Via ferrata du Diable - Descente aux Enfers et Montée au Purgatoire

This superb route starts from the "batteries basses" of Fort Victor-Emmanuel. The finish is on the other side of the gorge, at the Redoute Marie-Thérèse. You'll descend into the gorge, cross the river, then climb up the wall to exit along a waterfall!

From Fort Victor-Emmanuel, slide into the cannon mouth, then take the cable that runs alongside the fort for around 50 metres. You then follow a path down to the left. The path loses its cable and you continue down to a cliff below (don't take the path to the right, which leads to another route: the vertiginous via ferrata des Rois Mages).

The 1st section, "La Descente aux Enfers" (south face - remember to bring a good supply of water), takes a downward slope that joins a vertical wall, with a slight incline that's tricky to descend, to gain a foothold on the beautiful "Passerelle des Enfers". This pretty footbridge takes you across the Arc to the river's left bank.

Part 2: "La Montée au Purgatoire" (north face). Cross to the right through a beautiful quartzite wall to reach a small hanging forest (rest, picnic possible). Then comes the last large wall along the Cascade du Nant, with a slope at the end of the route in the spray from the waterfall.

Total length: 450 m (+ 350 m of trails)

Grading: D+ (difficult)

Duration: 1h30 to 3 h

Start: lower batteries of Fort Victor-Emmanuel

Difference in altitude: negative 170 m, positive 120 m

Height: 100 m

La Descente aux Enfers et la Montée au Purgatoire is the longest of the 7 Via Ferrata du Diable routes, which stretch between the Esseillon forts and the vertiginous Arc gorges, at the foot of the Aussois and La Norma resorts.