Tour of the Écrins Stages 11-12: Les Terrasses, La Grave, Refuge de l’Alpe de Villar d’Arène, and back to Le Monêtier-les-Bains
The final stages of our GR54 hike delivered some of the most memorable moments of the entire traverse. On Stage 11, we descended from Les Terrasses through La Grave and followed the Romanche river to Refuge de l’Alpe de Villar d’Arène. Further forays brought us deep into a glaciated valleys. Stage 12 climbed to Col d’Arsine and then followed Le Petit Tobuc — a milky blue stream — all the way down to Le Monêtier-les-Bains, where our trip began. A day in Grenoble rounded out the journey before returning to Lyon.
Tour of the Écrins Stages 8-10: Refuge de la Muzelle, Mizoën, and Les Terrasses
The northeastern portion of the GR54 loops around the Écrins massif through spectacular alpine terrain — past petrifying fountains and glacial lakes, over cols, and along milky blue streams fed by the glaciers above. These three stages cover the heart of that arc: the climb to Col de la Muzelle, a lesser-traveled variant bypassing Briançon and Les Deux Alpes, and a crossing of the Plateau d’Emparis with La Meije filling the horizon.
Tour of the Écrins Stages 4-7: Refuge du Pigeonnier, La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, Refuge des Souffles, Valsenestre
We started our fourth through seventh days in the Écrins with a detour from the GR54 to get up close to some high peaks. After, we rejoined the GR54 and continued to the village of La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, up to Refuge des Souffles, and on to the village of Valsenestre.
Tour of the Écrins Stages 1-3: Vallouise, Refuge du Pré de la Chaumette, and Refuge Vallonpierre
The first three days of our Tour of the Écrins would take us to Vallouise, Refuge du Pré de la Chaumette, and Refuge Vallonpierre.
Tour of the Écrins Prelude: Lyon and travel to Le Monêtier-les-Bains
For our 2022 trip to the Écrins, we chose to fly in and out of Lyon, France. Flight schedule changes resulted in us having an extra day to explore, which was wonderful. Lyon’s architecture, parks, and food made for a wonderful stay.
What’s in our packs: Hut-to-Hut Hikes
On hut-to-hut hikes, we strive for a balance in our packing. We want pack light enough that we have energy for side trips and explorations; I (Sean) made this mistake when we walked the Rota Vicentina. We also want to carry enough that we aren’t committed to washing clothes every day and so that we sleep well.
This packing list is for hut-to-hut walks where we are staying in a combination of staffed, half-board mountain refuges (i.e., breakfast and dinner are included) and hotels.
Tour of the Bernina – Stages 7-10: Alp Grüm, Berghaus Diavolezza, Boval Hut, and Pontresina
The last four days of the Tour of the Bernina brought us back into Switzerland. There, we paralleled the train line to Alp Grüm (where we stayed in a hotel that is also a train station) and along Lago Bianco and Lej Nair. We spent our last two nights with spectacular glacier views, one a berghaus tied in with a ski area and the last at a classic Swiss hut.
Tour of the Bernina – Stages 4-6: Fornohütte, Rifugios Longoni, Carate Brianza, and Bignami
The middle part of our Tour of the Bernina took us over Passo del Forno into Italy. We stayed at Rifugio Longoni and crossed through Vallone di Scerscen to stay at Rifugio Carate. From there, we backtracked to enjoy views at Rifugio Marinelli Bombardieri before taking in the stunning scenery around Fellaria Glacier. We spent a night at Rifugio Bignami before crossing back into Switzerland.
Tour of the Bernina – Stages 1-3: Pontresina, Chamanna Coaz, Maloja, and Fornohütte
Our first three stages of the Tour of the Bernina were varied. We began with a short stage to Chamanna Coaz, followed by a long balcony walk that brought us to the town of Maloja. From Maloja, we ascended into the mountains, where we stayed at Fornohütte, perched high above Forno Glacier.
Tour of the Bernina – Prelude: Arrival in Zurich, Oeschinensee, and transit to Pontresina
For the Tour of the Bernina, we flew into Zurich. The next day, we took a train to Oeschinensee for a day hike, returning to Zurich in the evening. The following morning, we dropped our luggage and took the Bernina Express train to Pontresina.