Stay "Panoramic paths of the Ecrins

Accessible to all

Adaptable to shorter durations (4, 5, 6 or 7 days)

Stay presented here for 7 days (medium difficulty).

Dates: mid-June to mid-September

Languages spoken: French and English

Material and equipment: hiking equipment, a precise list of recommended hiking equipment will be sent to you on request

Accommodation: refuge, gîte, hotel

• Day 1: Meeting point and departure from Besse en Oisans.

Ascent: 690m

Walking time: 3h30

Ascent to the Emparis plateau (from "en Paris", as the richness and beauty of this immense alpine pasture reminded us of the grandeur of Paris...). The plateau is of tremendous scenic interest, and is protected as a listed site. A magnificent belvedere, it is also, and above all, a vast and rich alpine pasture territory considered to be one of the best in the Alps. Unforgettable sunrises and sunsets over the Meije, the Rateau and the glaciers of Mont de Lans, Girose, Meije and Tabuchet. In the 1930s, the Touring Club de France seriously proposed building a panoramic route between Alpe d'Huez and Le Lautaret. It would have crossed the Emparis plateau, where several hotels were planned!

Overnight on the plateau

• Day 2:

Vertical rise positive: 200m

Negative altitude gain: 960m

Duration: 5 hours

Departure facing the Girose and Mont de Lans glaciers, we pass Lac Lérié and Lac Noir, facing the majestic Meige whose reflections drown in the lakes..

An unforgettable stage with breathtaking views!

Overnight in a charming hamlet facing the Meije, a privileged and unforgettable setting!

• Day 3 :

Vertical rise positive: 1100m

Negative altitude gain: 400m

Duration: 4 hours

La Grave (a Celtic word meaning beach or gravel): set at an altitude of 1500m on a rocky promontory overlooking the Romanche valley, La Grave has been the administrative and commercial center of the Haut-Oisans since the Middle Ages. At that time, while the upper part of the valley seemed largely populated, this important community had more inhabitants than Bourg d'Oisans, the economic and administrative capital. La Grave is said to have been surrounded by a fortified enclosure, which has now completely disappeared, but which still links up with the highly concentrated urban fabric of the village. The church at La Grave is a true reminder of a time when the village dominated the upper Romanche valley, and is now a listed historic monument.

We're now going to take a closer look at a mineral and glacial universe.

The glacial lake of Puy Vachier, so popular with local fishermen. We're on the famous La Grave ski area!

Spend the night at Refuge Chancel, where you're guaranteed a warm welcome!

• Day 4 :

Vertical rise positive: 1100m

Negative altitude gain: 250m

Duration: 5 hours

A gentle day with an unforgettable panorama: we climb at the foot of the most beautiful peaks in the Ecrins: le Rateau, la Meije, le Bec de l'Homme. A bucolic afternoon in alpine meadows and larch forests.

• Day 5:

Vertical rise positive: 645m for the morning / optional afternoon (2 to 3 hours depending on motivation)

Duration: 2h30

This is the domain of the Circaète Jean Leblanc, which often flies over the valley in the morning in search of its prey. Climb up to the source of the Romanche, the pas d'Anna Falque. We finally enter the heart of the Parc National des Ecrins, beneath the glacier de l'homme. A return trip to the sources de la Romanche (2143m) is possible, where the view of the Platte des Agneaux glacier and the Tombe Murée glacier is breathtaking. At the end of the day, being in the central zone of the park, chamois are often to be seen..

• Day 6 :

Vertical rise positive: 270m

Negative altitude gain: 840m

Duration: 5 hours

Col d'Arsine, marmot paradise! An early start may give us the chance to spot a few chamois?

A few detours allow us to discover some beautiful glacial lakes. We can almost touch the ice here!

Magnificent descent into the Serre-Chevalier valley, along the Réou d'arsine and its many opaque glacial flour lakes, giving surprising shades of color.

• Day 7 :

Vertical rise positive: +545m

Duration: 2h30

Back up to the valley floor, along the Guisane: the Serre-Chevalier valley!

A beautiful last stage along the river, crossing meadows and pastures, we reach one of the most beautiful passes in the Alps.

Facing the Glacier de l'Homme, we end our tour!

Transfer back to our vehicles.