Écrins, Belledonne and Vercors – HexaTrek, Hautes-Alpes

Starting such an adventure in a place as mythical as the Lautaret pass is necessarily a harbinger of beautiful promises. And these are not long in coming since the path winds, from the start, around the nature reserve of the peaks of Combeynot. You will then see several 3,000 racing towards the sky.



The… read more

As if the Hexatrek were eager to take you to the heart of things, the route of this second stage goes straight south. Straight to the wild spaces of the Écrins.



Some passages are very disturbing. In particular the section of the GR 54 which passes between the peaks of Pointe-des-Neyzets and Cucumelle… read more

This third day is placed under the sign of water, since the route follows the course of the rivers and streams that come to us from the glaciers of the heart of the Écrins.



At the start of the day you descend the Gyr to Vallouise. From there, you turn west and head into the heart of the Ecrins National… read more

During this fourth stage, large spaces unfold and everything takes on a new dimension. You will realize this, more particularly, at the pas de la Cavale: from this passage, you can see the huge rocky bar formed by the summits of the Pointes de Rougnoux up to the Tête de Soulaure.

This bar seems ready… read more

This fifth stage is in line with the previous one with extraordinary natural spaces. In this spirit, the Vallonpierre pass has everything you could hope to find in the mountains: a beautiful flexible path, flowery meadows, panoramas of snow-capped peaks and a small torrent that goes to find the Séveraisse… read more

You will enjoy this sixth step in many ways. First for its indulgent profile with a short 15 kilometers and only 60 meters of elevation gain. So certainly it will go down, but in a fairly rolling way. You can enjoy the landscape without thinking too much about the effort required.



And the landscape, precisely… read more

It's a short stage, barely 10 kilometers long, but more than compensated for by its 1,310 meters of elevation gain. In all, there are six uninterrupted kilometers of climb with passages at more than 30%. Courage !



At the top you will be rewarded with magnificent views of the highest peaks of the Écrins… read more

This fifth stage is relatively short, with 11 kilometers of walking and 570 meters of elevation gain.



Departing from the Souffles refuge, you tightrope on a path that crosses the steep slopes of the Souffles peak. The route goes up to the Col de la Vaurze, a few tens of meters from the Pic des Scies de… read more

After three shorter and less demanding steps, you're back to business. The program is quite extensive with 17 kilometers, but above all more than 2,000 meters of elevation gain.



With a tent you can consider shortening the stage. If you leave early in the morning, you will arrive at Lac de la Muzelle without… read more

If you start to run out of supplies, this step takes you to supplies. I also adapted the end of the stage a little bit, with a small detour that takes you to the town of Venosc. Where you will find everything to sleep, eat, refresh yourself and do your shopping. If you prefer to stick to the official… read more

From Venosc to Les Deux Alpes, the trail winds around the summit of Pied Moutet. I also suggest that you leave the main path and take a path that climbs to the summit, at 2,338 meters above sea level. A breathtaking 360° panorama awaits you up there.



After that, you can descend quietly to the resort of… read more

At the start of this stage, make sure you have everything you need in terms of food, care and water (even if you will have opportunities to fill your water bottles for water). Indeed, you leave for three mountain stages without stopping at supply points.



The day starts with a nice descent

panoramic view… read more

This step requires you to be equipped with a tent. If you don't have one, it is recommended to double the stage with the next one to get to the Etendard refuge. But you have to keep in mind that it would represent a big day of 30 kilometers and 1,500 meters of elevation gain.



Another possibility: take… read more

This stage prolongs the pleasure of the day before: that of walking on the green expanses of the Emparis plateau. As you pass the Cime de la Valette pass, the environment becomes more mineral. On the program, the Étendard glacier, snow-capped peaks and glacial lakes.



You can access the base of the glacier… read more

This stage is rather rolling on the first two thirds. The vertical drop, ascending and descending, intensifies around the 12th kilometer. Save strength for the end.



At the start of the big ascent of the day, you enter the Belledonne massif. At the cross pass you can measure all the grandeur of these mountains… read more

This stage is characterized by its short distance and its steep drop. The effort will be brief but intense. But the most important thing is that it will once again take place in a magnificent setting. This time, you will walk the paths of the Belledonne range.



To warm up, the day continues the descending… read more

Do not be fooled by appearances. Behind the 15 kilometers and 1,000 meters of elevation gain displayed, it is a physical and technical stage. You will have two beautiful steep slopes (dry hills) to climb with sections exceeding 50%.



The route of the Hextarek indeed proposes to descend the chain of Belledonne… read more

The show continues on this magnificent chain of Belledonne. All around you, with exceptional and varied natural sites. But also in the distance, on the horizon with a grandiose panorama of the Chartreuse.



This stage is barely eight kilometers long but has 900 meters of elevation gain. It's going to climb… read more

Have you dreamed of a day that is more like a walk than a big hike? It's here now! And you deserved it. No pitfalls: a short day, a low elevation gain and a reasonable descent.



The only thing that does not change is the quality of the natural sites that you will cross. Still sets of marvelous lakes, cliffs… read more

Say goodbye to Belledonne, this stage takes you back down to the valley, to Vizille, on the banks of the Romanche. It's the last day before attacking the Vercors, whose foothills announce the magnitude of the spectacle to come.



You will still enjoy beautiful spaces, with a route that notably crosses the… read more