The Ecrins National Park

The Massif des Écrins is one of the most spectacular mountain regions in the whole of the European Alps. Most of the area is a national park, with summits over 3000m high. The area is simply huge - the national park is the largest in France, covering an area of 92,000 hectares (227,332 acres), with a peripheral zone nearly twice that size. In simple terms it is 30 times bigger than the Chamonix Valley - and criss crossed by well over 1000Km's of well-marked trails. The vast majority of which are accessible from  AlpBase. Hung about with glaciers, more than 100 peaks rise to well over 3000m and hence the reason why this area is referred to as the Hautes Alpes (High Alps) because it comprises the largest concentration of big mountain peaks in France; the Barre des Écrins, the highest mountain in the area and which gives its name to the area, is 4102m.
The Ecrins National Park has abundant wildlife. Look out for eagles, chamois, Ibex, willow grouse, marmots, black grouse, ptarmigan, blanchons, and even stoats….in all 167 rare and valuable species. The flora is equally diverse – 1,800 varieties with 387 rare species. Away from the traditional lavender fields of Provence you might find blue thistles, lilies and purple gentians and high altitude plants such as androsace, saxifrage, silene and edelweiss.

THE ECRINS VALLEYS

The six valley bases which make up this area include the following:
Vallée de la Romanche, Vallée de la Guisane, Vallée de la Vallouise, Valgaudemar, Valjouffrey and Vallée du Vénéon.

LA VALLOUISE

There are two main centers in our valley. The first is the village of Vallouise where are based, and the second is Ailefroide; France's second centre of Alpinism after Chamonix. At the head of the Vallouise Valley there’s a broad open plain known as the Pré de Madame Carle. The rubble-strewn Glacier Noir drains down towards it from the west, but above big glacial slabs in the north the tumbling Glacier Blanc gleams in the sunlight. Both entice with prospects of exciting alpine walks among the highest of the high peaks. If you walk around the Ailefroide end of the valley the trails tend to be steeper and longer, whist down at the Vallouise end the trails tend to be flatter
Vallouise has 6 local restaurants, two supermarkets, a pharmacy, a cash point, and some great accommodation for visitors!!

LA ROMANCHE

One of this region’s main access routes runs from Grenoble to Briançon via Col du Lautaret. This road passes through the Vallée de la Romanche along the Ecrins Park’s northern rim. At its western end Bourg d’Oisans makes a good base if you need food, money or a puncture repair kit as it is a centre for road cycling, lying directly underneath Alpe D'Huez! As you drive on up towards Briancon you will pass La Grave - the off-piste capital of the Alps. Check out the amazing views of La Meije on your right and its huge cascading glacier.
The famous multi-day walking Tour de l’Oisans, which follows GR54 on a circuit of the northern and central Écrins, begins and ends in Bourg d’Oisans, travels along that northern hillside and comes down to La Grave before heading southeast across Col d’Arsine to gain Le Casset in the Vallée de la Guisane.

LA GUISANE

Descending from Col du Lautaret to Briançon (Europe’s highest town), the Guisane skirts the north-eastern edge of the National Park. The upper part of the valley is bounded by some rugged rock scenery, the middle section is broader and open, while in the lower third the resort of Serre Chevalier (which encompasses several small resorts) is the largest winter sports complex in the Southern Alps. Created in 1941 it is now equipped with more than 80 ski lifts. Serre Che as the locals call it is only 20 minutes from us and if visiting AlpBase in Winter a day's skiing here is highly recommended.
In summer, when there is no skiable snow, the Serre-Chevalier téléphérique, which rises to 2491m, can be used to gain access to a series of high trails that follow ridge crests or descend into neighbouring valleys. The Prorel Lift also provides an amazing 14Km descent for mountain bikers. Awesome fun!

VALGAUDEMAR

On the western side of the Parc National two main valleys cut into the range with access from the N85 Grenoble–Gap road. The southernmost of these is the Valgaudemar. La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar is the modest base here, located just 9km from the road head. The huge peak of L’Olan rises north of the village, and there’s a narrow glen cutting back to the south. At the head of the valley a mountain cirque provides plenty of scope for walks to huts, tarns and viewpoints.

VALJOUFFREY

This northernmost valley on the western side of the Écrins Park is watered by the Bonne River which drains west of L’Olan. Road access is from La Mure on N85, but really this is as far as you can get from AlpBase and so for walkers be aware that hikes in this region are arguably at the very limit of what can be accessed if based in Vallouise with us. It is remote country indeed as any trekker who has tackled the Tour de l’Oisans will attest to. Still the Valjouffrey Valley offers some worthwhile treks and if you have the time is not to be missed. I climbed the North Face of the Olan in 2009 at the start of autumn, and found the valley very remote yet possessed of an austere beauty.

THE VENEON VALLEY

The Vénéon rises in the glacial heartland of the Ecrins massif and flows roughly northwest out to the Romanche a short distance upstream of Bourg d’Oisans. The Vénéon is a gem of a valley fed by a number of attractive tributary glens, all of which are well worth exploring on foot. An infrequent daily bus service runs from Bourg to La Bérarde, the final village situated at the road head where the upper Vénéon is joined by the Etançons torrent – the latter draining glaciers on the south side of La Meije. Within the valley there are several small centers, but the biggest and best known is without doubt La Bérarde, a smaller and more basic version of Ailefroide at the head of the Vallouise Valley.