Adaptation on the Taillefer tour in the Ecrins

The small car park at Ornon Pass makes it easy to park your vehicle and set off on the path of our trek, the "Taillefer Tour", which was originally planned to last four days. After a small mistake on the road, it is late that we start our walk: fortunately the July days are still long!

The path climbs gradually through a pretty wood that offers from time to time breakthroughs allowing us to observe superb panoramas on the valley, enough to give us a good view on this first stage. The flowers of July are also very present, with a good book in hand it is an opportunity to discover and learn about mountain.

A stream providing water in the middle of a large plain of fresh grass...as the clock ticked, we decided that the Head of Louis 16 would be the perfect spot to pitch our tent that evening. Like any good hiker who spots a cross on high ground, you still have to climb to see the landscape: the wide angle view is magnificent! As there is little wind, it would be a shame not to lie down and wake up there. So off we go to set up our tents at the summit, followed by a little water and food chores before our first night in the great outdoors!

It was a restful night, and we woke up to a beautiful ray of sunshine with our tea in hand. We fold up the camp quietly before resuming the descent towards Villard Reymond, this intriguing little village, the highest in Isère, where only 6 people live all year round.
The weather soon changed and the morning sun gradually gave way to a light rain, not unpleasant but incessant. The pretty little refuge of Eau Blanche catches our eye, and the desire for a coffee and a bit of dryness makes us go back there.. We discover a nice little haven of peace, with board games and jazz music, run by Ela and Simon, two people we would like to meet more often on our way.

Once the break is over, we continue our hike in the direction of the Taillefer refuge, next to which we imagine setting up camp for the evening. This will undoubtedly be the occasion to have a good hot chocolate and warm up our little feet which will have taken water all day.
The plans did not go according to plan on this stage, the rain intensified, the much hoped for refuge was closed... more and more wet, with a rather unpleasant wind it was high time around 7pm to stop our walk and try to recover some strength.
The sheep and patous help us to find our way through the mist and it is as if by magic that the "Bergerie de la Jasse" appears in front of us, an unguarded hut which will be used this evening to welcome the lost mountaineers that we are. With a roof, a stove, a big table, nothing but happiness before putting up our tent outside in the middle of a storm.

Trekking means dealing with what nature gives us and in groups with the desires of each individual. The bad weather exhausted Aurélie's strength and she was unlucky enough to have a puncture on her mattress. With her thermal layer missing, the pleasure was gone.
No worries, the massif gives us the possibility to adapt our route to shorten it a bit. This is the option chosen this morning. We head for the Col d'Ormon, our initial stage, this time passing through the hamlet of La Poya;

To go further, discover our visionof trekking in the mountains, read the itineraries of other trekkers or consult our world map of treks!