Notre-Dame des Neiges and its oratories

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  • Pedestrian sports
  • Hiking itinerary
05100 Puy-Saint-Pierre
The Notre-Dame des Neiges chapel sits proudly on the heights of Puy-Saint-Pierre and Le Prorel at 2292m. This hike, punctuated by numerous oratories, offers a remarkable panorama of Briançon and all the surrounding valleys.
From the church square in Puy-Saint-Pierre, take the small asphalt road opposite the church, which climbs two hairpin bends to reach the Pralong farm. A few metres past the farm, take the wide track. After about 100 m, take the path on the left, signposted "Notre-Dame des Neiges et ses oratoires". The narrow path leads to a track: on the right, you can see the Prorel ski lifts. Ignore the right-hand track and follow it to the left for around 100 m. On the right, pick up the narrow path leading to the first oratory: Sainte Marie (alt: 1700m). At this first oratory, continue straight ahead to cross the track a second time and reach the Etoile du Matin oratory (alt: 1840m). Follow the path to the left to reach the Serre Pelat ski lift, which the path passes under once. Ignore the left-hand path in the direction of the combes, and pass under the ski lift again, close to the Saint-Joseph oratory (Alt: 1950). The path then continues to pass a 4th oratory-fountain of Notre-Dame de Bon Rencontre, then bends to the left to pass under the ski lift one last time. After leaving the ski lift, the path crosses a flat area (damp in places) to pass the 5th oratory, Saint Hubert. The route ends up winding up a steep slope in scree until it reaches the chapel on a ledge. The return journey takes the same route to the oratory-fountain of Notre-Dame de Bon Rencontre. Then take the left-hand path, which gradually descends to join the Prorel trail, which leads to Ferme de Pralong. If you wish to reach the summit of Le Prorel, take the path just behind the chapel, which crosses the wide ski slopes to the end of the ski lifts, then twists and turns to reach the summit. Medium level Downhill mountain biking is forbidden in the commune of Puy-Saint-Pierre, which means you can ride in complete peace and quiet. During the summer season, the Prorel gondola provides direct access to the Prorel, making it possible to reach the Chapelle Notre-Dame-des-Neiges quickly, and to discover this downhill tour.

Documentation

Updated on 06 August 2025 at 11:32
by Office de tourisme des Hautes Vallées - La Grave - La Clarée - L'Izoard
(Offer identifier : 6618693)
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