Sigoyer – Mountain Scenery, Hiking Trails and Climbing Areas

Mountain scenery and outdoor activities take centre stage in Sigoyer. The mountainous area of the commune includes forests, including the Forêt domaniale de Ceüze, and alpine pastures. The Falaise de Céüse forms a semicircle around the forest and opens onto a vast plateau with meadows. This brings together wooded areas, alpine pastures and an open high plateau as distinct landscape features. Options for outings include hiking trails, climbing areas and a route to the plateau.

Hiking Trails and Viewpoints

Numerous hiking trails cross Sigoyer and lead to viewpoints, including the summits of Céüzette and Céüze. If you want a named destination for a hike, these summits provide clear points of reference. This makes it easy to plan your day: should a viewpoint be your destination, or would you rather focus on one of the climbing areas? The trails and their destinations offer a different focus from the routes and difficulty grades of the climbing areas.

Climbing Areas and Routes

The Blocs de Céüse is an equipped climbing area designed to introduce families to the sport and help them learn to climb. It includes a children’s bouldering route as well as a route for rock climbing and roped climbing. The area therefore offers different forms of climbing: bouldering on the children’s route, and rock or roped climbing routes. These blocs place particular emphasis on getting started and on the different routes. Local conditions may change.

The Site d'escalade de Céüse climbing area offers grades from 4 to 9b and includes 50 well-equipped routes graded between 5c and 6b. These two figures provide different points of reference: the climbing area spans grades from 4 to 9b, while its 50 routes are graded between 5c and 6b. When choosing between the climbing options listed, the Blocs focus on getting started and the routes, while the Site d'escalade de Céüse focuses on grade ranges and route numbers. Conditions on individual routes may change; check them before climbing.

Via Ferrata de Céüse: Direction, Equipment and Times

The Via Ferrata de Céüse is a 40 m-high access route to the Plateau de Céüze. It may only be climbed uphill. You need an approved helmet, a climbing harness and approved lanyards; check the safety conditions locally before setting out. For planning purposes, the approach and descent should be considered separately: the approach from the car park at Les Guérins takes 1 hour and 15 minutes, and the descent via the Plateau de Céüze takes 1 hour and 45 minutes. The descent is therefore the longer of the two sections listed. These times can help you include both stages in your plans.

Forest Trails and History

Forest and heritage routes also offer their own points of interest. The Sentier patrimonial forestier de Ceüse leads to the Grotte des Maquisards. Another destination is the Ancienne Pépinière de Sigot, at an elevation of 1,550 m: the former path of the Pépinière de Sigot, restored by the ONF, leads there. The named destinations are clearly distinct—a cave on one route and a former tree nursery on the other. At the Ancienne Pépinière de Sigot, forestry workers built terraces during the reforestation of the massif in the early 20th century. The terraces are thus linked to the area’s forestry history. Together with hikes, climbing routes and the Via Ferrata, this historical focus adds to the options you can use to plan your stay in Sigoyer.

Discover more destinations: Les Infournas, Molines-En-Queyras, Saint-Julien-En-Beauchêne, Pelvoux, Arvieux, Névache, Ribiers, Saint-Blaise.

For the wider travel overview: Hautes-Alpes.