1)You don`t need to take the same way back if you don`t want to. Instead turn right at the Le Patafan restaurant towards Crète du Doce/Chalet de Douce and continue to Douce. From here follow the signs for the Col de la Lèzette through Les Moilers. This trail is ca 45 min longer and you hike partly through the forest.
What you should know
It is a quite long hiking along the beaten road with no technical difficulties.
You can have a BBQ at the man-made reservoir with a great view in Col de la Lèzette