Trek with donkeys along the transhumance paths (Southern Alps)
Duration : 5 days
France, Southern Alps
Level : for families used to walking, children aged 7 and over
from 555 € / p. from 6 to 12 persons
Infos & Booking
Description
Starting out from the village of Le Vernet, perched at an altitude of 1200 meters in the Southern Alps, I propose a 4-day hike in a mountainous but already Provencal atmosphere, in the company of pack donkeys. You'll cross unspoilt, little-traveled valleys, under the watchful eye of peaks over 2000 meters high. You'll be walking through a mecca for pastoralists: here, every year, hundreds of animals make their way to the summits to join the summer pastures! In the heart of open landscapes, in the good humor of the little donkey caravan, I'll pamper you and help you discover the rural traditions of the region.
On average, stages last from 3 to 6 hours of walking per day.
Our route follows the GR69 "La Routo®". La Routo, from the Occitan far la routo, transhumer, is a Franco-Italian project whose aim is to develop territories around the practice of transhumance and roaming tourism. It is the result of more than ten years of exchanges between the Maison de la transhumance (Salon-de-Provence) and the Unione Montana Valle Stura (Piedmont, Italy), and aims to set up and run a cross-border itinerary and network linking the Crau plain to the Stura valley.
If you like the idea, I also offer family treks with donkeys in the Baronnies and Vercors, as well as a stay to celebrate transhumance in the Diois.
Program
D1: Le Vernet (1200m).
Arrival around 5pm.
Meet the group, the donkeys, the guide and the Tis'ânes team.
Lodging and evening meal at the Tis'Ânes asinerie in Le Vernet.
Overnight in a lodge tent.
D2: Le Vernet - La Charcherie (1400m).
Hike along the GR®69 "La Routo" from Le Vernet towards La Chalose and the Charcherie plateau. Discover this magnificent abandoned hamlet with a 360-degree view of the Écrins and Dignois peaks.
Distance: 10 km, positive altitude difference: 300 meters, negative altitude difference: 100 meters, 3.5 hours of walking.
Overnight bivouac at La Charcherie near the hamlet.
D3: La Charcherie - Bellevue forest house (1600m).
The ascent of the valley begins with a beautiful hike towards the Bellevue, forest house passing through the village of Seyne-les-Alpes. We follow an ancestral path linking the hamlets, and visit the Vauban fort in Seyne and the Maison du Mulet. We reach the bivouac site in the cedar and redwood forests.
Distance: 10 km, D+: 500m, D-: 300m, 4.5 hours of walking.
Night in bivouac.
D4: Bellevue forest house - Laverq hut (1600m).
Today we head for the Bernardez peak (2420m), which offers 360-degree views of the surrounding massifs and the Ubaye valley. Before reaching the small village of Saint-Barthélemy, torrents and streams are ideal for a swim and a well-deserved break. We finish the day's walk with a climb to the Laverq hut, where Emmanuelle will be delighted to welcome you and serve you a delicious meal that only she knows how to prepare.
Distance: 15 km, D+: 1000m, D-: 1000m, 6 hours of walking.
Night in a mountain hut.
D5: Laverq hut- Méolans-Revel (1070m).
From Laverq hut, we stroll along the plateau, discovering the abbey (founded in 1145), before climbing the Séolane and descending through majestic forests. We soak up the wild charm of the area and the surrounding peaks, which rise to over 2500 meters into the blue sky. The valley is dotted with hamlets perched on low dry-stone walls. Arrival in Méolans-Revel in the afternoon.
Distance: 10 km, D+: 700m, D-: 1200m, 5 hours of walking.
Return to Le Vernet with a transfer at the end of the day.
Overnight stay at Tis'ânes (optional, to be booked on registration).
This trip can be combined with a second week of transhumance with the donkeys on the Ubaye trails. In this case, you will be transferred from Méolans-Revel to La Condamine, where you will spend the night in a gîte.
The price includes
- Supervision by the mountain leader with extensive knowledge of donkeys.
- Full-board accommodation.
- Pack donkeys and their equipment.
- Transfer from the arrival point to the departure point in the late afternoon on the last day.
- Rates:
- Adults: 625€.
- Children aged 7 to 12: 555€.
The price does not include
- Transport to and from Le Vernet.
- Additional night in Le Vernet at the end of your stay: 25 €/person in a Bell lodge tent.
- All drinks.
- Personal expenses.
- Cancellation, assistance and repatriation insurance.
- Anything not mentioned in "Price includes".
Accommodation
- 1 night in a lodge tent.
- 2 nights bivvy.
- 1 night in a mountain hut.
- 1 night in a lodge.