Mountaineering Weekend in the Ecrins in the Alps

Get away from the crowds and explore the peaks of the Southern French Alps without having to share them with 200 other budding mountaineers!

This is a full on itinerary taking in two stunning summits: Les Rouies 3589m, a beautiful glacier crossing and short scramble, and the Sirac 3444m, a steeper glacier crossing and climbing (grade 4).

As with all mountaineering, the itinerary is subject to favourable weather so may change, but wherever possible we will try to stick to the suggested itinerary described here!

We will come and collect you from Gap at 17hrs and drive you up to your hotel in Valgaudemar where we will have a welcome drink and go through the week. Then you can settle down to a hearty evening meal, prepared by Collette before a good night's sleep in preparation for tomorrow!

Pretty much any high mountain in the Alps involves a bit of climbing or scrambling to get to the top and often in exposed and committing conditions! It is rare to find an easy path all the way up - otherwise everyone would be there!

Keeping safe is every mountaineer's priority and the purpose of today is to go through and practice the essential safety techniques used for mountaineering. You will learn how to move together on a rope, how to place protection, recognise hazards and look after yourself and fellow mountaineers whilst climbing.

Mountaineering is also strenuous involving long days with lots of ascent and descent so pacing and stamina are crucial. We don't want to exhaust you on your first day but we'll be aiming for a challenging walk / scramble so you can acclimatise and feel the importance of good pacing!

There are a couple of choices of mountains we can use that lend themselves perfectly to our objectives for today and we'll decide nearer the time based on local conditions. One possibility is the Obiou 2789m, which is the highest mountain of the Devoluy massif and is a spectacular and dramatic trekking peak.

At the start of the walk you get your first taste of the 'airy' ambiance of this mountain with a little exposed section. After that you go straight up through the rocks and finish off with a chimney climb to reach the summit!

Enjoy spectacular views over the Ecrins National Park, the Champsaur, Valgaudemar and Devoluy valleys and see if you can spot your next objectives for the week!

The other possibility is the Piolit 2464m via the west Aguille ridge. This is a beautiful mountain with a characteristic pointy top. A stunning ridge walk with some climbing and scrambling. Perfect territory for practicing mountaineering skills with spectacular views over the Gapencais valley, the Ecrins and the Lac de Serre Poncon.

You will make your own way to Gap (we can help you organise this!) in the morning and meet your guide at 11h. If you need to organise a night in a hotel in Gap for the night before, please just ask. 

Together you will go through your equipment and pick up any missing items you need in Gap. Once your rucksacks are ready, your guide will drive you up to the Gioberney refuge at the end of the Valgaudemar valley where you will start your walk into the Pigeonnier refuge.

This is a beautiful and easy walk up to the refuge - the perfect warm up before attacking the summit of Les Rouies tomorrow.

Once you get to the refuge you can either relax and enjoy the ambiance or go for a little scramble up in the rocks above the refuge. 

The area is a great spot for ibex and other wild mountain animals so it is worth making the most of the local knowledge of your guide and getting some good wildlife shots to take home with you!! The guardian who runs the refuge is a great character and will definitely make you welcome. It is one of the best refuges in the area! Just remember you have to get up at 4 in the morning before you get too carried away having a good time though!

Starting altitude: 2423m

Summit altitude: 3589m

Ascent: 1166m

Average walking time: 8 - 9 hours (5 - 6 hours up and 3 - 4 hours down)

Les Rouies is one of the easiest of the big summits of the dramatic Ecrins massif but is not to be underestimated! It is a long day with a traverse over a glacier and a steep little scramble at the end. 

You will be woken up at 4 am where you will experience the classic French mountain refuge breakfast (bread - usually a bit stale, jam or honey and hot chocolate!). It is advisable to bring some snacks with you as it's a long time from now until your lunch at 13:00!

After a rocky traverse in the dark you will arrive at the edge of the glacier - usually just as the sun comes up so you can see what you are doing to put your crampons on. You will begin the climb up through the couloir to the top of the glacier, which is pretty spectacular in itself.

Once you arrive on top you will be rewarded with amazing views and will start to feel the heat of the sun - truly beautiful! Here you will rope up to traverse the glacier which takes you up to the summit. The last climb is pretty steep and mixed snow and rock but is is worth the effort to get to the top, where you will really feel on top of the world.

From the summit you get an excellent view of the interior of the Ecrins massif including the Barre des Ecrins and La Meije and of the summit of L'Olan just next door - possibly your next challenge! Then you come down the way you came up - although it goes much quicker and the going down technique and views are very different from the going up ones so you don't feel like you are retracing your steps.

At the refuge the guardian will greet you and you can order a hot meal or picnic lunch before you make your way down back to the Gioberney refuge where you will spend tonight.

This is your opportunity to relax and refuel after your exertions in the mountains, before tackling your biggest challenge of L'Olan or Sirac tomorrow.

You can make the most of the hotel pool and there are local walks you can do from there.

White water rafting and high ropes adventure are possible from la Chapelle and we can also arrange a via ferrata, canyoning, paragliding...

Please note any organised activity or transport arranged for this day are not included in the price.

The walk in to the Sirac is up to the refuge Vallonpierre at 2271m from the Gioberney at 1642m. This is a newly refurbished club Alpine Français refuge situated in a little hanging valley with a small lake.

There are two main ways to walk in - one direct route which is about 3 - 4 hours walking and quite steep or a traverse around under the glacier with the possibility to stop off for a drink at La Chabourneo refuge.

This is slightly longer and you cut off half of the steep direct ascent so is slightly easier walking. Both routes take you up a real classic alpine valley with the summit of La Sirac dramatically outlined above you.

The Vallonpierre refuge is a good place for chamois so keep your eyes open and see if you can discover where they are hiding!

With nothing else in the way of civilisation anywhere near you and the old style refuge ambiance it is easy to imagine what it was like for the pioneers of Alpinism as they explored these mountains!

The Sirac

The Sirac is a magnificent mountain to look at with it's corrugated ridge and is equally magnificent to climb.

Starting altitude: 2271m

Summit altitude: 3440m

Ascent: 1169m

Average walking time: 7 - 8 hours (5 - 6 hours up and 3 - 4 hours down)

Alpinism Grade: PD - D   peu difficile - difficile

Another early morning alpine start from the refuge Vallonpierre. As you are stumbling over the rocks in the dark on your way towards the start of the route and wondering how on earth the guide knows which way to go, you may again experience that 'what on earth am I doing here' feeling but this time you'll know it is going to be worth it. The start of another adventure in the mountains!

The traverse over rough terrain finally ends at a wall of solid rock! This is where your climb really starts. The first part is a scramble up a pretty cliff - a pleasure to climb. The cliff then gives way to a section of large blocks separated by short scrambles and climbs.

Then you arrive at a reasonably steep but small glacier which you cross to gain access to the next part of the route. Sometimes the bergschrund between the glacier and the main face can be quite difficult to negotiate but your guide will give you good advice and protect you.

The route is varied and interesting - a mix between scrambling and climbing (grade 4a - 4b) over short sections. It is made particularly interesting in big boots but the rock is good and there are big foot and hand holds.

The last section is a dramatic, very exposed and airy ridge which you follow up to the summit. This gives you absolutely splendid views but you are better off concentrating on your scrambling before getting too carried away in that high mountain bliss.

Wait til you get to the summit before you really relax and drink in the ambiance in relative safety!! Again the way down is the same but feels totally different coming down than it felt going up! 

After your adventure, your guide will take you back to Gap where you can enjoy the comfort of a proper hotel room, shower and civilisation with a choice of restaurants and bars to celebrate your mountaineering adventures.

This is the sad day where we say goodbye. Hopefully you will leave with some fantastic memories of your adventures in the Southern French Alps and will be back to try some more challenges in the future.

You will be able to make your own way home from Gap.