Ecrins National Park. Kev Reynolds

      The Romanche below Alpe de Villar d'Arène (Route 17)

      The northern fringe of the Écrins park makes a first-rate introduction to the area. High pasturelands scattered with time-worn hamlets make a perfect belvedere from which to study the glacier-clad bastions of La Meije and Le Râteau, while the abrupt flanks of those mountains are broken here and there with hanging valleys and secretive glens full of raw beauty. Peaceful tarns, anxious rivers and waterfalls add to the valley's charm, and there's no shortage of prime walking potential.

Location	On the northern ledge of the Écrins National Park. The Romanche flows west from near Col du Lautaret to Bourg d'Oisans, a distance of 57km.
Bases	Bourg d'Oisans (720m), La Grave (1481m), Villar d'Arène (1683m)
Information	Office du Tourisme, Quai Girard, 38520 Bourg d'Oisans ( 04 76 80 03 25 www.tourisme-oisans.com)
	Maison du Parc, Rue Gambetta, BP 47, 38520 Bourg d'Oisans ( 04 76 80 00 51 www.les-ecrins-parc-national.fr)
	Office du Tourisme, 05320 La Grave ( 04 76 79 90 05 www.lagrave-lameije.com)
Access	Easily accessible via the N91 Grenoble-Briançon road. Daily bus services operate between Grenoble and Briançon, serving Bourg d'Oisans, La Grave, and points in between.

Introduction

      The Romanche is an important valley of access. Rising over 1300m between Bourg d'Oisans and Col du Lautaret, it is flanked by the glacier peaks of La Meije (see Appendix B) and Le Râteau on the south, and high but gently rolling country to the north.

      That northern countryside, which is immensely attractive to walkers, is scooped with shallow valleys leading to summits of 3000m and more, while small tarns trapped below reflect the snow and ice of the southern massif. It's a gentle, pastoral landscape, with a handful of small hamlets set upon terraces that face across the valley to its majestic southern wall. La Meije is the highest of those southern mountains, a graceful peak of 3982m and the subject of intense rivalry during attempts to make its first ascent, which was finally achieved in 1877 by Boileau de Castelnau with Pierre Gaspard, father and son. Despite its focus La Meije is just one of several fine peaks near the head of the valley that form an impressive backdrop to a number of walks, while at the western end of its wall the prime ski resort of Les Deux-Alpes laces the hillside with a series of cableways and tows that remain largely unseen from the valley itself.

      From Le Bourg's flat basin ringed with steep crags, the N91 Lautaret-Briançon road travels southeast to enter the Gorges de l'Infernet, then rises steadily to gain some 300m at Lac du Chambon, an emerald green reservoir which flooded three hamlets when its dam was built. At the barrage a minor road (D213) twists south to Mont de Lans and Les Deux-Alpes, while another (D25) climbs north to Mizoën and continues through a deep ravine to Besse, while yet another narrow road aims for the western side of the Plateau d'Emparis. The main N91 skirts the north shore of Lac du Chambon with the aid of tunnels and continues through the narrow Combe de Malaval, which gradually opens until La Grave is reached with its view of La Meije and Le Râteau.

      Out of La Grave another minor road (D33) cuts off to the north and twists up the hillside to Ventelon, where it forks. The right-hand option goes to Les Hières and Valfroide, while the left fork eases round to Les Terraces, then climbs on to Le Chazelet. Both roads have tremendous panoramic views to the south.

      Meanwhile N91 snakes through more tunnels before emerging on the ledge of Villar d'Arène, the last village on the route to Col du Lautaret, although side roads break off to the hamlets of Le Pied du Col and Les Cours. Col du Lautaret itself offers a striking view of the Mieje massif and its glaciers. At an altitude of 2057m it is said to be the busiest crossing in the Dauphiné Alps, and is kept open throughout the winter. There's a 2-hectare Alpine Garden with over 2000 species of plants, and in the Refuge Napoléon an information centre detailing the geology of the area as well as its flora and fauna. At the col D902 forks north on the way to Col du Galibier (highest crossing on the Route des Grandes Alpes), but N91 continues to the southeast, descending into the Vallée de la Guisane on the way to Briançon.

Main Valley Bases

      BOURG D'OISANS (720m) is one of the main points of entry to the Écrins region, having ready access to both the Romanche and Vénéon valleys and, via Col d'Ornon, to the Valjouffrey. As ‘capital’ of the region the town has frequent bus connections with Grenoble, and is the terminus for a variety of services, not only through the Romanche but also to La Bérarde, Les Deux-Alpes, Alpe-d'Huez and so on. Le Bourg is situated in an open, sunny basin at the confluence of several valleys. It has a wide assortment of shops, bars and restaurants, a number of hotels, apartments and campsites, a gîte d'étape a little south of town at Le Vert, a Maison du Parc (National Park information office) and a Bureau des Guides. Bourg also has several banks and ATMs, pharmacies and a dentist. Contact the tourist office for their Guide des Hébergements (accommodation list) – address and telephone number at the head of this section. On the hillside more than 1100m above Le Bourg to the northeast lies the ski resort of Alpe d'Huez, reached by a road of numerous hairpins and visited by walkers following GR549, while Bourg d'Oisans marks the starting point for the classic GR54 Tour de l'Oisans.