Tour of the Oisans - Walking the GR54
Tour of the Oisans: The GR54
Price
£12.00
STAGE 3
La Grave to Monêtier-les-Bains
Distance 22km
Time 8hrs
Start altitude: 1474m
High point: Col d’Arsine 2340m
Low point: Monêtier-les-Bains 1495m
Height gain: 1060m
Height loss: 1050m
Accommodation:
Villar d’Arêne (1hr) – hotel, gîtes
Le Pied-du-Col (2hrs) – gîte, camping
Refuge de l’Alpe (4hrs) – CAF refuge, booking essential
Le Casset (7hrs) – gîte
Monêtier-les-Bains (71⁄2–8hrs) – gîte, hotels, camping
Long but straightforward, this stage takes the route away from the valley of the Romanche and down into that of the Guisane which effectively forms the northeastern limit of the Oisans region. As before, there are several accommodation options along the way should you wish to follow a different itinerary to that set out here.
It should be noted that within minutes of leaving La Grave the trail makes a rather perverse crossing of a wooded spur which entails an abrupt climb of almost 300m, before dropping to the bank of the Romanche and continuing upvalley. I say perverse because there’s a perfectly feasible alternative path which follows the river, and visits Villar d’Arêne before rejoining the ‘official’ GR54 trail. This alternative is also described – see box below.
At the northeastern end of La Grave’s main street (opposite Hotel Le Sérac) go down a service road leading to Camping La Meije. At the foot of the slope cross the Romanche and immediately turn left along a footpath signed to Villar d’Arêne. Shortly after the way enters woodland, the path forks. The GR54 trail, which climbs to cross the wooded spur referred to above, takes the right branch, while the alternative via Villar d’Arêne is the left-hand option.
Alternative Route via Villar d’Arêne
Taking the left branch the path follows the south bank of the Romanche on an undulating course in and out of woodland, then rises above the river as it enters a gorge. The way then descends to river level and crosses on a footbridge. With a couple of twists the trail now angles across the steep wall of the gorge on what is little more than a ledge above a series of cataracts. After this you go through a group of trees and come to a fork. The main road emerges from a tunnel just above the path. Turn right and cross a small meadow into more trees. When the path emerges from these you wander up a sloping meadow, skirt the road for about 100m, then go ahead on a track to
VILLAR D’ARÊNE (1683m 1hr) The village has food stores, PTT, bars, restaurants, hotels, and two gîtes d’étape: La Brèche ((04 76 79 92 06); and Le Faranchin ((04 76 79 90 01).
Leave the village square at its right-hand corner beside the Auberge Aux 3 Frênes, and descend by path to a footbridge spanning the Romanche. Across this turn right through a gate, then go up a slope to join the GR54, Tour of the Oisans. Turn left.
The main route outside La Grave branches right at the fork and heads up the slope through woodland, then out to open ground where you briefly join a grass track, which you leave at a hairpin bend. Go ahead on an unmarked path which forks after a few paces. Take the upper branch over sloping grassland to rejoin the track. When it curves right by a small stream take the footpath ahead towards a small stone hut. Here you turn south and climb steeply to more woodland, and about 45mins from La Grave come to the high point of 1741m at a small gate among larchwoods, with views back to La Grave.
The trail now slopes downhill at an easier gradient, and after about 10–15mins it brings you to the Romanche just above the footbridge link with Villar d’Arêne used by the alternative route (see box above). Remain on the upper path to rise above the river. After gaining a little height, the way then contours easily before returning to river level where it meanders among birch trees and colourful stands of rosebay willowherb, then alongside open meadows. This riverside walk is truly delightful in good conditions, but if you plan to end the day in Monêtier-les-Bains you’d be advised not to daydream here for too long.
On reaching a bridge, cross the river to a car park, then turn right along the road to the municipal campsite of LE PIED DU COL (the village lies up the slope to the left) where you will find a water supply and public telephone. Opposite the campsite entrance you will see the
GÎTE D’ÉTAPE LE PAS DE L’ANE (1700m 2hrs) With 20 places and meals provided, the gîte is open all year ((04 76 79 94 28).
A short distance beyond the campsite there’s a parking area and a dirt road heading southeast. On the left of the parking area go onto the GR54 footpath which cuts along the left-hand hillside above the road, and eventually slopes into the roadhead car park where a sign indicates the way to Refuge de l’Alpe.
Continue upvalley to join a signed path from where the climb begins to the refuge and Col d’Arsine which lies beyond it. At first this path has been carved from rock flanking the Romanche, with the hanging valley of l’Homme seen to the right, headed by Le Pavé [1]. You enter a secretive little valley blocked by crags to the south where there’s a confluence of streams.
Over a footbridge the path zigzags up the left side of the crags, then by way of a very steep grass slope where, halfway up, it forks. (The right branch leads to the Sources de la Romanche [2], and the Pavé and Planchard refuges.) Branch left and continue to loop up the hillside, eventually easing into the broad, gently rising pastureland of the Plan de l’Alpe, with mountain views expanding as you proceed. Here a path breaks left on the way to Col du Lautaret, and shortly after this junction has been passed a minor trail slants off half-right ahead, leading to
REFUGE DE L’ALPE DE VILLAR D’ARÊNE (2077m 4hrs) Owned by the CAF’s Briançon section, it has 94 places, refreshments and meals provided, and is staffed from mid-June to mid-September ((04 76 79 94 66).
Unless you need accommodation or refreshments here it’s not necessary to take this side path, but to continue upvalley at an undemanding gradient with the Rif de la Planche stream flowing nearby to the right. Marmots can often be seen (or at least heard) in these upper pastures. The feeder path from Refuge de l’Alpe eventually joins the main route as you enter the national park, shortly before you come to a minor boulderfield and begin to climb more steeply to gain COL D’ARSINE (2340m) about 5hrs after leaving La Grave.
Col d’Arsine is a long trough-like saddle of grass and rocks below a massive rib of black moraine which conceals a glacial lake trapped in the cirque formed by the curving ridges of Pic de Neige Cordier and Montagne des Agneaux. Given reasonable visibility La Meije can be recognised when looking back to the northwest. Golden eagles, alpine choughs, wheatear and water pipit are often to be seen here.
From the col the path curves left to contour across a rocky section with marmots bounding and calling from practically every direction, before you descend to pass alongside an enchanted area where streams and pools gather amid little meadows and natural rock gardens below the Cirque d’Arsine [3]. Now the path follows the left bank of the Petit Tabuc stream, descending among carpets of juniper. On coming to a rocky area at the foot of a small scree, note that the stream suddenly ceases to run; it disappears, only to reappear as a resurgence on a larch-clad slope almost 200m lower.
The trail crosses a steep slope, then makes a plunging zigzag descent towards the little LAC DE LA DOUCHE (1901m 6hrs) which lies at the foot of a narrow valley topped by Montagne des Agneaux and Pic des Prets les Fonts, with the shrinking cravat of the Glacier du Casset hanging between them.
At the tarn cross a short causeway of rocks to the south side of the stream, where you leave the Parc National des Écrins on the continuing path flanked by wild raspberry canes shortly before entering larchwoods. In the woods the path develops as a track and joins another at Le Grand Pré. Here you turn right, cross a stream and continue down to a barrier at PONT DU CLOT (1569m) where there’s a national park noticeboard and a small parking area. Now on the left bank of the Petit Tabuc you soon arrive at
LE CASSET (1512m 7hrs) A small village on the left bank of the Guisane, it is on the route of an infrequent bus service between Briançon and Bourg d’Oisans. Le Casset has a water supply, public telephone, a bar/restaurant, and gîte accommodation, Le Rebanchon ((06 79 96 35 30).
On entering Le Casset bear right through the village to pass the gîte, then leave by crossing a bridge over the Guisane opposite the bar-restaurant Chez Finette. Now on the right bank of the river turn left on a broad path/track cutting through meadows. About 20mins later you will come to a bridge. Do not cross this, but continue along the track, and when it forks branch left. Monêtier can now be seen just ahead. A few paces after this you cross the Grand Tabuc stream, and shortly after come to the first of three bridges that lead directly into Monêtier. Should you be planning to stay at the gîte d’étape here keep ahead as far as the third bridge (le Grand Pont), then cross to the left bank and walk up the slope to find the gîte about 50m above the river on the right.
MONÊTIER-LES-BAINS (1495m 71⁄2–8hrs) A large village/ small town, Monêtier is a spa (as its name suggests) but is perhaps better known as part of the Station de Serre-Chevalier ski region. It has a tourist office (www.monetier.com), supermarket, bars, restaurants, bank with ATM, PTT, several hotels and a welcoming gîte: Le Flourou ((04 92 24 41 13); there’s also a campsite on the west side of the town. For a lower priced hotel try: Le Rif Blanc ((04 92 24 41 35).
Items of Interest Along the Way
1 LE PAVÉ
A peak of 3823m, and a near neighbour of La Meije, it forms a junction between the Gaspard and Cavales ridges, and each of its three faces wears a glacier, though these are shrinking fast.
2 SOURCES DE LA ROMANCHE
The Romanche has its source among the debris of the once-extensive Glacier de la Plate des Agneaux at the head of a valley lying southwest of the Refuge de l’Alpe de Villar d’Arêne. With the magnificent headwall crowned by Roche Faurio as a backdrop, the Romanche emerges in several places from a huge rock tip and a chaos of moraines at around 2150m. But a short distance below, the young river flows crystal clear through meadows ringing to the cry of marmots.
3 CIRQUE D’ARSINE
Formed by a crescent of ridges that links Pic d’Arsine, Pic de Neige Cordier, the elegant Montagne des Agneaux and Pointe du Réou d’Arsine, the Cirque d’Arsine is noted for its great moraine tips, little pools of murky water, and the milky Lac de Glacier d’Arsine which is reached by an easy path from the col crossed on the Tour of the Oisans. Several hundred metres below the cirque headwall, a variety of streams leak out of the moraines to water a delectable region of lawn-like meadows and natural rock gardens.
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