Читать книгу 100 Hut Walks in the Alps - Kev Reynolds - Страница 24

WALK 12

Refuge du Châtelleret (2225m: 7300ft)

Start	La Bérarde (1713m: 5620ft)
Valley base	La Bérarde
Distance	5km (3 miles) one way
Total ascent	512m (1680ft)
Time	2hrs up, 1½hrs down
Map	Rando Éditions Carte de Randonnées ‘Écrins’ 1:50,000

Despite the fact that this is a fairly undemanding walk, it is drawn to some of the most dramatic scenery in the Alps. The hut sits at the head of the charming Étançons glen beneath the huge south face of La Meije, and gazes downstream at a landscape almost Himalayan in appearance. Wherever one looks, impressive peaks jostle for attention, mountaineers’ mountains on which some of the great names of the Victorian age played out their adventures. Interesting to note that when Whymper descended this glen in 1864 he was singularly unimpressed, describing it as “a howling wilderness, the abomination of desolation … suggestive of chaos, but of little else.” In truth it is a magnificent valley. Try it for yourself.

At the entrance to La Bérarde near the road-head a bridge spans the Étançons stream. A few paces from this on the downstream side a signpost signals the path to the Châtelleret hut. It twists uphill with several separate braidings, and in about 20mins or so another path breaks off to the left to climb to the viewpoint of Tête de la Maye (highly recommended for another day). Continue ahead, still gaining height across the hillside, then slope downhill briefly to cross a footbridge over the stream. Another path breaks off to the right at this point, heading for the Vallon de Bonne Pierre, the steep little glen seen to the east where the Roche Faurio sends out an extravagant ridge. Ignore this option, but bear left and continue upstream among silver birch, alpenrose and bilberry, and shortly join an alternative path rising from La Bérarde.

The way now leads through an utterly charming part of the valley, more or less on the level for a while among alpenrose and juniper, with waterfalls cascading from cliffs that wall the valley to both left and right. Then you rise easily between rocks and boulders, turn a corner and gain the first view of La Meije ahead. It’s an awesome sight. Continuing to gain height without effort, you then cross to the west bank of the stream (the hut now seen ahead), make a few zigzags, cross a few minor streams, then once more over the Étançons by another footbridge to gain the hut.

Refuge du Châtel-leret is a grey, barrack-like hut with 70 places, staffed between mid-June and mid-September when meals are available (Tel: 04 76 79 08 27). In the mid-50s an earlier refuge (built 1882) was described as being little more than a broken-down, three-walled hovel built against a huge boulder. The present hut shows considerable improvement!

The Étancons valley below Refuge du Châtelleret

To vary the return to La Bérarde, descend by the same path used on the approach, but then follow the alternative left bank trail joined near the entrance to the Bonne Pierre glen. A little rougher and steeper than the main path, it leads to La Bérarde chapel.