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.
Tag Archives: Les Terrasses
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.

