Local information for Vallouise, Ailefroide, les Vigneaux

Overview

The Écrins region and National Park lies to the south-east of Grenoble in the département of Hautes-Alpes. Two main valleys cut into the massif. The Vénéon, in which la Bérade is the main centre and road-head, runs in from the west and is accessed from the Bourg d’Oisans – la Grave road (N91). The other, which was my base, is the valley of the Gyronde, or Vallouise, which runs in from the south-east and is accessed from the Briançon – Gap road (N94) at l’Argentière-la-Bessée. Its main centres are Vallouise and Ailefroide, with the road-head about 5km beyond Ailefroide at Pré de Madame Carle. Puy St Vincent is a developing ski resort on the south-western side of the valley above Vallouise.

Getting there

By air to Grenoble, then by train, bus or car. There is a rail station at l’Argentière — the journey time from Grenoble is three and a half to four hours, usually with a change. Check for times etc. on the SNCF French rail website. Buses run from Grenoble via Bourg d’Oisans to Briançon, and from Briançon down the N94 towards Gap. Local services operate up the two valleys mentioned above.

Grenoble airport is about 40km north-west of the city centre.

I hired a car from Grenoble airport (Hertz, with BMC discount) and drove via Bourg and the Col de Lautaret to Briançon. On a summer weekend during normal daytime hours, allow three hours for this journey. To get into the Gyronde valley for les Vigneaux, Vallouise and Ailefroide, take the N94 Gap road south from Briançon, then at Prelles, about 5km from Briançon, take the minor road signposted to les Vigneaux. This is quicker than continuing to l’Argentière, and brings you past les Vigneaux to join the main valley road just below the village.

An alternative way to reach Grenoble is by overnight train from Paris with onward connection for l’Argentière if your destination is the Vallouise valley.

The eastern sector of the Écrins can be reached just as easily — if not more so — from Torino (Turin). I have no direct knowledge of this option.

In 2005 there was virtually no mobile phone coverage anywhere in the area once you get away from the villages and the roads, even on the summits.

The Villages

les Vigneaux

A narrow high street leads to the church. As far as I could see there are no services in the village centre, although there is a small store on the main valley road below the village. Guide Murray Hamilton has his home here, and the gîte "les Carlines" (see below) is on the edge of the village on the GR50 footpath.

Vallouise

Vallouise has shops, hotels, hostels (gîtes), cafés, restaurants and a bureau des guides. Traffic can get congested: the village centre is over a bridge from the main road up the valley, and the narrow streets are not car-friendly. Bar-restaurant Alphand has a pleasant terrace and brews its own beer: the lager (blonde) is good, the white beer (blanche) is a bit weak and sweet, and I can’t report on the "pale ale" (ambrée) or the stout (brune) — I was only there for lunch.

Ailefroide

Ailefroide consists mostly of a vast campsite and parked cars. There are a few shops and a bureau des guides, along with a hotel or two.

For the curious, someone called Eric Lon advertises his services based at the camp site with, apparently, occasional sessions in the Glacier Blanc and Écrins refuges. He has one of the least probable web addresses — http://www.massage-et-trekking-sans-frontiere.com. [Update, March 2010: alas, the link is no longer active.]

Pré de Madame Carle

A car park. There’s also a visitor centre/gîte d’étape/café/restaurant. That’s it.

Great Mysteries of the World #473

Who was Madame Carle?

According to the Alpes-Guide website, although no-one today knows the real origin of this place-name, tradition has it that Mme Carle was the daughter-in-law of the President of the Grenoble parliament, Geoffroy Carle, who was the tutor of King Louis XIII’s daughter at the beginning of the 16th century. In 1510 Geoffroy bought the castle and estates of la Bâtie des Vigneaux. His son Antoine Carle died young, leaving a widow and 10 children. When the children came of age they divided up their father’s estate, assigning the parcel of land which now bears her name to their mother. However, this is just one of many tales about the name.

Where I stayed

Gîte d’étape "les Carlines"

Small, friendly gîte on the GR50 run by Coralie and Eric. Full information on their website. Hearty evening meals and good breakfasts.

Hôtel St Roch

Three-star hotel in the ski resort of Puy-St-Vincent Station 1400, which is on the south side of the Gyronde/Vallouise valley above and between les Vigneaux and Vallouise. I stayed here for one night before walking-in to the Refuge des Écrins. I was the only casual guest — there were 12 other residents, all of whom seemed to be staying for at least a week on a half-board basis.

I was given a large, comfortable room with a double and single bed and an en-suite bathroom. There is a pleasant terrace, currently spoiled by overlooking the site where a new ski tow is being built. An outdoor pool suffers the same disadvantage. I had an excellent evening meal (though note the restaurant does not start serving dinner until eight o’clock) and an excellent breakfast. Full information on their website.