The refuge de Vallonpierre is a Club Alpin Français (CAF) refuge and was newly built in 2000 in wood and stone. It is situated on a high alpine plateau at 2271m with a small lake near the col de Vallonpierre at the foot of the west face of the Sirac summit in the Ecrins National Park.
The refuge is very popular with walkers and mountaineers. It is one of the overnight stops on the Tour du Vieux Chaillol long distance walking route marking the point between the Valgaudemar and Champoléon valley. It is also the access refuge to do the Sirac mountain, an iconic 3340m summit with various rock and mixed routes to choose from.
There are several routes to walk in to the refuge, the quickest being about 3 hours.
It is a modern refuge with showers (payable as extra) and toilets inside the building, a large sociable dining room with wood burner and a range of dormitories sleeping from 9 to 11 people. Bedding is blankets and sheets but please bring a sleeping bag liner as these can't be washed after every guest!
Guillaume and his team are there from mid June to mid September to look after you and provide a bar and restaurant service (all day) with half board for overnighters and picnics available to order. In the winter there is a winter section left open which sleeps up to 19 people.
Facilities and equipment included:
Bar, On-Site Restaurant, Open Fire or Wood Burner, Sheets, Sleeping Bags
Facilities and equipment at extra charge:
Refuge Shower
It is possible to self cater and there is a kitchen available for 2.60€ per person. However, the guardians and their teams rely on food and drink sales to make their living and wouldn't be there making the refuge as nice as it is if we didn't support them.
It is possible to buy drinks and snacks as well as full meals.
| Picnic | 13.00€ |
| Breakfast | 9.00€ |
| Evening Meal | 22.00€ |
| Hot Lunch in Refuge | 18.00€ |
Resources such as water, electricity (solar) and food are hard to come by in a refuge so please respect this and don't waste energy, water or food. Showers are a luxury so please don't empty the water reservoir! It is not possible to charge phones or cameras in the refuge.
There is no mobile phone signal in the refuge and the refuge telephone is reserved for private use except in the case of emergencies.
All items brought up to the refuge including any rubbish must be taken back out.
The staff running the refuge run a tight ship to be able to cater for everyone and clean the refuge to a good standard and their timetables and rules must be respected.
There are baskets in the refuge for you to put your belongings in to keep the refuge tidy. Please do not leave your belongings lying around the refuge.
Outdoor shoes are not permitted inside the refuge and slippers, flip flops or Crocs are provided. Mountaineering hardware such as ice axes, crampons and walking poles, must be left in the locker room or outside and should not be taken into the dormitories.
Dinner is usually served at 19H00 and it is considered impolite to arrive at a refuge any later than 1/2 an hour before dinner as the staff will be too busy preparing and serving dinner to be able to welcome you.
Any help offered to do the dishes, clear or wipe tables is greatly appreciated in the refuge.
If you are heading up to do a mountaineering summit, you will be woken up in the early morning between 4H00 and 5H00 and served breakfast. Walkers and other guests' breakfast is served between 7H00 and 9H00.
All dormitories need to be vacated before 9H00 and must be left in a tidy condition with duvets and sheets folded as you found them.
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