Gourmet Alpine Walking Holiday in the Alps

Your Gourmet Alpine walking holiday begins!

We will come and collect you from Gap train station at 17H30 and take you up to your first accommodation for this trip where you will be welcomed with a delicious evening meal!

The following itinerary is an example of the types of walks planned for the trip but this is subject to change depending on local conditions. The guides will adapt accordingly and there is plenty of choice so you can be assured of high quality walking, spectacular views and wildlife!

You can expect to be walking around 6-10km with between 400m and 650m of ascent per day at a steady pace with breaks for photos, picnic, admiring the views and looking at wildlife. Some of the walks have options to extend the walk if the group is in agreement. 

Today, you will check out of the Val des Sources auberge so make sure you pack up your belongings and bring your suitcases with you as well as your day-sacks for today.

Your guide will take you to scale the Pic de Gleize mountain today, a magnificent limestone ridge with panoramic views over the Champsaur, Valgaudemar, Devoluy and Gap valleys. It is the perfect summit to situate the transition from the Valgaudemar to the Champsaur valley where you are heading to today. 

From there, the path climbs steadily to the summit. Some sections are a little steeper and more exposed, but your guide will be there every step of the way to support and pace the group. It’s the perfect hike to build up a healthy appetite – and the reward? A well-earned picnic with unforgettable views from the top!

The descent follows a dramatic rocky ridge with a real ‘wow’ factor – a chance to soak in the landscape before heading back down.

On the way back down, your guide will stop off in the charming and medieval village of Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur, where you can still see traces of its fortified past – from sections of the old ramparts to narrow cobbled streets and beautifully preserved stone archways. The village square, once the heart of a bustling medieval market, is still a lively meeting place today, perfect for a coffee or a browse among local artisans.

After your visit, you will head on to your next accommodation, the Luxury Farmhouse Guesthouse where you will be greeted by Jean and Meg and enjoy a gourmet dinner lovingly prepared by Meg.

Starting altitude: 1694 metres 

Maximum altitude: 2161 metres 

Ascent: 437 metres 

Distance: 6km

Your guide will pick you up this morning and take you on a spectacular drive all the way to the end of the valley to the start of the hike, a beautiful walk up to a high altitude lake with views of the glacier and classic alpine surroundings.

You start at the Gioberney refuge where you can marvel at the famous Bride's Veil waterfall. This is one of the most photographed waterfalls of the Ecrins and well worth spending a moment to appreciate its beauty!

 From there you walk up a dramatic valley, surrounded by high mountains and glaciers and then zig zag up the mountain side between rocky outcrops with blueberry bushes, raspberries and other mountain flowers and fruits interspersed with dramatic waterfalls and streams until you reach a hanging valley where the high altitude lake, the Lac du Lauzon, is situated. The ideal spot for your picnic with stunning views into the Ecrins.

After, you complete the circuit back down to the Gioberney refuge where an ice cream in the sun on the terrace is a well deserved reward!

Your guide will then take you back to the Val des Sources for another evening of local delicacies!

Starting altitude: 1642 metres  

Maximum altitude: 2423 metres,

Ascent: 795 metres

Distance: 11km

Today’s walk takes you deep into the heart of Alpine tradition, with a visit to a mountain refuge and the region’s shepherding heritage. Starting in the hamlet of Les Borels, you’ll follow a scenic trail through a dramatic valley, tracing a sparkling river with peaceful spots to cool your feet. Keep an eye out for wild raspberries and gooseberries growing along the path.

Your destination is the Refuge du Tourond, a former shepherd’s hut lovingly restored into a remote mountain retreat. Perched in a spectacular alpine setting, the refuge is the passion project of Stéphane, whose warm welcome and stories bring the place to life.

Take time to relax and savour a well-earned lunch on the terrace, surrounded by mountain views and the chance to spot marmots or even ibex on the slopes. If you’re feeling energetic, a short walk leads to the impressive La Pisse waterfall – or simply linger a little longer in the calm before retracing your steps back to the valley.

Back at your starting point is a Shepherd's museum which, if time allows, is a fabulous visit giving a behind the scenes insight into the world of th shepherd in the Alps and how they live with predators like the wolf.

Starting altitude: 1289 metres 

Maximum altitude: 1705 metres 

Ascent: 432 metres 

Distance: 8 km

This is a free day to have a rest relaxing in your accommodation, go for a swim,  a self guided stroll, read a book, or try out some of the other activities available in the area. 

For the true foodies amongst you it is possible to organise a restaurant booking at Les Chenets for lunch. The chef here is a proud holder of the prestigious “Maître Restaurateur” title – a French state certification recognising excellence in both cuisine and service. Here, everything is homemade using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, prepared with care and  passion. It is possible to walk here along the back roads (it is a 4.5km almost flat walk - about an hour's walk) or we can organise a taxi.

It may also possible to organise a visit to a local farm where the luxury farmhouse cheeseboard originates (please ask about this).

 Please note additional activities are an additional cost.

Your guide will take you to the village or La Chapelle for the start of today's hike. This is a wonderful warm up walk staring in La Chapelle, the last habited village at the end of the Valgaudemar valley and up to the hamlet of Les Portes where you will discover a magnificent hanging valley with meadows of alpine flowers and butterflies.

Continuing up this valley there are stunning cascades and waterfalls to marvel at and a wealth of historic mysteries to uncover including the abandoned village of Navette which was a thriving farming community in the early 1900ds which your guide will tell you about. Life was very tough at this altitude and after being ravaged by floods in 1914, the flu pandemic of 1918 and the loss of men in the first world war, on 14 January 1929, twelve families in the community finally gave in and signed a petition asking the state to buy their land as part of a vast national reforestation project ongoing at the time. This upset the demographic and economic balance of this fragile community enough to empty the whole community, with the last inhabitant leaving in 1937. Today, remnants of the village and the renovated chapel are there as a reminder. It is not so long ago that the children survivors of this abandoned village were still living in La Chapelle!

The way down is as dramatic in a different way as you walk by the devil's cauldron, a gushing canyon of waterfalls, reminding us of the power of nature. 

After your walk, you will have the opportunity to explore the pretty village of La Chapelle, the last inhabited village of Valgaudemar before it is cut off by the mountains. 

Taste the famous tourtons of La Chapelle sold by street vendors or go for a drink at the Mont Olan hotel, an iconic local bar hosted by the Périer family.

Starting altitude: 1101 metres  

Maximum altitude: 1336 metres    

Ascent: 250 metres   

Distance: 6 km

This is a spectacular and interesting walk starting in the remote village of Prapic, the last inhabited village of the Champsaur valley before it is closed off by the mountains. Often cut off from the main valley in winter by avalanches and harsh winter conditions, there are just four families living in Prapic all year round. The charm of this village is plain to see as soon as you arrive, with its tight packed Alpine houses sheltering each other from the wind. The ancient Alpine architecture is preserved showing the traditional way of life where animals were kept on the ground floor, people lived on the first floor, benefitting from the rising heat of the animals, and the loft was used to stock hay which serves as insulation.  

The walk from the hamlet takes you up on to a pretty plateau overlooking a fast flowing mountain stream before culminating at the dramatic Saut du Laire waterfall. The Saut du Laire means 'The Jump of the thief' and your guide will tell you the story that gave the waterfall this rather unusual name.

This valley is famous for its many marmots who will whistle at you as you walk up the valley, but watch out also for chamois who will be grazing and relaxing around the cliffs.

At the end of your hike, enjoy an ice cream at the famous auberge Prapicoise, before heading back to the farmhouse.

Starting altitude: 1568 metres 

Maximum altitude: 2059 metres 

Ascent: 496 metres 

Distance: 10km

This is the sad day we say goodbye but we hope you will be going home with some great memories of your walking adventure in the Alps with some new recipes to add to your collection! We'll collect you at 9am and take you to Gap for 9h45 where you can pick up your onward travel. If you need a transfer at a different time, this is no problem but there will be a supplement to pay for a private taxi.