east of the Parc National des Écrins. But at the village of L'Argentière-la-Bessée a road breaks away northwest along the Vallée de la Vallouise leading to the rugged heart of the region.
The upper reaches of the Vallée de la Romanche (Route 17)
Le Villard above Vallouise, in the Vallée d'Entraigues (Routes 30–31)
Vallée de la Vallouise
There are two main centres here: the little market town of Vallouise, and Ailefroide, which is one of the two major climbing centres of the Écrins region (the other being La Bérarde). Though both lie at a junction of valleys, Vallouise is open and sunny, while Ailefroide is confined between huge rock walls, and with forest crowding its outskirts. At the head of the Vallée de la Vallouise 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 scenically exciting walks among the highest of the high peaks. Despite Ailefroide's reputation as a major climbing centre, it also makes a near-perfect base for a walking holiday, and this guidebook gives a number of first-rate outings from it. As for Vallouise, this has the tributary Vallée d'Entraigues stretching off to the west which offers good walking too, as well as footpaths in the main valley and in that of Chambran to the north.
Looking south to Vallonpierre from the head of Valgaudemar (Routes 40–41)
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 roadhead. The huge rock 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, and accommodation is 18 supplied in this upper valley by the streamside Refuge du Clot, as well as the large Chalet-Hôtel du Gioberney at the roadhead.
Valjouffrey
Included in this guide in the Valgaudemar chapter, 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, with a modest amount of accommodation to be had at Valbonnais in the lower valley, at Entraigues at the confluence of the Malsanne and Bonne, and, for the trekker tackling the Tour de l'Oisans, at Le Désert. Upstream beyond Le Désert the valley has been carved and shaped by a long-departed glacier; waterfalls spray down the steep walls, and nestling at the foot of L'Olan is the Fond-Turbat refuge. Below Le Désert at La Chapelle-en-Valjouffrey, the tributary glen of Valsenestre carves northeastward through the Gorges de Béranger, with a minor road ending at Valsenestre hamlet – another staging post on the Tour de l'Oisans. Then, at Entraigues in the mouth of the Malsanne valley, the D526 offers a rather tortuous crosscountry road route to Bourg d'Oisans via Col d'Ornon.
Lac, Refuge and Roche de la Muzelle (Routes 50, 53, 54)
The Etançons valley below Refuge du Châtelleret (Route 66)
Vallée du Vénéon
The final entry in our summary of valleys is the Vénéon, which rises in the glacial heartland of the 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 roadhead 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 centres, but no real resorts. Naming from west to east these are: Venosc, Bourg d'Arud, St-Christophe-en-Oisans and La Bérarde, the ‘Chamonix’ (in terms of mountaineering appeal) of the Écrins.
The Parc National des Écrins
In 1913 a protected zone was centred on La Bérarde, but another 60 years passed before the Parc National des Écrins became the fifth, but largest, such National Park in France. Vauban had once described the region as having ‘mountains reaching for the sky, and valleys sinking to incredible depths’. And it is just such a landscape that is characteristic of the Park.
In the north and west the mountains consist of crystalline and meta-morphic rocks (granite and gneiss), while sedimentary rocks (limestone, schist and clay) dominate in the south and east. There are a surprisingly large number of glaciers amounting to some 12,000 hectares, for the Dauphiné Alps is the southernmost region of the Alpine chain to retain ice sheets of any size, and it is largely due to the powerful rivers and waterfalls flowing from them that such deep valleys and gorges have been cut.
The extraordinary difference in elevation between valley bed and mountain summit, ranging from 800m to 4000m, coupled with oceanic influences in the north and west, and Mediterranean influences in the south, are responsible for the wonderfully rich and diverse flora of the Écrins. Some 1800 species have been identified within the Park (that's half of all French flora); 800 of these are protected, while around 40 are considered either rare or endangered, and 35 are endemic to the area.
As for wildlife, the Park lists 64 species of mammal, including typical Alpine favourites such as ibex, chamois and marmot. The ibex was reintroduced to the Écrins as recently as 1990–95, but the chamois is well-established and the population now numbers around 12,000. There are 210 species of nesting birds and the largest concentration of golden eagles in France, while the bearded vulture is a regular visitor.
Écrins National Park sign
In keeping with its status as an area of conservation and environmental protection, the National Park has a list of regulations which the visitor should observe. These are summarised above.
PARK REGULATIONS
Dogs are not allowed, even on a lead. Respect wildlife and livestock.
Do not pick or take samples of plants, rocks and fossils, or animals.
Firearms are banned; all wildlife within the National Park is protected.
Leave no litter. Keep the countryside clean.
Do not light fires.
Avoid making unnecessary noise.
Off-site camping is restricted to an overnight pitch between 7pm and 9am, at least one hour's walk from a road or the Park boundary.
Motor vehicles and bicycles are only allowed on authorised roads.
Getting There
Assuming one approaches from the north and west, Grenoble is the key to entry to the whole region no matter what the method of travel.
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