La Routo® : trek with donkeys in the Southern Alps
Duration : 6 days
France, Southern Alps
Level : for families used to walking, children aged 7 and over
from 590 € / 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.
This trek can be preceded by a 5-day donkey trek in Ubaye.
If you like the idea, I also offer:
- family treks with donkeys in the Baronnies and Vercors,
- a stay to celebrate transhumance in the Diois,
- an itinerary with donkeys in the Vercors massif,
- and a 4-day trek with donkeys in the Baronnies.
Program
D1: Le Vernet (1200m).
Arrival around 5pm.
Meet the group, the donkeys, the guide and the Tis'ânes team.
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 (1600m) - Bernardez hut (1970m).
From the Bellevue forest house, we head for the Pic du Bernardez (2420m) and its panoramic view of the surrounding massifs and the Ubaye valley. We make our way quietly back down to our bivouac, near the shepherds' hut that looks after the ewes on the mountain pasture. We set up camp near the spring and take advantage of the site to observe the mountain wildlife: marmots, chamois and more!
Distance: 7km, D+: 700m, D-: 300m, 4 hours' walk.
Night in bivouac.
D5: Bernardez hut (1970m) - Laverq hut (1600m).
Before reaching the small village of Saint-Barthélemy, we cross streams and brooks ideal for swimming. We then climb up to the Laverq refuge, where Emmanuelle will be delighted to welcome us and serve us a delicious meal of which only she has the secret. We're even treated to a hot shower!
Distance: 8km, D+: 350m, D-: 750m, 4 hours' walk.
Night in a mountain refuge
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).
The price includes
- Supervision by the mountain leader specialized in traveling with 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 and teenagers from 13 years old: 675€.
- Children aged 7 to 12: 590€.
The price does not include
- Return transport to Le Vernet, about half an hour drive north of Digne-les-Bains.
- 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.
- 3 nights in bivvy.
- 1 night in a mountain hut.