshine. Perhaps the best view is that to the immediate east and south: a wall of mountains in all shapes and sizes, from rocky buttresses atop pointed peaks to lush green hillsides. It all combines to a view which might be quite typical in the southern Alps, but is nevertheless unique in its contrasts.

The wall of mountains to the east and south.

Once you have taken in the view and had a bite to eat, descend the way you came, taking in the views of Lac de Serre-Ponçon in its entirety once again.

It is always satisfying to sit atop an alpine peak, and few are as varied and beautiful as this. A great walk.