Puy de Saint-Evence, from Col Saint-Pantaléon

Access

From the motorway exit of Châtillon, turn left along Via E. Chanoux. Go past the roundabout, third exit, and continue through the town centre for about 600m and then turn right into Via Menabrea, which you should follow until you reach the roundabout with the "Cervino" on the inside. Take the second exit and take the regional road , following it for 8km until Antey-Saint-André where you turn left onto the regional road . Climb for just over 6km to reach the hamlet of Mognod and the centre of Torgnon. Turn left, following the signs for the regional road for Col Saint-Pantaleon. After 3.2km you will reach a car park on the left side of the road.

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Introduction

Short walk following a path with little altitude difference. An excellent walk through the woods and with spectacular panoramic views of Valtournenche and the Central Valley. Given the moderate quality of the path, this walk is also suitable for comfortable mountain biking.

Description

Leaving the car park, descend briefly back down the regional road until you meet, on the left, the signpost indicating the direction to follow to reach the Saint-Evence Chapel.

0h00' Turn left and descend the short dirt track that leads to the Saint-Pantaléon Chapel (1645m), this building dates from 1845, but stands on the remains of an earlier oratory dedicated to the same saint. 

0h05' Once past the chapel, the route proceeds through a beautiful coniferous forest with interesting panoramic views of the Cervino, the Valtournenche, the Emilius group and the plateaus below. The route follows a wide and comfortable path along a wooded watershed ridge between the Valtournenche and the plateaus of Saint-Denis and Verrayes. Our walk proceeds gently, following the continuous ups and downs of the path. After about 20 minutes, we reach, in the middle of the forest, the turnoff, on the left, for the Sez de Creuvo: we ascend the forest for about a hundred metres and come across a peculiar hollow stone inside.
0h20' Back on the main path, the trail encounters some benches that, placed along the way, allow us to enjoy the beautiful panorama that opens up over the central valley. Finally, you reach the plateau where the characteristic chapel is built (1674m, 0h40'). The chapel was inaugurated in 1727 and renovated on 30 June 1996. It is dedicated to Saint-Evence, a veteran of the Theban Legion, who wandered through these mountains and built a hermitage here... but perhaps these are just legends...
From the chapel, the panorama is very interesting: you can enjoy an excellent view of the entire middle and lower central valley, in particular of Mont Tantané, Mont Zerbion, Mont Barbeston and les Dames de Challand (Becca Torché and Becca di Viou). All this can also be enjoyed while enjoying a picnic, as there are wooden tables and benches near the chapel intended for this purpose.