The Écrins on the refuge side
A Micro-adventure
at the top
Looking for fresh air, silence and nights at the top? In the Pays des Écrins, walking to a refuge is already an adventure. Each step brings you closer to another place, each refuge opens a window on the immensity. We sleep on the mountainside, we share a hot dish, we look up at the stars.
Between Vallouise, the Glacier Blanc and the Barre des Écrins, the experience can be enjoyed on the move or for the day, with the family or in alpine mode. The landscapes are grandiose, the atmosphere authentic.
Here, the refuges are not simple shelters: they are points of meeting, emotion and surpassing.
The Refuge des Bans: a haven of peace for all
Nestled in the Onde valley, less than 2 hours walk from Vallouise, the Bans refuge is the ideal getaway for a first approach to the refuges with the family. Easily accessible, it offers a gentle immersion in the world of the high mountains.
The youngest discover life at altitude, while mountaineers find a starting point for summer classics such as the Bans massif, Coste Counier or Le Diable par la Queue.
For a day or a night, it is a quiet, welcoming and panoramic place. Perfect for soaking up the atmosphere before heading off on bigger adventures.
Refuge des Bans – open in summer, by reservation.
Madame Carle’s Refuge du Pré :
at the foot of Mont Pelvoux
Departure from Ailefroide for an invigorating getaway: the silence of the mountains, the soft snow under your feet. The Pré de Madame Carle, an emblematic refuge of the Pays des Écrins, rises at the intersection of the Black and White Glaciers, at the foot of Mont Pelvoux.
Accessible on foot, snowshoes or skis, his chalet-refuge is open from March 15 to September 28, 2025, every day. Friendly terrace, à la carte lunch, refreshment bar during the day: an ideal stopover, before continuing to the Refuge du Glacier Blanc.
Ideal as a base camp, the place is also perfect for chamois and marmot watching when you look up between sips of drink. You can spend the night there, but if you are tempted, head to the Glacier Blanc for another magical stop.
Refuge du Pré de Madame Carle
– Access: car park at the Pré de Madame Carle, open road depending on spring snow conditions
– Services: lunch, refreshment bar, nights in dormitory or rooms, terrace
The Glacier Blanc Refuge:
a key stage at the gates of the Écrins
After about 2h30 of walking from the Pré de Madame Carle, you reach the Glacier Blanc refuge (2,542 m), facing the immense north faces of the Pelvoux, the Pic Sans Nom and the Ailefroides.
An ideal base camp, it allows you to explore glaciers and mythical peaks such as the Agneaux, Pic du Glacier Blanc, Neige Cordier, Arête des Cinéastes or Roche Faurio.
With its sunny terrace, you can enjoy an unforgettable sunset, followed by a warm meal inside to the sound of crackling wood. Mountaineers’ conversations, the stars in the background: the unique atmosphere of the huts. At dawn, a shared breakfast before leaving for the Écrins refuge closes this intense and memorable stage.
Opening dates 2025:
Babysitting from 29 March to 20 September, every day, by reservation
The Refuge des Écrins: sanctuary at 3,170 m
After a steep ascent (+600 m) from the Glacier Blanc, perched on its rocky outcrop, the Écrins refuge offers a breathtaking panorama facing the Barre des Écrins (4,115 m). This stone refuge is a place full of emotion: first altitude, grandiose sunset and live high mountain atmosphere.
It is the ideal starting point for the big races: Dôme de Neige, Barre, Neige Cordier, Roche Faurio… accessible with a guide and the right equipment. We enjoy a collective meal at the refuge, we share mountaineering stories, then we fall asleep, our hearts full of promise.
In the early morning, coffee and energy bars, set off for an adventure forever engraved in your memory.
Opening 2025 : security from 15 March to 27 September, every day, by reservation required.
In season, the refuge offers 116 places, dormitories, meals, breakfast, picnic baskets
Why live the experience?
Because a shelter is much more than a break: it is the meeting of a territory, a history and a community. Each sunrise is a promise, each summit an adventure, each night a suspended parenthesis.
So are you ready for this trip to the heart of the Écrins? Sensations, sharing and memories are waiting for you.