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TREK 3

Tour of the Oisans by Kev Reynolds

Start/Finish	Bourg d’Oisans
Distance	176km
Grade	Demanding
Time	10–12 days
Terrain	The Massif des Écrins, Haut Dauphiné, France
Max Altitude	2761m
Guidebooks	Tour of the Oisans: the GR54 by Kev Reynolds (Cicerone Press, 2008)
Accommodation	Mountain refuges, gîtes d’étape and hotels

The renowned French military engineer Vauban once described the region covered by this route as having ‘mountains reaching for the sky, and valleys sinking to incredible depths’, which perhaps helps explain why the Tour of the Oisans is reckoned by some seasoned hillwalkers to be one of the toughest of all Alpine treks. Not that every stage is particularly demanding, for some days are fairly relaxing, with streams and pools to laze beside, gentle passes to cross and meadows to amble through. But on the second half of the circuit, where cols and ridges are high, steep, remote and challenging, sections of brutal severity and sudden exposure can spark a rush of adrenalin and call for a clear head and steady feet. That being said, it’s a tour of rugged beauty that should appeal to all experienced trekkers with a good head for heights.

Tour of the Oisans

The rugged country of the Cirque d’Arsine, an hour’s hike from the Villar d’Arêne refuge

Southeast of Grenoble, the Massif des Écrins is celebrated as the highest block of mountains in France outside of the Mont Blanc range. It’s a dramatic region of abrupt rocky peaks and small glaciers, cols of black shale, precipitous screes and wild hanging valleys whose silences are disturbed only by the whistling of marmots or the chuntering of a stream spilling its way from one level to the next. Small lakes and ponds lie in shallow scoops, some half-hidden by a chaos of rock and boulder; others seem more welcoming, set among flower meadows or on a high plateau of pastureland. Habitation is sparse; a small village here, a workaday hamlet there. There are no real resorts to match Chamonix, Zermatt or Grindelwald, and even the main centres of Bourg d’Oisans, La Grave, Vallouise and La Bérarde have none of the glamour of their counterparts in other well-known districts of the Alps. These are simple, unpretentious communities: solid, sturdy and weatherbeaten. Most would still be recognised by Whymper, who came here to climb in the 1860s; but in their timeless simplicity lies much of their charm.

Located between Mont Blanc and the Mediterranean, a sizeable portion of this rugged, uncompromising landscape lies within the Parc National des Écrins, the largest and highest of France’s national parks, with an area of some 91,800ha. It has scores of peaks over 3000m high and the Alps’ most southerly 4000m summit, the 4102m Barre des Écrins, from which the district takes its name. La Meije, one of its consorts, towers over La Grave and was the last major Alpine peak to be climbed. Bronzed by the alpenglow, it stands as a mighty cornerstone, lording it over the Vallée de la Romanche.

This is the background to the GR54, otherwise known as the Tour of the Oisans. Why Oisans? Well, the Massif des Écrins answers to several names: Haut Dauphiné, Massif du Pelvoux, or l’Oisans. And Tour of the Oisans has become the established signature of the Grande Randonnée 54.

La Meije turns bronze with the alpenglow, seen here from Le Chazelet

A circular route of around 176km, it takes between 10 and 12 days to complete, and with more than 12,800m to climb across a series of cols, it’s an undeniably tough route. Some claim it’s one of the toughest of all Alpine treks, and when you consider the lofty ridges that act as spokes pushed out from a hub of mountains – spokes or ridges that confuse, interrupt and challenge the way – there should be no surprise at this claim.

The first half of the trek works around the north and eastern fringes of the massif, from Bourg d’Oisans to Vallouise, and though less demanding than the second half, which goes around the western side, it still has its ‘moments’. One of these comes right at the start, as we shall discover.

Bourg d’Oisans to La Grave

Within minutes of leaving the heart of Bourg, a waymarked path edges alongside the lovely Cascade de la Sarenne, then suddenly arrives at the foot of rock slabs that support the east wall of the Sarenne gorge. GR54 ascends these slabs by a series of minor ledges, narrow, grit-strewn and sufficiently tricky to demand caution. Here the steepness and severity of the slabs will make you curse any unnecessary weight in your rucksack, but fortunately lengths of fixed cable safeguard the route where it is especially narrow or smooth, and as you gain height, so the town comes into focus below and across the Romanche. Though of only modest size, Bourg is the administrative capital of the Oisans district, and flanked by steep-walled mountains it acts as a gateway to the Écrins National Park. Reached by bus from Grenoble, it’s the obvious place from which to begin the Tour of the Oisans. But the way up those slabs above the Sarenne cascade makes for a tough initiation.

An enchanting region of little meadows, streams and pools lies below the Cirque d’Arsine

When the slabs peter out, meadows and patches of woodland lead to tiny hamlets that gather the sunlight. Linked by tree-shaded paths and stretches of tarmac, practically every step from one to the other is upward. Until, that is, you come to the huddled buildings of La Rosay, 830 muscle-stretching metres above Bourg. Here you leave tarmac, inch past renovated stone houses and a small chapel, cross a meadow with grasshoppers exploding around your boots, then descend into the gorge to find the stone-built Pont Romain spanning the Sarenne – a narrow stream which pounds and pummels water-smoothed rocks among deciduous trees that turn yellow and gold at the tail-end of summer.

On a summer’s day the walk through the wooded gorge makes a welcome interlude, but then you emerge to another road easing through a shadeless scoop of a valley up to the 1999m Col de Sarenne, with a smart, privately owned refuge snug in the pastures nearby.

Over the col you leave the road to plunge steeply down into the Vallée du Ferrand, from which the Roche de la Muzelle can be seen far off. The penultimate col of the trek passes just below this peak, but that will be several days and a lot of puff away. For now the route passes through Clavans-le-Haut and its much smaller neighbour, Clavans-le-Bas (no accommodation at the first, but two options at the second), before making an abrupt climb to the one-time customs post of Besse-en-Oisans. With its well-preserved traditional stone and timber houses, Besse is a charming village and an opportunity to restock with supplies. It also has a hotel, a gîte, and a basic campsite 1km further on up the road.

Out of Besse the way passes the campsite and takes a footpath angling up a steep hillside to gain the grassy crest of Col Nazié at 1902m. It’s not much of a col, just a dip in a ridge from which the way continues upward for another 300 vertical metres to reach Col Bichet overlooking a vast open pastureland. Way ahead, above and beyond the hidden Vallée de la Romanche, La Meije and Le Râteau rise above their glaciers – it’s an exciting view.

The Tour of the Oisans crosses the pastureland known as the Plateau d’Emparis with La Meije appearing seductive all the way, while a short diversion from the trail leads to the Lacs Noir and Lérié, which make a perfect foreground to the big peaks and glaciers.

From the far side of the plateau the trail dips steeply into a groove scoured by the Torrent du Gâ, climbs through the village of Le Chazelet (two gîtes and a hotel), then swoops down yet another knee-aching hillside to La Grave on the true right bank of the Romanche at 1474m. La Meije soars a giddy 2500m above the village.

La Grave to Vallouise

Out of La Grave a very pleasant and fairly easy trek leads to a refuge set upon a shelf of grassland above the infant Romanche, amid an arc of big mountains. Should you have time, Refuge de l’Alpe de Villar d’Arêne (2077m) is a near-perfect location to relax for a day or two, for there’s some spectacular country to explore nearby. But even without time off from the trek, a night at the refuge is recommended. When you finally leave, it will only take an hour to reach the 2340m Col d’Arsine, a trough-like saddle below a massive rib of black moraine, overshadowed by stark rock peaks and loud with the call of marmots, and this leads to a wonderland of streams and pools gathered in the most enchanting of meadows and natural rock gardens below the Cirque d’Arsine. It’s almost impossible to resist the temptation to throw off the rucksack and either lie in the grass or perch upon a rock to dream for an hour. Or two.

It’s a long descent from Col d’Arsine to Le Casset in the valley of the Guisane. Or at least it seems long, for there are so many idyllic places on the way that threaten to delay progress. Streams disappear and reappear 200m lower down the valley. Waterfalls spray in long ribbons; there’s a tiny lake, milky blue with the run-off of a fast-shrinking glacier. Mountains loom on either side; there are delicate flowers, wild raspberries and bilberries to pick in season; then fragrant larchwoods whose paths are carpeted with needles. At last Le Casset appears; a village of thick-walled houses, a gîte and a bar/restaurant where you can slake your thirst at a marble-topped table, and downvalley, less than an hour’s walk away, lies Monêtier-les-Bains, the largest habitation since leaving Bourg d’Oisans. As well as hotels and a gîte, Monêtier also has restaurants, a supermarket and a bank with a cash machine.

Sadly, the pass that takes the Tour of the Oisans out of the valley of the Guisane and on to Vallouise has been partially desecrated by cableways and bulldozed pistes, for here on the outer edge of the national park the Serre-Chevalier ski circus leaves its indelible mark long after the snow has melted. However, the trail begins innocently enough, rising through woodland behind Monêtier, and up into a green hanging valley before arriving at the first pylon. But an hour’s grimly determined march through this sorry mess takes you over the 2425m Col de l’Eychauda and into the comparative serenity of the Vallon de Chambran.

Twisting back and forth, the trail makes a long and winding descent of a very steep slope to arrive in the upper reaches of the valley, where a buvette serving welcome refreshments is reached soon after. Beyond the summer-only hamlet of Chambran the way dodges down narrow trails, on and off a feeder road, then along tree- and shrub-crowded paths with a view of Mont Pelvoux, to a clutch of small villages that direct you into Vallouise. This small market town at the confluence of the Gyr and l’Onde boasts two gîtes, hotels, a campsite, a few bars and restaurants, a shop or two and another opportunity to tease cash from a hole in the wall, should you be running low on funds.

Vallouise to Valgaudemar

Vallouise marks a turning point on the Tour of the Oisans, for now the more-or-less circular trek explores the south and western sides of the massif. From now on the way has a greater sense of remoteness; the passes are higher, steeper, more challenging and more rewarding.

A morning’s walk leads to the roadhead in the Vallée d’Entraigues (also know as Vallée de l’Onde). Some trekkers choose to take a taxi along this road to shorten the unrelenting hike over two high passes on the way to the Refuge du Pré de la Chaumette, but I prefer to take the riverside path and continue to the head of the valley, where the old, traditional Refuge des Bans is perched in a wild cirque of mountains crowned by the 3669m mountain after which it is named.

Having spent a night among the high peaks, it’s essential to rise early and descend back to Entre-les-Aygues. Cross the river on a long footbridge, then head off up the narrow Vallon de la Selle on a trail that eventually slants up and across long fans of black scree (dodgy in bad weather or when masked by snow) to gain Col de l’Aup Martin. At 2761m, this is the highest pass on GR54, but instead of descending on the far side, you then traverse more slopes of rock and scree to the 2735m Pas de la Cavale. Only then can you begin the remorseless zigzag descent into the Vallée de Champoléon, where the Pré de la Chaumette refuge offers welcome food and shelter after a long and tiring day’s hike.

That two-pass crossing makes for a brutal stage, but one of the toughest stages of the trek follows, with no fewer than three high passes on the itinerary: Col de la Vallette, Col de Gouiran and Col de Vallonpierre. Linked by eroded ribs and fins of unstable shale and grit, the first and last of these cols contain some extremely steep and exposed sections, and are not for the faint-hearted. A slip could have serious consequences, so pray for settled conditions and remain alert at all times.

A vertiginous descent from Col de Vallonpierre takes you to a refuge set beside a small tarn, then loses another 1100m of altitude before reaching La-Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, where there’s gîte and hotel accommodation, a bar/restaurant, a small grocery store – and some level ground for a change.

Valgaudemar to Bourg d’Oisans

The valleys of Valgaudemar and Valjouffrey flow in roughly parallel lines, divided by a lofty ridge system emanating from the 3564m l’Olan, and to get from one to the other the Tour of the Oisans chooses to cross that ridge via Col de la Vaurze, whose height is variously quoted as 2490m, 2498m, or 2500m.

After a gentle valley stroll of about an hour from La-Chapelle the small village of Villar-Loubière appears, its buildings apparently cascading down the hillside. It is here that the long five-hour climb to Col de la Vaurze begins, at first through a ravine-like valley, with trees and shrubs growing in its upper reaches. Roughly midway between the village and the col, the small but well-appointed Refuge des Souffles stands on a bluff just above a trail junction, and even if you decide against spending a night there, the opportunity to stop by for refreshments is hard to resist.

Beyond the hut the trail works its way into a profound combe topped by Pic des Souffles. Part of this combe is confused by rocky spurs interspersed by stream-cut gullies, but once this is behind you long switchbacks angle across an open hillside to gain the narrow col; this is a memorable vantage point from which to study not only the way ahead, but also the deep trench of Valgaudemar, the valley system you’re about to leave. On the northwest side of the col a giddy view looks directly down on the rooftops of Le Désert, a tiny huddle of buildings 1250m below. It will take about two hours of very steep descent to reach this small farming community, whose facilities for trekkers include three simple gîtes d’étape and a bar/restaurant.

Shimmering reflections of the alpenglow in Lac de Vallonpierre. A refuge sits on the bank of this tarn

The view looking back over the previous day’s route from just below Col de la Muzelle

The next pass on the tour lies almost directly above Le Désert. At 2290m, Col de Côte-Belle is one of the lowest on GR54, and by comparison with many of its predecessors, the crossing is straightforward, albeit steep in places and with some impressive shattered rock formations along the way. Straightforward it may be in good conditions, but should the weather turn nasty, or snow and ice remain on the trail (as they may, early in the season), then this crossing could be a very different undertaking.

On the northern side of the pass Valsenestre, an attractive hamlet of old stone houses, boasts a welcoming gîte, Le Béranger, in which to spend the night before tackling the 2625m Col de la Muzelle next day.

Flanked by the Roche de la Muzelle, the ascent to the col is undemanding until the final 200m, where the route struggles up a very steep cone of compacted shale and slate, some of which is sharp-edged and threatening. But views back the way you came can be exhilarating.

From the col you gaze down onto a green lake set among rucked pastures. In the mid-distance can be seen the ski resort of Les Deux Alpes, while far off the tiny snowfields of Les Grandes Rousses shine in the sunlight. And once again a steep slope of shale has to be negotiated before an easy trail meanders across the pastures to reach the timber-built Refuge de la Muzelle set upon a grass slope not far from a shepherd’s cabane, just above the lake. Towards dusk hundreds of sheep are brought back from their grazing to be coralled for the night nearby.

The original route of the Tour of the Oisans plunged directly down to Bourg d’Arud in the Vallée du Vénéon, then followed this valley all the way to Bourg d’Oisans. That was a pleasant enough way to finish the tour, but by rerouting this final stage across the 2531m Col du Vallon to the west of Refuge de la Muzelle, a much more rewarding stage has been created, and one that retains the essence of GR54 much longer.

There’s nothing difficult about the normal way up to Col du Vallon from the refuge, and as you gain height, so the views grow in extent and interest, with the shapely Aiguille du Plat de la Selle demanding your admiration from the east. The pass is a surprisingly gentle saddle of grass and rock, but before long the descent demands caution as it picks a way along and over an abrupt spur of rock, with one section teetering along a narrow exposed ramp with Lac Lauvitel far below.

The lake is one of the gems of the Parc National des Écrins. Trapped in a cirque of rocky peaks, its northern end is dammed by a great tip of rocks and boulders, among which there are tangles of wild raspberries, while marmots sun themselves or frolic at the water’s edge.

Down then, steeply down, to Les Gauchoirs, and a track which runs between meadow and woodland, passes below the Cascade de la Pisse and then spills onto a narrow tarmac road. On the outskirts of Bourg d’Oisans gîte accommodation can be found in the hamlet of Le Vert; then it’s a last easy stroll into the little town where the trek began, and you’re left with a host of memories to replay on the journey home – and in the months and years to come.

Lac Lauvitel is one of the gems of the Écrins National Park