Tour du Vieux Chaillol - Guided Walking Holiday in the Alps

A hiking adventure through the heart of the Alps with a local guide and wildlife expert.

This wonderful refuge to refuge walk is one of the classic tours in the Ecrins National Park, one of the most spectacular areas in France, and one of the best ways to fully experience the Southern French Alps!

Discover the diverse landscapes of the four valleys covered on this tour with your guide who, as well as ensuring your safety, will also point out the abundant local wildlife: eagles and vultures, chamois and ibex, roe deer and wild boar, and of course the dozens of marmots which populate the area all spring and summer long!

Depending on which season you come in, you will also discover an amazing variety of wild flowers: gentians, orange lilies, orchids, daffodils, the whole scenery is absolutely magic in June and July - and if you come later in the season, most flowers will be gone but the splendid colors of the fall will make your daily walks as enjoyable!

Six nights, seven days and a thousand pictures!

The area's diversity of landscapes is quite amazing, from the awe inspiring summits of the Valgaudemar Valley (nicknamed the Little Himalayas) to the gentle alpine meadows of the Champsaur Valley. You will see majestic snow-capped peaks, such as the Sirac and its 3440 meters, high mountain passes, roaring torrents of pristine alpine water coming down from the neighbouring glaciers and spectacular rock formations and geology: make sure your have plenty of storage space for photos, as you will want to stop every five minute to immortalise all these amazing sites!

Some sections are quite steep but all in all, the walk is easy and safe, albeit relatively long on some days, with daily average ascents of 600 meters and up to 1150 meters when you go over the 3 cols of the Vallonpierre day. 

Holiday Highlights: 

• Join a group of like minded walkers to share your adventure
• Discover a classic refuge to refuge long distance GR route through the heart of the Ecrins National Park
• Experience the high mountain refuge experience
• Explore unspoilt wild territory with an abundance of wildlife and flora
• Baggage transfers where possible so you can travel lightly
• Meet a local guide and wildlife expert for your security and also to add an extra dimension to your hike
• Book with an responsible travel company

Who will love this walking holiday?

Regular walkers and hikers of all ages will love this trip. You need a good level of walking fitness as this is a physically demanding walk and, although there is nothing too technical, some mountain walking experience will be an advantage to be fully at ease during this hike through the high mountains.

Itinerary

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You need to get to Gap for this walking holiday, which is the main town in the Hautes-Alpes department of France on the edge of the Ecrins National park. We will collect you from here on your first day and drop you off on your last day.

BY TRAIN:

Gap is on the SNCF train service which has links from Paris (via an overnight sleeper), Valence, Grenoble, Aix-en-Provence or Marseilles TGV fast train services.

You can use the OUI SNCF website to plan your journey to Gap from any major European city  

BY PLANE:

The nearest airports are Grenoble (1,5 hour), Marseilles (2h) and Lyon (2h). The most convenient is Marseilles, as there are 4 daily shuttles you can take to go from the airport all the way to Gap (count 3 hours). Have a look at Marseille airport website for shuttle details

BY CAR:

If you want to drive to get here, we have all the local knowledge to help you plan your journey! If you want to hire a car, check out our partner's hire car rates. You can either leave your car in Gap and join in the transfer or we can arrange to leave your car at the last accommodation so it is ready for you to drive off in at the end of your walk.