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.
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.
WALK 13
Refuge de L’Orgère (1935m: 6348ft)
| Start | Modane (1058m: 3471ft) |
| Valley base | Modane |
| Distance | 5.5km (3½ miles) one way |
| Total ascent | 877m (2877ft) |
| Time | 2½–3hrs |
| Map | Rando Éditions Carte de Randonnées A3 ‘Vanoise’ 1:50,000 |
The approach to this hut marks the first stage of the magnificent 10–12 day Tour of the Vanoise, a hut-to-hut circuit of the Vanoise National Park which starts and ends at Modane in the Maurienne (the valley of l’Arc) to the east of Grenoble. This particular section of