From the Col du Lautaret to L'Alpe du Villar-d'Arène via Pied du Col
Vers le refuge de Villar d'Arène, les Agneaux au fond.
Vers le refuge de Villar d'Arène, les Agneaux au fond. - © Parc national des Ecrins - Thibaut Blais
Le Monêtier-les-Bains

1. From the Col du Lautaret to L'Alpe du Villar-d'Arène via Pied du Col

Lake and glacier
Pastoralism
Hut
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A variant of the first stage of the four-day Tour du Combeynot which follows the two GR® routes in the massif of les Écrins.
The walker travels through a landscape of pastureland to the green meadows of the Plan de l'Alpe. The footpath runs up a stretch of the Romanche valley, a favoured playground for marmots. It is a true pleasure to hike along the foot of one of the most iconic peaks of Les Écrins : La Meije.

Description

From the Parc au Col du Lautaret information centre, follow the road.

  1. Turn right after the Café de la Ferme. Take the GR®50 (signs) which runs downhill to Le Pied du Col.
  2. Once past the hamlet, carry on along the GR® track until you come to a paved road.
  3. Go left and follow the GR®54 waymarks. Follow the road until you come to a gîte. Pass Pont d'Arsine (1,667m), leave the lake on your right and carry on until you reach the summer car park.
  4. The valley narrows and after the Le Colombié stream the footpath starts to rise uphill towards the alpine pasture.
  5. Ignore the Les Crevasses footpath, which leads from the Col du Lauteret, on your left, go past a meteorological station and on to the shelter of L’Alpe de Villar d’Arène (2,079m) via the right-hand footpath.
  • Towns crossed : Le Monêtier-les-Bains and Villar-d'Arêne

2 points of interest

  • Vallée de la Romanche, Charles Bertier
    Vallée de la Romanche, Charles Bertier - © Musée de Grenoble
    History

    Romanche valley, Charles Bertier

    The Romanche was a source of inspiration for many mountain artists and it have been painted repeatedly. Charles Bertier (1860-1924) was inspired to paint Vallée de la Romanche au Pied-du-Col and Les Fréaux près de la Grave, two oil paintings that were painted in 1894. The artist from Grenoble learnt to paint landscapes with Jean Achard, and mountains with the abbot Guétal and did not hesitate to set up his easel on the high summits of the Dauphiné Alps. More to the point, his mission was to make his contemporaries 'understand the mountains'!
  • Marmotte au printemps
    Marmotte au printemps - PNE - Papet Rodolphe
    Fauna

    The marmots’ "bosse"

    The alpine marmot is naturally present on grass at altitude. Here, it occupies a singular place which we call the marmots’  "bosse». This hibernating rodent is only visible between April and October. The marmot lives in a family and respects a hierarchy. Games, grooming, fighting and biting ensure the dominance of a couple as well as the cohesion of the group. Each animal participates in the delimitation of the territory by rubbing its cheeks on rocks and also by urinating and defecating there. When there is danger, the marmot emits a high and powerful whistle in order to warn the others.

Altimetric profile

Sensitive areas

Along your trek, you will go through sensitive areas related to the presence of a specific species or environment. In these areas, an appropriate behaviour allows to contribute to their preservation. For detailed information, specific forms are accessible for each area.

Golden eagle

Impacted practices:
Aerial, , Vertical
Sensitivity periods:
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Contact:
Parc National des Écrins
Julien Charron
julien.charron@ecrins-parcnational.fr
Find out more

Golden eagle

Impacted practices:
Aerial, , Vertical
Sensitivity periods:
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Contact:
Parc National des Écrins
Julien Charron
julien.charron@ecrins-parcnational.fr
Find out more

Golden eagle

Impacted practices:
Aerial, , Vertical
Sensitivity periods:
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Contact:
Parc National des Écrins
Julien Charron
julien.charron@ecrins-parcnational.fr
Find out more

Information desks

Information center "Col du Lautaret" (summer only)

Col du Lautaret, 05220 Le Monêtier-les-bains

http://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr/brianconnais@ecrins-parcnational.fr04 92 24 49 74

Under the gaze of the Meije (3983 m) and surrounded by beautiful meadows celebrated in the great names of botany, the former hospice of the Lautaret called "refuge Napoleon" houses the reception and information Park center - Projections, documentation, books of the Park. Accessible to people with reduced mobility. Free admission.

Find out more

Access and parking

Parking :

Car park at the Col du Lautaret Park Centre ("Maison du Parc").

Source

Parc national des Ecrinshttps://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr

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