Plan the return before booking nights
The other side of a pass may be steeper or harder than the ascent. Check the entire circuit in your intended direction before fixing overnight stops.
- Check every trail and pass on a suitable map.
- Distinguish cumulative ascent from the altitude difference between overnight stops.
- Locate a shorter return that does not depend on the final pass.
Give your stages a clear structure
A rewarding loop does not need many overnight stops. Two well-placed nights can leave more time for scenery than a circuit with distant targets.
- Schedule the hardest day when the group can start rested.
- Check water points and the equipment needed for each night.
- Compare the constraints of a free cabin and a booked refuge.
Study the terrain, not a straight-line link
The areas below help you explore entries and terrain. No link between the two maps is offered as a validated loop: choose a documented route and check its conditions.