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Day One: Bourg d’Oisans to Clavans le Bas

BOURG d’OISANS - numerous hotels, restaurants, bars, shops, PTT (post office), several camping sites, gîte d’étape (hostel).

A thriving community situated symmetrically in a flat plain hemmed in by what appear at first sight to be sheer mountainsides. Buses come here from Grenoble and continue via la Grave to Monêtier-les-Bains and Briançon as well as the two major ski resorts of l’Alpe-d’Huez and les Deux Alpes. A minibus runs to la Bérarde calling at Venosc and Bourg d’Arud on its way there.

The road coming from Grenoble and Vizille sweeps to the left through the centre of Bourg d’Oisans and it is in this direction that the walk commences. The buildings and housing noticeably thin out and on the left will be found a supermarket which might be of service. Further down the road the bridge spanning the river Romanche will be crossed. The road towards la Grave/col Lauteret turns sharply to the right but you must choose the slip road to the left which will be signposted as going towards l’Alpe-d’Huez. Follow the road along the floor of the valley until it reaches an area devoted to three large campsites.

The path commences immediately before a bridge, leaving the roadway at the far end of the ‘Camping la Cascade’ site. The first red/white waymark will be observed on an electricity pylon just there.

The path is obvious but after about fifteen minutes take care not to miss a sharp junction to the R which must be taken. It is all too easy to be distracted by the gorge on the L and go past the turning. If you find the path narrowing and closing towards the water at the foot of the gorge then return to seek the proper turn off. The correct path skirts over bare, smooth rocks to give good views back towards Bourg d’Oisans but it soon gets amidst trees and shrubs to gain height. You will come onto a narrow road when getting to the few buildings at la Ville. Take care to turn R immediately past the large building (it has a tall latticed radio mast alongside) and proceed straight across another small road a few paces later.

The inclination from here is fairly constant and with the hours beginning to pass the effect of increased sunshine will be lessened due to the shading caused by the trees through which the path penetrates. About here the rucksack straps will probably be beginning to make their presence known, threatening to cut into the shoulders with their unfamiliar load! Relief comes at le Châtelard where the path first breaks out into the open providing clear views over the divide towards the village of Huez-en-Oisans which is some distance up the zig-zagging road reaching towards l’Alpe-d’Huez. Soon the few buildings are reached, one obviously an active hotel which offers sandwiches and liquid stimulants that may be timely upon your arrival. The author reached this place as it was approaching noon, finding preparations under way in the restaurant to serve lunches to other visitors. Sitting in the shade at one of the outside tables with a bottled beer to accompany the Sainsbury’s individual meat pie was all that was necessary on this occasion and the break was worthwhile. Take the metalled road which skirts the hillside to pass Maronne and reach le Rosay but remember to fork R off it immediately prior to the village. You will now be on a path and you must fork L just past the housing. This leads to an extremely pleasant pasture before beginning to lose altitude down a rocky escarpment (safe, but take care!) until reaching a wee stone bridge that you’ll find set amongst dense trees.

Once over the bridge, turn R onto a path that has come from the village of Huez. This gains height gradually, eventually coming to a Y-junction where a coin can be flipped to decide on which side of the river to continue as both paths come together at another small bridge some 20min further on. Here will be found a clearing which houses the Auberge de la Combe Haute, a café/bar offering midday meals and accommodation on a dortoir basis.

Continue on the same side of the river as the Auberge and soon you will emerge above the tree-line into an enormous clearing, divided only by the attractive water flow of the young river Sarenne where you might be tempted to rest awhile, brew-up, bathe the feet?

Continue straight on through a narrow defile and much further until encountering a bridge at a nondescript place called Chalet du Sella. Very dusty underfoot on this stretch and the slightest breeze will whisk this into the air and make the going somewhat unpleasant. Go half-R at the bridge and head cross-country to short-cut the jeep track that, like you, is heading for COL de SARENNE.

The grassy terrain that leads to the pass is replaced by a landscape of rock on the other side. Follow the road over and new broader views will appear. After a short while you will be able to see right down to the valley bottom where the cluster of shining roofs represent the village of Clavans le Haut, your next target. Fortunately you will not have to plod the whole length of the roadway that can be seen sweeping the broad width of the hillside as, after a couple of hairpins, a path goes off and down to the R. This will quickly stress the ankles and it seems to go interminably downwards long after the calf muscles have screamed their displeasure.

Things ease eventually where you can see a sign pointing back the way you’ve just come: FACILE, the French word for ‘easy’. What can be ‘difficult’ then? Wait until later and you will get the answer! Go over the road straight into a mule track that immediately swings to the R to lead into Clavans le Haut. A likeable place with very attractive old buildings but not one of them a restaurant or bar, although water is plentiful at the fountain.

Once through the village, take the RH fork in the road and follow it up to its first bend where the path will be found going off to the left and which can then be followed all the way to CLAVANS le BAS.

Not to be confused with the active gîte in le Bas (which is available only for private booking), the gîte d’étape was closed when the author passed in 1993 and it is anyone’s guess if it will ever re-open. This forces those in need of accommodation to continue to Besse where ample facilities will be found to exist, although this will add significantly to the length of the day’s walk.

Before leaving the description for Day One, consideration ought to be given to the two alternative places where the day’s walk can begin, significantly aiding the extra distance and exertions that might be called on if Besse has to be reached. Rather than starting at Bourg d’Oisans, mention has already been made in the introduction for those who might want to get to le Châtelard with their car and can therefore start there with a significant saving in altitude that would otherwise have to be climbed.

Those dependent on public transport can take the ongoing bus (incidentally, the French call their buses cars) from Bourg d’Oisans to the village of Huez which is about halfway up the multi-hairpinned road leading to l’Alp d’Huez (don’t confuse the two). The path (clearly signposted) leaving the centre of the village cants down towards the ravine to join the route already described in the vicinity of the ‘wee stone bridge’, the Pont Romain. Huez is only a small place and accommodation limited. The Hotel le Gai Vallon is probably its Jewel in the Crown and to stay there it might be prudent to phone ahead to guarantee a place (tel 76 80 30 52).