The most beautiful hikes of the Ecrins mountains
Duration : 5 days
France, Southern Alps
Level : from easy to intermediate
from 632 € / p. from 4 to 8 persons
Infos & Booking
Description
Up in the mountains, it's already autumn. The mountains are peaceful, the first snows are dusting the peaks, but the temperatures are still mild and the light is superb. It's my favorite season, the one when the larch, king of the Southern Alps, dons its most beautiful colors, all shades of golden yellow and orange. It's this season, generally overlooked by hikers, that I want to share with you during these five days of wild hiking in the heart of the Écrins National Park.
During this trip, you'll hike one or two classic, unmissable trails, then explore some off-the-beaten-path autumn walks that I particularly love, where the focus is on enjoying the colors and atmosphere rather than the summits.
This hiking trip is easy to moderate, with a maximum elevation gain of around 600 meters per day. Magnificent landscapes, fauna, flora and heritage are all there, and the welcome is top-notch every evening at our super neighbors' gîte hotel des 5 Saisons!
Program
Day 1: Summit of Simous and the sunny side of Freissinières.
The sunny side of Freissinières, a beautiful semi-wooded slope dotted with hamlets facing south, has the particularity of being home to a large number of woody species including numerous deciduous trees which offer the autumn hiker a multicolored spectacle full of nuances. The climb is gentle through the old cultivation terraces and little by little the view opens onto the valley and the surrounding peaks. From above the panorama is breathtaking over the high peaks of the Écrins where the first snows are already shining.
Altitude gain and loss: 600 meters, 5 hours of walking.
Day 2: Glacier Blanc, in the heart of the Écrins.
It is in the heart of the Écrins massif that we are going today. Departing from Pré de Madame Carle, the atmosphere is high mountain: all the surrounding peaks flirt with 4000 meters of altitude! Passing the imposing rock mass of the Glacier Noir, we will climb towards the Glacier Blanc which rises at the foot of the Barre des Écrins, the highest peak in the Southern Alps at 4102 meters. A pretty little plateau awaits us, as well as an ephemeral lake in which the surrounding peaks, low altitude vegetation and a breathtaking view of the glacier are reflected!
Altitude gain and loss: 550 meters, 5 hours of walking.
Day 3: Narreyroux valley.
This day is a little easier to regain strength in the middle of the week. We leave for a beautiful foray into the Narreyroux valley, with its old alpine chalets and its superb larch. A nice climb on the ridge will allow us to reach a superb balcony path which dominates the valley. The descent is calm along the edge of the torrent. We will take advantage of the day to visit the village of Vallouise and its 15th century church renowned for its frescoes.
Altitude gain and loss: 450 meters, 4.5 hours of walking.
Day 4: Dormillouse and Fangeas Lake.
At the bottom of the superb Freissinières valley, Dormillouse, the only inhabited hamlet in the central area of the Écrins park, is a haven of peace suspended far from the world. Above, a superb lake overlooked by high peaks, a prehistoric site among the highest in the Alps and always a unique atmosphere in the most remote places of the Écrins massif await you.
Altitude gain and loss: 600 meters.
Day 5: Hières greenhouse.
Suspended above the Durance at the entrance to Vallouise, the hamlet of Bouchier is a little paradise which has retained its tranquility and all the charm of a small mountain hamlet. We will climb the Roche Motte crest together to emerge at the Hières greenhouse in a beautiful meadow suspended from the magnificent panorama, from Briançon to Guillestre. Descent via the Bois de Bouchier or if you are in good shape via the superb Rouilles trail.
Altitude gain and loss: 600 meters, 5 hours of walking.
The price includes
- Supervision by the mountain leader.
- 4 nights full board accomodation with packed lunch.
The price does not include
- Round-trip transportation to Freissinières, a half-hour drive from Briançon and one hour and fifteen minutes from Gap.
- Transfers to the starting points of the hikes (carpooling).
- Drinks and aperitifs.
- Snacks.
- Anything not mentioned in "The price includes".
Accommodation
5 saisons lodge/hotel in Freissinières.