Go for a wellness cure with this wonderful two-day hike proposed by Sophie: the magnificent view from the top of the Grand Area is a perfect retreat!
When passing through the Serre Chevalier valley, if the weather is clear, you absolutely must climb the Grand Area to take in this exceptional panorama of the surrounding Alpine massifs. An accessible experience to do alone or with your partner or family.
Duration
2 days
Distance
10 kilometres
Elevation
650 m D+
High point: Grand Area Belvedere (2,869 m)
Difficulty
Beginner
Autonomy
Complete
Best time of year for this trek
From May to October
1. Ascent from the Bergerie car park
2. Winding up to the Petit Area ridge
3. Grand Area Belvedere
4. Return with eyes full of stars
5. Descent to the Buffere pass
6. Trail and return to the car park
My old car had a bit of trouble climbing the 15 kilometres separating us from Serre Chevalier... which allowed me to observe very quietly but enthusiastically the ever more beautiful view as I went back and forth on the winding road. It's late when we park at the Bergerie de Saint Joseph car park in the direction of the Col du Granon but the long days of early July allow us to consider pitching our tent at the highest point of the loop.
The path is well signposted and climbs gently up to the Petit Area pass which gives us a glimpse of the 360 view that awaits us a few hundred metres higher.
The sun gradually declines, the view is more and more magical and makes us forget that we will soon have to pitch our tent somewhere in this very "stony" landscape. We climb to the Grand Area viewpoint at 2,869 metres, the highest point of this hike.
Ecrins, Vanoise, Mont Blanc, the Italian Alps, our eyes don't know where to look anymore, the panorama is so wide. It is not surprising that history made the Grand Area a strategic military location during the First World War.
We leave a note in the hiker's notebook left under the Belvedere cross and go in search of the site for our bivouac.
The sun is setting fast, at 3,000 metres the temperatures are dropping with it and although we would like to stay and daydream, it is time to pitch our tent. We are far from the flat meadow with its fresh grass.
We clear a small light slope of stones as best we can and settle down, thinking that this would be the best test for our floor mats and that the acupressure of the stones on our backs would do us a lot of good. Let's just say that given the time of day we had to reassure ourselves as best we could.
One Forclaz chicken curry later, a few pictures of the illuminated valley and we dive into our sleeping bags to avoid getting too cold. Contrary to all expectations, it was one of the best nights spent in bivouac, the calm of the place, the magic of the landscape must have made us forget the discomfort of the ground.
The sun warms us up, the view of the rising morning is as beautiful as the one of the day before. We know that today is our last day in the Alps and we want to enjoy it. Each in silence, enjoying the moment, we eat our breakfast and put away our equipment at a snail's pace. We have never been so slow and silent on the way back to the car, the magic of the trek has worked:joy, nostalgia and a deep desire to return as soon as possible are the feelings that run through us.
Fauna and flora spotted
Fauna: marmots, birds of prey
Flora: some rock flowers
My sustainable development tip
The microfibre flannel is my ally on the treks. For years I have been committed to a zero waste approach and it is inconceivable for me to take wipes on my journey - even if, let's face it, they are still very practical. Depending on the time of year, trekking can be a logistical headache for women, but with a little common sense, nothing is insurmountable: https://www.forclaz.fr/avoir-ses-regles-pendant-un-trek
The small microfibre glove with a little Aleppo soap makes it possible to quickly wash and it dries very quickly! So why take on more and carry your waste with you?
My trekking anecdote
We had to go hiking on another slope, on a much longer route. We changed our itinerary at the last minute, seeing that there was not enough time to fully enjoy the original itinerary. And the experience was magical! Having your life on your back gives you a huge feeling of freedom, offering you the possibility to let yourself be carried by your intuitions, this is a value of the trek that I love!
The good tips for this trek
Sometimes the ground forces us to think about setting up our tent... here it was the case! We took 5 minutes longer than usual to visualise the positions of the stones and place the floor of our tent where we would be least bothered. We took an extra 3 minutes to organise ourselves and try to push as many pebbles as possible from the surface. I think this time saved our night and spared our floor mats!
My favourite
The view, the view, the view... just great! The view is incredible and the advantage is that it can be easily accessed by the family: enough to make the little ones want to go hiking.
My mountain essential
The little repair kit for the mattress... even if I didn't use it, I admit that I thought about it all along the hike because of the ground that was going to support my evening bed.
To go further, discover our vision of trekking in the mountains, read the itineraries of other trekkers or view our world map of treks!
One more thing:
"One of the most beautiful "panoramic hotels" I have experienced, at the cost of some minor aches and pains"
