What is alpinism?

Alpinism, or mountaineering, is a mountain sport involving various different techniques for travelling through the mountains, such as rock climbing, glacier travel, ski touring and ice climbing. At the heart of mountaineering is a search for adventure, for altitude and the mountains, and for high-adrenaline experiences. Keen to get into the mountains? Get in touch with a mountain guide from the Hautes-Alpes who will be your climbing partner and will advise you on the equipment you will need.

> click here for a list of mountain guides in the Hautes-Alpes

The Écrins, one of the largest and highest massifs in the Alps

The Écrins National Park is a high-mountain area that is shared between the départements of Isère and the Hautes-Alpes. The Écrins Massif as a whole (2710 km2) forms one of the highest massifs in France. Its highest point stands at over 4000 m and it has 150 peaks over the 3000-metre mark, of which 50 are over 3500 m. It also contains a large system of glaciers covering over 11,000 ha, the second largest in France. Its highest peak, the Barre des Écrins, is 4102 m high. The 11,000 ha of glaciers have carved out seven deep valleys, distributed in a star shape.

> Find out more about the Écrins National Park

> Download a map of the massif

The Hautes-Alpes, a high-mountain environment

Some mountaineers (such as Patrick Berhault) find that the Alps are big enough to fill a whole career in alpinism… Did you know that the second most popular site for mountaineering in France is in the Hautes-Alpes ? In fact, this honour goes to the small village of Ailefroide, overlooked by the Barre des Écrins whose summit is at an altitude of 4102 m!

> Find out more about Ailefroide and the Écrins area

Massifs and peaks of the Hautes-Alpes

The whole area is gouged through with deep valleys, which began to form around 50 million years ago and was completed by the glaciers of the Quaternary. These valleys drop away from the area’s famous peaks: the Grand Pic de la Meije (3983 m), Barre des Écrins (4102 m), Ailefroide (3953 m), Les Bans (3669 m) and Le Sirac (3440 m). The Champsaur Massif and eastern edge of the Embrun region, in the southeast, have sedimentary rocks over 3000 m high, such as the Tête de Vautisse (3456 m). To the northwest, the Meije-Écrins, Bans, Olan and Sirac massifs are formed from crystalline rocks, which are by turns light-coloured and dark-coloured.

Ice and glaciers of the Hautes-Alpes

Ice reigns like a demanding mistress at altitudes of over 3000 m in the mountains. A carapace of metallic blue hues, crevassed and dangerous for those rash enough to venture onto it ill-prepared, it forms a curious world of chilly lacework and striking, subtle patterns… With a mountain guide you can explore glaciers, the inside of a crevasse and an ice cave gouged from the body of the glacier, and its fascinating ephemeral sculptures… The Écrins National Park is home to the southerly glaciers of the Alps: cirque glaciers (Glacier Blanc, Glacier Noir), ice caps (Dôme du Monêtier), hanging glaciers (Ailefroide) as well as a patchwork of other smaller glaciers, making a total of over 10,000 ha of ice!

La Grave-La Meije cable car

Thanks to this cable car, which is open from mid-June to mid-September, you can be transported to an altitude of 3200 m in just 40 minutes! Allow yourself to take in the surrounding spectacle. La Grave is a world-renowned resort and was voted number 2 in the world in the ‘fascinating panorama’ category. Take your time when you are up there. Allow half a day for a walk, preferably in the morning, over the Girose glacier. You can also visit the ice grotto that has been turned into a museum under the glacier with ice sculptures that each tell a different tale. There is also a mountain restaurant and three orientation tables to make the most of.

> find out more about the La Grave cable car

Try walking on ice!

Take your first steps on ice with a mountain guide who will introduce you to the world of the mountains. Your guide will look after you and teach you the basic techniques you will need to make your way across a glacier, such as walking in crampons and how to tie on to the rope… Somewhere between long-distance hikes and mountaineering, glacier hiking enables you to travel across the imposing expanse of glaciers. You have the chance to enjoy the beauty of the views, while emphasis is also placed on learning safe techniques for glacier travel. Day trips or longer, with nights in huts, are available. Contact a mountain guide for your glacier adventure!

Try your first climb on a snow route!

Discover a world once the preserve of alpinists in the Écrins region. Take your first steps on a glacier led by a mountain guide who can teach you the basics of climbing and take you to the top of a 3500-metre summit and on your first route in the mountains! Day 1: Rock climbing techniques in Ailefroide, second most popular mountaineering venue in France. Day 2: Ice climbing techniques, learning how to use crampons and cross glaciated terrain. Day 3: Summit day! Your introduction to climbing on snow and your first steps as an alpinist. Then back to your chalet for a sauna and Jacuzzi and the chance to savour your achievement.

> contact the Écrins tourist office for more info

Testimonial

“When I walked on a glacier for the first time, right next to the summit of Les Rouies, I had the powerful and exhilarating feeling that I had crossed a barrier: that I had gone beyond the barriers I had arbitrarily set myself. I looked at François, my guide, and the first word that passed my lips as I took in the views around me was THANKS!”

“That was in late June and, as ever, the sun was shining in the Hautes-Alpes. We had set out for the Gioberney hut, in Valgaudemar, and thoughts of the ‘tarte aux myrtilles’ from the previous day made me regret not having had a second helping and build up a stock of tasty things.

The path up to the Pigeonnier hut was a hymn to nature, with the ever-present water streaming between the rocks, its joyous song accompanying us on our walk. I shamelessly spent the whole afternoon sunning myself on the terrace at the Pigeonnier with my shoes off! It was feet-up time!

After a short but good sleep in a comfortable hut, and before the sun came up, we were walking towards our objective: the 3589 m Les Rouies. I looked at the snout of the glacier that dropped down to just in front of us as I put my crampons on. It seemed rather welcoming to me and with François’s encouragement I crossed it like a pro. Aha! A couloir… ‘Don’t worry’, shouted François, ‘plant your ice axes, it’s easy, you’ll be fine. I promise!’ I made my way up, roped to my guide, concentrating and wanting to do well, like a student… There, I had done it. I was on the plateau and when I finally looked up the view was incredible. In front of me stood the summits of the Sirac, Gioberney, Ailefroide and Les Bans. Just for me. And I realised at that moment that I could no longer do without this!”
June 2006, testimonial by Isabelle L.