EXPERIENCE Snowshoeing

Three Day Discovery of La Grave on Snowshoes

A gentle discovery of the magnificent area surrounding La Grave and the Haute-Romanche, with stunning views of the Ecrins massif

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Come join us on a three-day snowshoe tour around La Grave and make a thorough discovery of the Haute-Romanche area; a unique mountainous environment, both in terms of landscapes and architecture. Each day we will deliberately choose a moderate elevation gain so that you can experience a gentle approach of this winter activity. You just have to let yourself be guided and enjoy those hiking moments in the wintertime!

HOW DIFFICULT WILL THE TRIP BE?

Advanced

You are able to hike all day, perhaps for multiple days, with a pace of climbing around 250m per hour and a pace of descending around 500m per hour.

WHAT LEVEL OF PHYSICAL FITNESS DO I NEED?

Advanced

You are very active, and can walk 7 to 8 hours on technical trails or off trails. You are able to hike all day and can gain 1200 to 1500m per day.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON EACH DAY?

Day 1

We will have an easy start for this first day: departing from the village of Villar d'Arène, we will hike through landscapes of plains and forests. Then, we will hike up to the Col de l'Aiguillon (2096m/6876ft): from there, we will enjoy the magnificent panorama over la Meije, the village of La Grave and the plateau d'Emparis.

Vertical: +350m/+1148ft

Day 2

This second day will be the opportunity to hike on south-facing slopes above La Grave up to the small village of Les Terrasses. From there, we will hike up to the Côte Rouge ridge and ascend to the summit of Signal de la Grave (2446m/8024ft), from which we will enjoy breathtaking views of the la Meije massif on one side and of the Grandes Rousses massif on the other side. The last part of the hike will be a descent through the high mountain pasture hamlet of Les Clots, a nice example of local traditional architecture.

Vertical: +750m/+2460ft

Day 3

For the third and last day of our snowshoe tour, we will enjoy a slightly more sustained hike up to the splendid Plateau d'Emparis, a balcony over the huge north face of la Meije, and a perfect location for snowshoeing. The environment is completely different from the past two days, with its alpine atmosphere and vast snowy expanses at almost 2500 meters (8202ft). A beautiful finish to our three-day snowshoe discovery of the Haute-Romanche area!

Vertical: +650m/+2132ft