Tour du Vieux Chaillol - Guided Walking Holiday in the Alps

This is a classic long distance walk in the French Alps in and around the beautiful Ecrins National Park. The level is difficult - you will need a good level of walking fitness to enjoy this walk, but there are no technically challenging parts - it is all on a footpath.

The pace will be easy with lots of stops for photos, wildlife spotting and for taking in the spectacular views.  

You will follow the classic Tour du Vieux Chaillol route with a few adaptations to spread the hike evenly over the week rather than having one extremely long day at the beginning and in the middle and to include the beautiful Refuge Tourond variant.

Your guide is a local accompagnateur en montagne (mountain leader) who knows the area really well and is very knowledgable about the animals and flowers you are likely to discover along the way.

We will collect you from Gap train station at 17h30 and take you to your first accommodation in time for a short explore around the area before setting down for an evening meal!

Please have a look at the Getting Here section for more information on getting to and from Gap.

Distance: 19.5km   Ascent: 771m   Descent: 311m  Min Altitude: 944m  Max Altitude: 1447m

A fantastic first day sampling the dramatic 'Himalayan' Valgaudemar valley.

The valley is 22km long with 3000m+ peaks towering above on both sides. A long but gentle walk without too much ascent to get your legs warmed up for the week! You will pass the Oulles du Diable, a spectacular canyon and visit the deserted village of Navette en route.

Distance: 9.92km    Ascent: 942m   Descent: 70m  Min Altitude: 1407m Max Altitude: 2279m

The first big climb of the week. This is a spectaular walk with classic alpine scenery; glaciers and snow capped mountains as a backdrop to pretty meadows and fast flowing rivers.

The Vallonpierre refuge is situated on a high mountain plateau with a little lake at the foot of the Sirac summit. Look out for chamois!

Distance: 11.5km   Ascent: 649m   Descent: 1134m  Min Altitude: 1793m  Max Altitude: 2655m

This is really the highlight and one of the wildest parts of the hiking route with no civilisation within walking distance so keep your binoculars at the ready for wildlife spotting.

It is also the day you reach the highest points of the walk when you cross the col de Vallonpierre taking you over in to the Champoleon valley and then over the Gouilan col and the col de la Valette before reaching your destination at the refuge Pré de la Chaumette. 

Distance: 13.41km    Ascent: 374m   Descent: 486m   Min Altitude:1344   Max Altitude: 1817

After two big days, you will be ready for an easier one. This is a gentle walk up out of the high mountains into the large and spectacular valley of Champoleon and then up to the Refuge du Tourond from one of the side valleys.

Very pretty walk and popular with families - quite a different ambiance from the wild mountains you have come from!

The refuge is one of the best refuges in the area with good food and a warm welcome. It's the perfect place to spend your afternoon chilling. If you want to stretch your legs for a bit longer, there are several walks you can do from the refuge or you can even go for a dip in one of the streams or rivers.

Distance: 13.5km   Ascent: 845m    Descent: 951m  Min Altitude: 1598  Max Altitude: 2478

The second big climb up to the Col de Venasque takes you to another very different landscape. You will have views over Chaillol and the Champsaur valley with rolling (relatively speaking) hills and hedgerows.

This really is a spectacular variation from the classic tour and well worth it. You will pass the beautiful La Pisse waterfall and work your way up through woods and then open mountainside to the col.

The last section is steep in parts. 

There is the option of taking in the peak of the Vieux Chaillol 3163m on this day which would add another 4 hours onto the day and another 675m of ascent (you would have to be feeling very fit to do this!!)

Distance: 15km    Ascent: 860m    Descent: 1325m  Min Altitude: 972m  Max Altitude: 1978

You will be packing up today so need to prepare your baggages for the taxi to collect. The taxi will collect your bags during the day whilst you are walking and then pick you up at the end of the day after your walk and take you to Gap by 16h for your journey home. If you would like to arrange for a final night in Gap and travel back tomorrow, this is possible, please just ask when you enquire.

This is a wonderfully long last day traversing round the terraces overlooking the Champsaur valley and actually you can walk for as long as you like until 15h  when your taxi will collect you  to take you to Gap

Expect different scenery with unusual rock formations, open views and the river Drac in the valley. Look out for rock partridges!

At the end of your day we will take you back to Gap for