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
TREK 4
Tour of the Vanoise by Kev Reynolds