The refuges of the Pays des Écrins

Home The refuges of the Pays des Écrins

Intimately linked to the history of the conquest of the peaks, for which a halt halfway through the race was and still is essential, the first refuges appeared in the second half of the nineteenth century, particularly on the routes leading to the highest peaks. Today, they have nothing to do with the rudimentary huts that welcomed the pioneers of mountaineering, but remain an unusual experience and an opportunity to meet other mountain enthusiasts. The Pays des Écrins has seven refuges, including those of the Sélé, the Écrins and the Glacier Blanc.

 Refuge des Écrins

Located at an altitude of 3170 metres, on a rocky promontory on the left bank of the Glacier Blanc, the Écrins refuge faces the highest peak of the massif, the Barre des Écrins which rises to 4102 metres. An essential base camp for mountaineers who set off to conquer the Dôme and the Barre des Écrins, the peak of the Arsine glacier, Roche Faurio or Neige Cordier, it also serves as a starting point for ski tourers.

Damien Haxaire, goalkeeper Originally from the Vosges, Damien has always had a particular attraction for the great outdoors and the mountains. To the point of making his passion his profession. A mountain guide and ski patroller, he moved to the valley in 2011, and acted as a caretaker at the Pelvoux refuge before joining the Écrins refuge. What does he like most about this job of treetop lookout? Freedom, quite simply. Over the years of caretaking, he discovered a passion for cooking, since then, he has been delighting his guests. No one can resist his now famous cream puffs made in front of the Barre des Écrins! The tasting has to be earned: to access the refuge and taste its charms, you have to progress on the Blanc glacier, equipped with crampons.

• Access to the Écrins refuge: Pré de Madame Carle
• Duration / Elevation gain: 4h30 / 1300 m glacial access requiring adapted equipment
• Altitude: 3,170 m
• Capacity: 116 seats
• Guarding: from March to September
• Contact: 09 82 12 70 85 / 06 07 79 89 96

Topping the rocky bar that closes the Celse-Nière valley, the refuge, built in 1983, belongs to this mineral universe of the high mountains, offering a panoramic view of the entire valley.

An ideal stopover to discover the life of high mountain refuges, it is also the gateway to the Ailefroides, the Pointe des Bœufs-Rouges, the Aiguilles de Sialouze, the Pointe du Sélé… Peaks that have marked the history of mountaineering.

Guardian of the Pavé refuge for seven years, Sophie Loos took over the reins of the Sélé in 2022. She replaced the emblematic Raoul Gaentzhirt, master of the house for 25 years. With her stripes as a goalkeeper well acquired, she embarked on this new altitude adventure with excitement. She had been thinking about this refuge for a long time! A lover of verticality and a state diploma in climbing, she has found her corner of paradise here and knows the surrounding races perfectly. A little extra that allows him to be able to inform mountaineers looking for advice. She also makes it a point of honor to make the stop at the Sele, an unforgettable experience, thanks to an impeccable welcome and a cuisine made of quality local products. Bread is baked on site daily and vegetarian dishes are regularly added to the menu.

• Access: from the Ailefroide campsite
• Duration / Elevation gain: 3h / 1000 m
• Altitude: 2,542 m
• Capacity: 76 seats
• Guarding: from June to September
• Contact: 04 92 23 39 49

 Refugedu Glacier Blanc

Easily accessible, the Glacier Blanc refuge is located on the left bank of the eponymous glacier and looks out over the large, beautiful and wild north faces of the Pelvoux, the Pic Sans Nom and the Ailefroides.

This glacial environment gives the site its singular dimension. Halfway between the Pré de Mme Carle and the Refuge des Écrins, it is a delightful stopover. Its large sun terrace is a luxury. On the mountaineering side, it allows access to many renowned races: the Agneaux, the Pic du Glacier Blanc, the Cinéastes, Neige Cordier… or to learn about glacier walking.

Before moving (in June 2013) from mid-March to the end of September at the Glacier Blanc refuge, Nicolas Chaud was the guardian of the Pelvoux refuge and assistant guardian at the Écrins refuge.
The particularity of this refuge built in a mineral universe? The summer melting pot that brings together mountaineers, hikers and families in this remote place. Nicolas finds a good balance between periods of great affluence and moments of solitude that he loves. “I like to meet and exchange with people passing through, and then enjoy the silence and the place all to myself.” Teamwork also appeals to the man who in winter, with the refuge closed, becomes a ski instructor in Puy Saint Vincent.

• Access: Pré de Madame Carle
• Duration / Elevation gain: 2h30 / 670m
• Altitude: 2,542 m
• Capacity: 131 seats
• Guarding: from March to September
• Contact: 04 92 23 50 24 / 04 82 12 73 91

Pelvoux refuge

Perched at an altitude of 2,704 metres, the Pelvoux refuge dominates the Celse Nière valley from a rocky promontory, a natural extension of the moraine of the Clot de l’Homme glacier. Accessible in about 3 hours and 30 minutes of walking from Ailefroide, it offers a spectacular viewpoint over the emblematic peaks of the Écrins massif.
A place steeped in history, it is the starting point for many mythical races: the Pointe Puiseux, the crossing of the Pelvoux, the Petit Pelvoux… so many itineraries that make the legend of mountaineering resonate. Panels installed in the refuge retrace these great adventures, from the first ascent of the Pelvoux to the construction of the Lemercier refuge.

• Access to the Écrins refuge: Ailefroide campsite car park (1,509 m)
• Duration / Elevation gain: ≈ 3 hours of ascent / +1,180 m (steep trail, not equipped)
• Altitude: 2,704 m
• Capacity: 54 places in season, 10 places excluding guarding
• Guarding: end of May to beginning of September
• Contact: 09 70 02 05 74

Refuge
benches

Nestled in the heart of the Écrins massif, the Bans refuge rises in a high mountain setting, surrounded by majestic peaks exceeding 3,000 metres, such as the Jocelme, the Pic des Aupillous and the Bans. Its local stone architecture, inherited from a post-war construction, gives it an authentic charm and a robust look.

Both a family refuge and an alpine stopover, it lends itself to a day hike as well as a more committed stay. On its terrace, you can enjoy a gourmet break facing the peaks. Hikers stop there before reaching the bumps of Peyre-Arguet or the foothills of the Bans. As for mountaineers, they find privileged access to beautiful snow races (Pas des Aupillous, Jocelme, Pointe des Bœufs Rouges, Les Bans) or rock races, such as the crossing of the ridges of Coste Counier or the routes traced by Jean-Michel Cambon.

• Access to the Écrins refuge: Entre-les-Aygues car park (Vallouise), then a path on the left bank of the Bans torrent
• Duration / Elevation gain: 1 h 30 min ascent / +480 m (easy trail)
• Altitude: 2,083 m
• Capacity: 22 seats
• Guarding: end of May to mid-September
• Contact: 04 92 23 39 48