Stay "Roche Faurio Ecrins

At the foot of the Glacier Blanc is the Pré de Madame Carle. It is a mythical and wild place, just like the Ecrins massif that you will deserve. The Pré de Madame Carle, it's here that your ascent of the Dôme de Neige des Ecrins begins. You don't just pass by, you live at the rhythm of the mountain you are going to climb. Before going up to the top, you sleep at the Pré de Madame Carle to get into the atmosphere and get to know your guide. You will get in touch with the mountain and the team, to start this Ecrins Alpinisme Initiation trip.

Day 1 :

Meeting at Argentière la Bessée. Handing over of the safety equipment and briefing. Transfer to the Pré de Madame Carle hut (1748m). Lunch with your mountain guide, then climb to the Glacier Blanc hut facing the Pelvoux glaciers.

Night at the Glacier Blanc refuge (2550m)

Difference in altitude : 700m

Duration: 2 to 3 hours of climbing

Day 2 :

Departure in the morning around 8am from the refuge. The belongings are left at the refuge. Climb towards the glacier that we approach after 30-40min of walking. You start the day with an ice school: learning how to walk with crampons, holding the ice axe, putting ice pins, roped walking. The configuration of the glacier will determine our itinerary and the choice of workshops. At noon, a well-deserved break with a good picnic on the banks of the glacier. The afternoon will be dedicated to rock climbing, with a concentration of small mountain runs in the rocks: ascents, descents, azure, use of the rope. Back to the refuge at the end of the afternoon for a rest and recovery period before lunch.

Night at the Glacier Blanc refuge

Elevation gain : +500m / -500m

Duration : 5 to 6 hours

Day 3 :

Departure just before sunrise to the Pic du Glacier d'Arsine (3364m). It is the day of our first mountain race, with the departure with the headlamp. As we go along, the panorama opens up and the big Glacier Blanc, unveils itself, hemming in the landscape until the summit of the Barre des Ecrins (4102m). The access to the summit is done by a small slope of steeper snow or by a very easy rocky ridge. View to the Mont Blanc and the Grand Paradis. Descent to the Glacier Blanc, then climb to the Ecrins hut (3170m) after the picnic.

Night at the Ecrins hut

Difference in altitude : +1000m / -400m

Duration : 6 to 7 hours

Day 4 :

Departure at night to the beautiful summit of the Roche Faurio. Your steps will take you on the Glacier Blanc to the foot of the Barre des Ecrins, while the dawn rises. The ascent of the Roche Fausion is essentially snowy until the small rocky final ridge, on which we reach the summit, central in the Ecrins National Park: you learn to recognize all the summits. In the morning we descend to the Glacier Blanc refuge. Lunch at the refuge. Then descent in the valley, and arrival at the Pré de Madame Carle around 3/16 pm. Passage to my house of the park to visualize your course.

Return to l'Argentière la Bessée and to the train station around 5pm.

Difference in altitude: +800m / -1900m

Duration : 8 to 10h

The price includes :

- supervision by a mountain leader

- accommodation with night and half board according to the program

- picnics and lunch according to the program

- the loan of equipment if needed

Loan of equipment :

- mountain harness with lanyard and screw carabiner

- ice axe

- helmet

- crampons

Collective safety equipment, rope, quickdraws, ice screws provided by Alpes Aventure