Читать книгу 100 Hut Walks in the Alps - Kev Reynolds - Страница 23

WALK 11

Refuge du Carrelet (1909m: 6263ft)

Start	La Bérarde (1713m: 5620ft)
Valley base	La Bérarde
Distance	4km (2½ miles) one way
Total ascent	196m (643ft)
Time	1hr up, 45mins down
Map	Rando Éditions Carte de Randonnées ‘Écrins’ 1:50,000

Although this is one of the shortest and easiest walks in the book, there are two opportunities to extend it to other huts situated further upvalley. La Bérarde in any case has so much to offer as a base for a walking holiday, that this particular outing merely serves as a taster. As the highest settlement in the Vénéon valley, La Bérarde is primarily a climbing centre. Although little more than a hamlet, it has a large campsite, gîte d’étape, a couple of small hotels, restaurants, a basic grocery, information office/bureau des guides, and a CAF Centre d’Alpin. It sits at the junction of two valleys: the Étançons to the north, and the upper Vénéon in which the Carrelet refuge is located.

From the centre of La Bérarde by the tourist office, walk past the large CAF building and follow a good path heading upvalley to the left of the Vénéon stream, a milky blue river which betrays its glacial origins. It’s a pleasant, easy valley walk with l’Ailefroide in view to the southeast for much of the way. The rocky glen is tamed a little with juniper and wild raspberries and, later, alpenroses. There’s a section where the path cuts across the foot of steep screes, while the large flat plain where the hut is set (the Plan du Carrelet) is open and sunny at the confluence of the Vénéon and Chardon glens. As you approach the hut there are pine, birch and a few rowan trees to soften the otherwise raw nature of the valley.

Refuge du Carrelet

Refuge du Carrelet is an austere-looking building. Privately-owned but open to all, it has 70 places, and is open from mid-June to mid-September when a full meals service is offered (Tel: 04 76 79 25 38).

Of the two other options in the upper Vénéon valley, the first is Refuge du Temple-Écrins (2410m: 64 places, meals service) which sits on a high grassy shelf below Pic Coolidge, with impressive views. To gain this hut continue upvalley beyond Refuge du Carrelet for about 10mins where there’s a signposted trail junction. Bear left, cross a stream and climb to another stream crossing. Beyond this the way zigzags steeply to gain the high shelf on which the hut is set. (1½hrs from the trail junction in the valley.)

The other alternative hut approach continues through the valley beyond the Temple-Écrins junction, crossing several side streams as it does, and with the Glacier de la Pilatte seen ahead, plastered on the face of Les Bans. A little under an hour from the Temple-Écrins junction, cross the Vénéon to its west bank. From here the trail zigzags to gain height, joining another path where you bear left. Another side stream is crossed by footbridge, thereafter the way rises again, and eventually gains Refuge de la Pilatte (2577m: 120 places, meals service) about 3hrs from the Carrelet hut – fantastic views.