In summary
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Sports
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Duration6 days
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LevelAdvance
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DestinationNévache / Écrins Massif
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AgeFrom the age of 18
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CO₂-Emissions42.27 kg CO2
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Type of stayIn a group
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Languages🇫🇷French🇬🇧English🇮🇹Italian
In a few words
Head to the Clarée Valley , a preserved jewel of the Southern Alps, and its secret neighbor, the Étroite Valley , nestled on the Italian side but part of Névache. For six days of ski touring , embark on an immersive loop through panoramic ridges, accessible peaks , and hidden valleys. Each stage takes you from mountain hut to mountain hut , in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, at the pace of encounters and ascents.
This multi-day itinerary immerses you in a wild, high-altitude landscape, where you ski off the beaten track, far from the hustle and bustle of the resorts. Each day offers a new line to carve , panoramic views of the Écrins, the Queyras, or Italy, and that rare feeling of being somewhere else, fully present .
An ideal stay for lovers of nature, powder snow and shared alpine adventure , combining effort, contemplation and conviviality .
The highlights
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A stay in the heart of a wild and unspoiled valley
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Guided by a local guide who knows the terrain perfectly
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The warm and friendly atmosphere of the mountain huts
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Photos
Sport
Level
Ski touring
For regular ski tourers. You are capable of skiing down any type of snow on slopes of up to 40°. You frequently ski in powder. You have perfect control over your speed, sideslipping, and both uphill and downhill kick turns. You have prior experience with ski touring or with vertical gains exceeding 1,200m. You are capable of maintaining this level of activity over several consecutive days.
In figures
Ski touring
- Average duration/day: 5h30
- Average daily elevation gain: 900 m
- Average daily descent: 634 m
- Maximum altitude: 3178 m
Management
During this stay, several supervisors will be present to guide and assist you, ensuring your comfort and safety throughout the trip.
Band :
1 supervisor for 4 to 8 people
Languages spoken:
🇫🇷
French
🇬🇧
English
🇮🇹
Italian
Florian
Florian
Florian is a true Swiss Army knife! Ski instructor, mountain bike instructor and mountain guide.
The valley holds no secrets for him. He will always be attentive and will guide you on the best routes.
Jérémy
Jérémy
Jérémy is a local boy, practically born with skis on his feet and passionate about the mountains. He'll find you the best slopes to ski in his secret backyard.
Led by a high-mountain guide or an alpine ski instructor, for a group of 4 to 8 participants.
Program
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Welcome to L'Echaillon
- Activity Ski touring
- Duration of the activity 5h
- Positive elevation gain 800 m
- Negative elevation 300 m
- Maximum altitude 2427 m
- Accommodation Refuge
- Breakfast not included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
Meet at 9 a.m. at L'Echaillon, where you will be greeted by the guide and provided with equipment.
From Ville-Haute (1600m), we take the snow-covered track in the upper Clarée valley to reach the Rately bridge. In the forest, we follow the path to the refuge, groomed by the wardens. A steep but short climb leads us to the entrance of the Buffère valley, where we discover the refuge of the same name. We meet Aude and Guillaume, who welcome us for the night. We lighten our packs and continue towards the Buffère pass (2427m) at the end of the valley, from where the view opens onto the Guisane valley and the Écrins massif.
Night at the Buffère refuge at 2076 meters altitude
Day 1 -
the Chardonnet valley
- Activity Ski touring
- Duration of the activity 6h
- Positive elevation gain 800 m
- Negative elevation 400 m
- Maximum altitude 2830 m
- Accommodation Refuge
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
From the Buffère refuge, we cross over to the Chardonnet refuge via the Casse-Pinière. We can lighten our packs, and then several routes are available to us above the refuge, including Pic Ombière (2832m) and Pic du Demi (2817m), which are our favorites.
Night at the Chardonnet refuge at 2220 meters altitude.
Day 2 -
the White Lake Peak
- Activity Ski touring
- Duration of the activity 6h
- Positive elevation gain 1000 m
- Negative elevation 1000 m
- Maximum altitude 2980 m
- Accommodation Refuge
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
We begin the day with a descent to Fontcouverte (1860m), from where we climb back up to the Ricou refuge. From the refuge, we ascend to the Pic du Lac Blanc (2980m) to discover a 360° panorama stretching from the Écrins mountains to Savoie. Return to the hamlet of Ricou.
Night at the Ricou refuge at 2115 meters altitude.
Day 3 -
Day 04: Cula Valley
- Activity Ski touring
- Duration of the activity 5h
- Positive elevation gain 800 m
- Negative elevation 500 m
- Maximum altitude 2800 m
- Accommodation Refuge
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
Today we reach the Drayères refuge at the bottom of the valley where the Clarée River originates, before exploring the ridge that forms the border with Savoie. Several options are available depending on conditions and the season: Roche Château (2898m), the circuit around the Aiguille Noire via the Plagnette (2520m) and Aiguille Noire (2665m) passes, or even the Pointe des Cerces (3098m).
Night at the refuge at 2180 meters altitude.
Day 4 -
Mount Tabor
- Activity Ski touring
- Duration of the activity 7h
- Positive elevation gain 1200 m
- Negative elevation 1000 m
- Maximum altitude 3178 m
- Accommodation Refuge
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
A big day is planned, weather permitting: we'll ascend the Muandes valley to the pass of the same name (2828m). If the weather is bad, we can descend directly into the Vallée Étroite, Névache's twin valley; otherwise, we'll continue the climb to Mont Thabor (3178m), straddling the border between Maurienne and Hautes-Alpes. A long descent will then take us to Les Granges de la Vallée Étroite, a small Italian hamlet in French territory.
Night in one of the mountain huts at Granges at 1765 meters altitude.
Day 5 -
back to Névache
- Activity Ski touring
- Duration of the activity 5h
- Positive elevation gain 800 m
- Negative elevation 600 m
- Maximum altitude 2645 m
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner not included
Depending on the remaining energy in the group, we have 2 options to return to Névache:
-via the Vallon pass (2645m)
-via the Thures pass (2200m), with the possibility of skiing the undergrowth of Pointe Muratière (2379m) above the refuge in the morning.
Back to the hotel for a drink and a shower before dispersal.
Day 6
Note
The organizers reserve the right to modify the sequence and content of the program if necessary depending on weather or snow conditions, the level of the participants or for logistical reasons.
Accommodation
🏔️ Mountain refuge - Days 1 to 5
5 nights in mountain huts, in shared rooms or dormitories, with full board (dinner and lunch in a warm room, and a packed lunch for the day). All accommodations have hot showers. The food is plentiful and delicious. We collect our packed lunch from each hut each morning before setting off.
Access
Departure
Hôtel Echaillon , Hameau de Roubion
Day 1
: 09h00
End of stay
Hôtel Echaillon , Hameau de Roubion
Day 6
- 16h00
Go to the starting point
Take the train toBriançon,Oulx ( Italie )OrGrenoble
From Paris, you have several options:
Paris → Oulx (Italian side) by TGV. From this station, a direct bus connects to Briançon. Tickets must be purchased 48 hours in advance on the SNCF website.
Paris → Grenoble, then bus Grenoble → Briançon (ZOU line 55, Booking required on the Resalp coach website.
Paris → Briançon by direct train (night train or day train).
From Marseille or Valence, direct TER trains serve Briançon.
Travel to the place of stay
with parking
available
Getting there: You can drive to the hotel, where there is a large parking lot. We'll keep this description brief, given that in this modern age, GPS is standard equipment in our cars and on our phones.
From the south, you go up the Durance valley to reach Briançon.
From the north and west, you can, like cyclists, pass through the Lautaret pass and its spectacular panorama, or choose the comfort (and its price) of passing through Italy, thanks to the Fréjus Tunnel, a road replica of the ambitious railway project of the mid-18th century.
Whatever route you take in winter, you must always have snow tires or snow chains in your trunk. Practice putting them on before you leave. If you have a diesel vehicle, fill up in Briançon upon arrival to ensure the diesel fuel can withstand temperatures as low as -20°C and to prevent frost from forming if the tank isn't full.
Consider carpooling!
Would you like to travel on other dates?
Create an alert and we'll notify you by email if new departures are added.
Price details
The price includes
- Dormitory room accommodation
- Full board from picnic day 1 to picnic day 6
- Supervision by a high-mountain guide or an alpine ski instructor
- The transfer at the start and end of the roaming
- Showers in the refuge
The price does not include
- Round-trip transportation to Névache
- Equipment rental
- Cancellation, assistance, repatriation and trip interruption insurance
- Drinks and personal expenses
Options
- Equipment rental : CHF190.00 / unit
- Flex fare and insurance
Practical information
Specific formalities
Equipment
They traveled with us
Discover the authentic experiences of our travelers
5/5
(1 reviews)
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Decathlon Travel Partner
The L'Echaillon team
4.8/5
(152 reviews)
• 64 stays
Based in Névache, in the heart of the Clarée Valley, our local partner has been the long-standing expert on this wild territory of the Hautes-Alpes for over 40 years. Summer and winter alike, they open the doors to a pristine environment with a privileged climate, offering virtually every imaginable mountain activity. Your base camp? A welcoming two-star hotel combining tranquility and comfort. With its cozy rooms and a wellness area dedicated to relaxation, the hotel prioritizes hospitality during your stay. It's the ideal address for those seeking to combine sporting pleasures with complete rejuvenation in one of the most authentic valleys of the Alps.
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