Haute Clarée tour off the beaten track (Hautes-Alpes)

Duration : 5 days

France, Southern Alps

Level : intermediate

from 660 € / p. from 1 to 8 persons

Description

I invite you to follow me on an itinerary updated in 2025 to make the most of the must-see sites in the Clarée valley while favoring wild trails and paths off the beaten track.

During this trek in the Hautes-Alpes department, in the heart of the Cerces massif, the daily elevation gain is around 800 meters, with a gentle start on the first day in two stages, allowing you to lighten your backpack a little at the refuge. Once you've settled into a pace, things get a little tougher, ending on a high note at the Pic du Lac Blanc, at an altitude of almost 3,000 meters, with its 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains. In between, lakes, lakes, and more lakes, beautiful balcony trails, and mountain refuges with a friendly welcome will enhance this superb wild itinerary.

If you would like to hike other routes in the Southern Alps, I also offer the following throughout the summer:

Program

D1: Buffère refuge and Privé lake.
A beautiful day to warm up, starting from Névache. We will first climb towards Casse Rouge, then cross over to the Buffère valley and its refuge. We can leave our backpacks there and finish the day with a loop around the beautiful Privé cirque, where it is often possible to see chamois.
Overnight stay at the Buffère refuge.
Positive altitude difference: 850 meters, negative altitude difference: 300 meters, 5 hours of walking.

D2: Col du Chardonnet.
The morning walk will take us to the Chardonnet valley via a superb wild traverse, perfect for a leisurely stroll. In the afternoon, we will climb via a detour to the Col du Chardonnet, where a magnificent view of the Écrins massif awaits us. A quick descent will then take us to the brand new Clot des Vaches refuge in the neighboring Rif valley.
Overnight stay at the Clot des Vaches refuge.
D+ and D-: 800m, 5.5 hours of walking.

D3: Col de la Ponsonnière and Lac des Béraudes.
After a short climb to the foot of the impressive Bruyère ridges, we will leave the path to find the Grand Lac valley, which we will climb up to the Ponsonnière ridge. If the weather is good, we can even make a detour to the summit of Roche Colombe, which offers a superb panorama of the Cerces, the Écrins and even Mont Blanc. We will then reach the Col des Béraudes, where a short technical passage will allow us to cross over to the other side and its magnificent, well-known lake. An easy descent then takes us to the Laval refuge, where we will spend the night.
Night at the Laval refuge.
D+ and D-: 850m, 5.5 hours of walking.

D4: The secret valleys of the upper valley.
Today we will be walking light, as we will be leaving most of our belongings at the refuge. The goal is to visit the valleys of the upper valley, and up there, there is no shortage of opportunities! In fact, we will have to choose between Lake Biron and its splendid view of the Cerces, the Baume Noire ravine, the Cabane de l'Ours and its strange rock formations, or simply the classic but superb Long and Rond lakes.
Night at the Laval refuge.
D+: 800m, D-: 950m, 6 hours of walking.

D5: Serpents and Laramon lakes, and why not the Pic du Lac Blanc?
We will experience a day of different terrains starting from the bottom of the valley. First, a balcony with lakes, then a second level with vast mountain pastures where the view stretches far and wide, then a few more lakes, and why not go all the way up to the Pic du Lac Blanc at an altitude of almost 3,000 meters to enjoy the view! Descent via the classic Serpents and Laramon lakes to Fontcouverte, where we will take a shuttle bus to Névache.
We will part ways in Névache at around 5pm.
D+: 700m (950m), D-: 900m (1150m), 5 to 6.5 hours of walking.

The price includes

Supervision by the mountain guide and his overnight stays in mountain huts.
Half board in mountain huts throughout the trip.
Picnics from day 2 to day 5.

The price does not include

Return transport to the village of Névache, half an hour's drive from Briançon.
Insurance.
Food for the hike.
Drinks and other extras at the refuge.
Picnic lunch on day 1.
Shuttle ticket for the return journey from the upper valley (8€).
Anything not mentioned in "The price includes".

Accommodation

In a mountain huts.
Hot showers, friendly welcome, home cooking and duvets provided.

Next departures :

No scheduled departure, but you can contact me to book your dates.