Roche Faurio Ecrins" stay (mountaineering)

At the foot of the Glacier Blanc lies the Pré de Madame Carle. It's a mythical, wild place, just like the Écrins massif that you're going to deserve. Le Pré de Madame Carle is where your ascent of the Dôme de Neige des Écrins begins. You're not just passing through, you're living to the rhythm of the mountain you're about to climb. Before climbing to altitude, you spend the night at Madame Carle's Pré, to get into the mood and get to know your guide. You'll bond with the mountain and the rope party, and get this Écrins Alpinisme Initiation trip off to a great start.

4-day mountaineering trip with between 500 and 1000mD+ per day (difficult difficulty).

Dates: June to September

Lodging: refuge

• Day 1:

Ascent: 700m

Duration: 2 to 3 hours ascent

Meet at l'Argentière la Bessée. Safety equipment and briefing. Transfer to the Pré de Madame Carle hut (1748m). Lunch with your mountain guide, then climb to the Glacier Blanc refuge facing the Pelvoux glaciers.

Overnight at the Glacier Blanc hut (2550m).

• Day 2:

Ascent: 500m

Negative ascent: 500m

Duration: 5 to 6 hours

Departure from the refuge around 8am. Gear is left at the hut. Climb up to the glacier, which you reach after a 30-40 minute walk. You start the day with an ice school: learning to walk in crampons, holding an ice axe, fitting ice pins, roped walking. The configuration of the glacier will determine our itinerary and choice of workshops. At midday, a well-deserved break with a good picnic on the glacier's banks. The afternoon will be devoted to rock climbing, with a concentration of short mountain runs in the rocks: ascents, descents, azurage, use of the rope. Return to the refuge in the late afternoon for a period of rest and recuperation before lunch.

Overnight at the Glacier Blanc refuge.

• Day 3:

Ascent: 1000m

Negative ascent: 400m

Duration: 6 to 7 hours

Departure just before sunrise for the Pic du Glacier d'Arsine (3364m). This is the day of our first mountain hike, starting with a headlamp. As the day progresses, the panorama opens up and the great Glacier Blanc reveals itself, hemming in the landscape to the summit of the Barre des Écrins (4102m). Access to the summit is via a small, steeper snow slope or a very easy rocky ridge. Views as far as Mont Blanc and Grand Paradis. Descend to Glacier Blanc, then climb to the Ecrins refuge (3170m) after a picnic.

Overnight at the Ecrins refuge.

• Day 4:

Ascent positive: 800m

Negative altitude gain: 1900m

Duration: 8 to 10h

Night-time departure for the beautiful Roche Faurio summit. Your steps take you along the Glacier Blanc to the foot of the Barre des Ecrins, as dawn breaks. The ascent of Roche Fausion is mainly snowy until the small, rocky final ridge, on which we reach the summit, central to the Ecrins National Park: you learn to recognize all the summits. Morning descent to the Glacier Blanc refuge. Lunch at the refuge. Then down into the valley, arriving at Pré de Madame Carle around 3/16pm. Stop off at my park house to view your route.

Return to l'Argentière la Bessée and the train station around 5pm.

Price includes :

- supervision by a mountain leader

- overnight and half-board accommodation as per program

- picnics and lunches as per program

- equipment loan if required

Loan of equipment :

- mountain harness with lanyard and screw carabiner

- ice axe

- helmet

- crampons

Collective safety equipment, ropes, quickdraws, ice screws provided by Alpes Aventure