{"id":109139,"date":"2025-11-21T15:42:37","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T14:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hautes-alpes.net\/iconic\/mountaineering-villages\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T10:17:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T09:17:31","slug":"mountaineering-villages","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.hautes-alpes.net\/en\/iconic\/mountaineering-villages\/","title":{"rendered":"Mountaineering villages"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Home<\/a><\/span> Iconic<\/a><\/span> Iconic<\/a><\/span> Mountaineering villages<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n

Mountaineering villages<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Look up<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a time when mountaineering has been declared aUNESCO<\/strong> World Heritage Site, seven of the Ecrins<\/strong> region’s most famous sites(La Grave, Villar-d’Ar\u00e8ne, Le Mon\u00eatier-les-Bains, Vallouise-Pelvoux, La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans and Valjouffrey<\/strong>) are launching a joint initiative. Their aim: to re-enchant their villages, cradles of the discipline, to promote authentic, respectful mountaineering, to pass on the tradition to new generations, and to raise public awareness of the fragile beauty of the natural environment. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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These villages tell the story of mountaineering <\/strong>and the \u00c9crins<\/strong>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n
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Open your eyes wide<\/div>

on the beauty and fragility of nature<\/p><\/div>

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The big<\/strong>story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With over 150 peaks<\/strong> above 3,000 m<\/strong> and their glaciers, the \u00c9crins massif<\/strong> is a French mountaineering myth. The Barre des \u00c9crins (4,102 m)<\/strong> was the country’s highest peak until 1860<\/strong>. Edward Whymper<\/strong> made his first ascent in 1864<\/strong>, while the Rodier<\/strong>, Siemond<\/strong>, Engilberge<\/strong>, Estienne<\/strong> and Pierre Gaspard de la B\u00e9rarde<\/strong>(known as “Gaspard de la Meije<\/strong>“) guiding brothers made history. The French Alpine Club<\/strong> built the Caron refuge in 1903<\/strong>, and the National Park<\/strong> came into being in 1973<\/strong>. In these mountaineering villages, pioneers wrote mountain history. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Gallica bnf.fr<\/div><\/div>

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Upstairs<\/strong>from the top!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

La Grave, Villar-d’Ar\u00e8ne, Le Mon\u00eatier-les-Bains, Vallouise-Pelvoux, La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans and Valjouffrey<\/strong>: seven mountaineering villages in the heart of the \u00c9crins<\/strong>, departure points for the Grand Pic de la Meije<\/strong>, l’Olan, the Aiguilles de la B\u00e9rarde, the GR54, the Ailefroide cliffs<\/strong> or one of the massif’s thirty refuges. Here, wardens, guides, scientists and locals have been passing on the culture of mountaineering for generations, through passion, sharing and solidarity. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Alpes Photographies<\/div><\/div>

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The <\/strong>balance point <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Bergsteigerd\u00f6rfer<\/strong> (“mountaineering villages”) approach, which began in Austria<\/strong> in 2008<\/strong>, has spread to several European countries<\/strong>. The villages of the \u00c9crins<\/strong> are inspired by it to affirm their “high mountain”<\/strong> identity .<\/strong> Their manifesto: to re-enchant the villages, promote authentic mountaineering, pass on tradition, raise awareness of the fragility of nature and strike a balance between preservation and human activities, so as to live sustainably at altitude. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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T. Blais<\/div><\/div>

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One massif, seven villages to discover.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like the base camps of the great expeditions and all the imagination that goes with them, mountaineering villages are historic departure points for the great mountaineering races<\/strong> to emblematic summits. They are places to prepare for an adventure, a walk or a hike to one of the massif’s special features: a summit, a waterfall or a spectacular viewpoint. ” Nothing is more beautiful than the simple things”,<\/strong> as the saying goes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To discover them, follow the path of the Mountaineering Villages<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Alpes Photographies<\/div><\/div>

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“ The Himalayan of the AlpsLa<\/em>Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The village of La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar lies at the bottom of a valley along the S\u00e9veraisse torrent. It’s a narrow, east-west valley surrounded by peaks over 3,000 meters high, and exceptional steep landscapes, “the French Himalayas” for Gaston R\u00e9buffat. Here, you’ll still find houses with a distinctive architectural feature: the tounes (vaults housing the front door). Starting out from the village, you’ll find numerous hiking and mountaineering routes, a Nordic site, typical hamlets (Les Portes, Le Casset, le Rif du Sap, etc.), natural attractions (high altitude lakes, waterfalls, Oulles du Diable, cirque du Gioberney, etc.), and numerous peaks topping 3,000 m, including l’Olan (3,564 m), les Rouies (3,589 m), les Bans (3,669 m) and le Sirac (3,440 m). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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P. Brechu<\/div><\/div>

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Climbing at the foot of the glaciers<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vallouise-Pelvoux and Ailefroide<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The mountaineering village of Vallouise-Pelvoux, with its hamlet Ailefroide, is one of France’s leading mountaineering destinations (2nd<\/sup> only to Chamonix). At the foot of Mont Pelvoux, Ailefroide, a timeless hamlet, has retained its authentic character with its typical stone houses. This listed natural site is only inhabited in summer. It’s the base camp for all mountaineering, climbing and hiking enthusiasts. From here, trails lead to the highest peaks in the Pays des \u00c9crins: Barre des Ecrins (4,102 m), Mont Pelvoux (3,946 m), Ailefroide (3,954 m), Roche Faurio (3,730 m), and many more. Climbers from all over the world come here to test their skills on bouldering sites and major climbing routes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alpes Photographies<\/div><\/div>

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The masterly Casset<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Le Mon\u00eatier-les-Bains, hamlet of Casset<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Best known for its Grands Bains and the Serre Chevalier ski slopes, Mon\u00eatier-les-Bains is also home to a typical mountain hamlet called Le Casset. Situated on the banks of the Guisane, Le Casset is the starting point for the Grand and Petit Tabuc valleys, gateways to one of the massif’s greatest peaks: the Montagne des Agneaux, which rises to 3,664 m. But the lack of a refuge on this side of the mountain means that climbers prefer to access the normal route from the Glacier Blanc refuge in Vallouise. On the way up to the Col du Lautaret, at the start of the Pont de l’Alpe, you’ll find the access path to the famous Via Ferrata de l’Aiguillette du Lauzet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alpes Photographies<\/div><\/div>

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The terraced village<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Villar-d’Ar\u00e8ne<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Villar-d’Ar\u00e8ne and its two hamlets, Pied du Col (1,705 m) and Les Cours (1,779 m), have preserved their heritage of character, marked by agriculture and pastoralism. Traditional houses, chapels and fountains make for a pleasant discovery. The chapel of Saint-Antoine, near the hamlet of Cours, offers a lovely view over the valley, and bears witness to ancestral agriculture with its terraced cultivation. From the Pont d’Arsine, trails lead to various mountain refuges: Chamoissi\u00e8re, l’Alpe de Villar d’Ar\u00e8ne, le Pav\u00e9, Ad\u00e8le Planchard and l’Aigle. A little higher up, at the Col du Lautaret (2,058 m), you’ll find the Jardin Alpin, a veritable center for mountain science and research. This high-altitude botanical garden boasts over 2,000 species of mountain plants and flowers from all over the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alpes Photographies<\/div><\/div>

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Mountaineering at your fingertips<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

La Grave<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are few Alpine valleys where you can contemplate such a grandiose panorama from your door or window. Here, from the steep lanes that climb up to the Church of the Assumption, you feel very small in the face of the immensity of the surrounding landscape, in the shadow of one of the most famous peaks in the Alps: the Grand Pic de la Meije at 3,982 m. La Grave is listed as one of France’s most beautiful villages, thanks to its panoramic location at an altitude of 1,500 m and its authentic atmosphere. It is said that the village was once surrounded by a fortified wall, which has now completely disappeared. The village has retained a tightly woven urban fabric, as evidenced by the numerous “trabuc” lanes linking the houses. With the creation of the Glaciers de la Meije cable car in 1976, the La Grave La Meije ski area became a unique off-piste area in the Alps, with a single run on the glacier and up to 2,150 m of vertical drop on all terrain, from the high mountains to the river at the bottom of the valley. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alpes Photographies<\/div><\/div>

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The country of Gaspard De La Meije<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A veritable stronghold of mountaineering, with nine refuges and two alpine centers, Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans is the benchmark for high-mountain activities in Oisans, along with the hamlet of La B\u00e9rarde. The natural wealth and wild character of this glacial valley make it ideal for hiking. Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans alone occupies one-fifth of the surface area of the Ecrins National Park. High mountains surround it on all sides: 128 peaks over 3,000 m, including La Meije (3,982 m), La Barre des Ecrins (4,102 m), Les Rouies (3,589 m) and Les Bans (3,669 m). In the heart of the village “La Ville”, a stone’s throw from the moving cemetery where famous mountain guides are buried, the “M\u00e9moire d’alpinismes” museum is open to all mountain lovers. At the bottom of the valley, the V\u00e9n\u00e9on, with its limpid, often turquoise-blue waters, and the torrents and waterfalls of the adjacent valleys. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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P. Brechu<\/div><\/div>

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Rural village, raw and natural<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Valjouffrey<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The commune of Valjouffrey, located on the western side of the Ecrins massif, is exposed to the climatic influences of the outer Alps. Extensive forest cover has developed, particularly on the left banks of the Bonne and B\u00e9ranger rivers, between 900 and 1,800 m altitude. Deeply carved out by Quaternary glaciers, the upper Bonne valley has a very rugged relief, with a string of peaks over 3,000 m high. The 3,565 m peak at Pic de l’Olan and the surrounding peaks give this commune a very “high mountain” feel. The commune’s hamlets are scattered throughout the valley, as close as possible to farmland: La Chapelle-en-Valjouffrey, La Chalp, Les Faures, Le D\u00e9sert, and in the secondary B\u00e9ranger valley, Valsenestre. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Practical<\/strong> notebook<\/h2>\n\n