Meet Report: 26 July – 9 August 2025.

Ten members of the YRC travelled to the south of France for a two-week Alpine meet based at Ailefroide, in the Écrins National Parc. This is a stunning and rugged mountainous area, with the Parc itself located entirely within the borders of France. The village of Ailefroide sits near the head of the Pelvoux-Vallouise valley, west of the historic town of Briançon. Ailefroide is a mecca for rock climbers, surrounded by dozens of accessible crags offering hundreds of trad and sport routes from easy training routes to serious multi-pitch high grade routes. It is also a well appointed base for alpine activity on the eastern side of the Écrins massif, with the area’s highest peak, Barre des Écrins (4102m) readily accessible, along with a variety of satellite peaks and glaciers to suit all standards. Walking on some of the sub-alpine peaks, passes and in the valley provides a welcome break from the rigours of tying onto a rope. The village buzzes with a climbing, walking and alpine spirit and has sufficient resources for a pleasant stay, to include equipment hire, a guide centre, supermarket, bars and restaurants and of course, equipment shops.

Arriving by car over the course of several days, members chose between the huge and friendly campsite (Kjetil & Ann-Karin, Steve & Wendy, Toby and Solvig) and the luxury of a self-catering chalet (Michael & Helen, Richard, Conrad). Looking for a leg-stretch after the long drive, Helen and Michael enjoyed a short walk up to the charming Chapelle de Saint-Hyppolyte, from near Prelles, south of Briançon.

Week One

Two 3-day glacier and alpine training courses had been arranged with the British Mountain Guide Tim Blakemore and a group meal on Saturday evening gave us the opportunity to meet with him and discuss plans for the courses. Sunday saw a 9 am departure for Toby, Conrad and Richard as they headed up the valley with Tim to start their course. The car park at Pré de Madame Carle is large, free and sits at the start of the routes up to both the Glacier Noir and Glacier Blanc. It was a good spot to check kit and on Tim’s advice, leave behind extraneous items to reduce weight. After toiling up the zig-zags the team reached the Refuge du Glacier Blanc (2542m), dumped kit and spent the afternoon higher up on the glacier, practising glacier safety and crevasse rescue. After a convivial night at the Refuge, Monday saw the team head out at 4 am for Pic du Glacier D’Arsine. The weather was poor and after a light coating of overnight snow, required a fast pace to give time to tackle the NW ridge. Richard opted to return to the Refuge and enjoy a morning coffee whilst Tim led Conrad and Toby through some loose Grade 3 scrambling then across the ridge in icy conditions. After the summit (3364m), the easier SW face gave a mixed descent back to the glacier and a second pleasant night at the Refuge. In better weather, the team spent Tuesday practising rope/anchor techniques and moving together skills on nearby outcrops before a descent back to the valley.

Sunday saw other acclimatisation activity: Helen, Michael, Kjetil and Ann-Karin (plus the 11th (canine) meet member, Nico) headed up the slopes to the east of Ailefroide and reached the pleasant summit of Tête de La Draye (2093m) before moving higher towards the Cime de Paillon (2781m) via a second viewpoint. Beyond the viewpoint Michael and Kjetil continued across unstable rock, eventually turning back short of the summit as the need for a rope became prudent and time was against them. With a later start, Steve and Wendy on their way up, passed Helen and Ann-Karin as they descended and finally met Michael and Kjetil on the summit of Tête de La Draye for a joint descent back to Ailefroide.

Shelving plans for a trip up to the Glacier Blanc due to the weather, Monday saw Steve and Wendy complete a round trip up to the Refuge du Sélé (2504m) in sunnier conditions, enjoying soup, bread and cheese outside the hut, surrounded by the classic peaks of Mt Pelvoux and the Ailefroide group. The stark realities of glacial retreat were abundantly clear, with the Sélé Glacier now some distance away from the hut to the west. Less popular than the Glacier Blanc huts, the Refuge du Sélé is easier to reach and a good start point for many objectives, including some multi-pitch sport climbs – evidenced by the steady passing of climbers on the way up as S and W descended late afternoon. Michael and Helen enjoyed the return walk up to Pré de Madame Carle, stopping for refreshments at the Refuge and cafe by the glacier trail head. At what became a regular event, M and H hosted a combined evening meal in the luxury of their chalet, much appreciated by the campers!

Last to arrive and keen to start her acclimatisation, Solvig chose to spend her first night at the Refuge des Bans (2083m), sitting under the collection of peaks known as Les Bans, to the west of the Pelvoux-Vallouise valley and arriving at the campsite Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, M, K, S and W spent a few hours on Tuesday morning at the huge crag south of the campsite, choosing the lower grade sport routes of the Sous La Fissure sector, as warm up and exposure to the grades and rock type. H and AK opted for a valley walk, with Nicco pleased to find a water trough to cool off in the strong sunshine.

With all back in Ailefroide Tuesday pm, Tim met with Steve, Wendy and Solvig to discuss the next 3-day course objectives and sort kit. The first team wound down over a beer in the village, jealously eyeing the ‘Dôme de Neige’ ice cream desert – perhaps a well-earned treat for later?

Wednesday saw the second training course begin, with Wendy, Steve, Solvig and Tim heading up to Pré de Madame Carle at 9 am. Initially following the same itinerary as the previous team, they spent the afternoon under an overcast sky on the Glacier Blanc, before stashing gear for the morning near the lateral moraine and returning to the Refuge du Glacier Blanc. This time with good weather, Thursday saw the team heading up to Pic du Glacier D’Arsine, enjoying a true alpine dawn experience as they moved over very loose Grade 3 terrain to gain the NW ridge. Tim demonstrated moving together techniques along the enjoyable ridge to reach the summit and take in some breathtaking views from Mt Blanc all the way around across Switzerland to Monte Viso in Italy. A true first alpine peak for Solvig, a first European Alp for Wendy and a return to the Alps for Steve after a long absence. Moving down the easier SW face, the team then descended to the glacier and moved up to the Refuge des Écrins (3161m) ready for the next day, enjoying superb views across the head of the glacier to the Barre des Écrins and Dôme de Neige des Écrins. This smaller hut remains busy with the Barre, Dôme and other peaks popular objectives at the height of the season; nevertheless the atmosphere was warm, cosy and made fun by the Deputy Guardian and her team. Another 4 am breakfast was followed by a dawn trudge up the Glacier Blanc and a steep climb up the snow slopes of Pointe Xavier Blanc, before a final 2-pitch climb with a sensational finish onto the small summit (3677m) – again with spectacular views. After a stacked abseil the team retraced their steps over now quite soft snow and toiled down the glacier to reach the Refuge de Glacier Blanc and a well earned brew. Solvig remained at the hut to meet her Aspirant Guide for the next day, whilst T, S and W descended in hot sun back down to the valley. At the campsite Tim bade S and W farewell before his drive back to Chamonix, after leading Club Members through a combined 6 days of excellent instruction and knowledge grounding.

Wednesday also saw Michael, Helen, Ann-Karin and Kjetil stretching their legs, as they ascended the numerous zigzags up to Col de Granon above Briançon, before tackling the pleasant ridge of La Grand Peyrolle, enjoying a broad ridge with occasional exposed sections. Accompanied by the shriek of marmots, the group spotted choughs, snow finches and ravens.

Thursday, after driving over the Col du Lautaret, Kjetil and Ann-Karin visited the resort of La Grave and took the cable car up to the Glacier de la Girose top station (3200m), enjoying the walk back down with Nicco. Back in Ailefroide, Helen, Michael, Richard, Toby and Conrad headed up to the Refuge du Sélé, enjoying the less ‘brutal’ Celse Nière valley, with its more defined tree-line and colourful flora. A final cabled section required some assured  footwork before resting in the friendly and well positioned hut. As usual, a mix of guests filled the hut, from a Dutch couple, a professional guide and architect husband to the usual mix of climbers and visitors. Serving better coffee than the ‘mud’ (Toby’s word!) of the Refuge du Glacier Blanc, morale was boosted ready for Friday’s exertions. The day started with some challenging dawn navigation across difficult moraine. At around 2750m, Michael decided to return to the Refuge, later joined by Helen after the group reached the foot of the Glacier du Sélé. M and H paused at the Refuge watching chamois before continuing back down the valley. With the Col du Sélé now visible, Toby led easier navigation through a tricky criss-cross of crevasses to reach the Col late morning. With snow noticeably warming and under a 200m headwall, the trio decided to head back after a brief rest, pleased with their efforts – a consolidation of their recently learned skills with Tim. In a change of plan on arrival back at the Refuge, the three elected to spend another night at the friendly hut, before heading down to Ailefroide early Saturday morning.

Week Two

A rest day for most, Saturday saw Solvig and Romain, her French Aspirant Guide, climb the Cineastes Traverse above the Refuge du Glacier Blanc in good weather – an enjoyable multi pitch rock climbing outing that proved popular with several groups on the day. Solvig finished the day late afternoon back at Ailefroide for a well earned rest. Sunday was BBQ day, so a trip to Briançon gave Toby, Steve, Wendy and Conrad the opportunity for coffee, food shopping and gear shopping (of course…..), though S was unable to find a new pair of crampons to fit his boots, seeking to replace those used the previous week (and quite new) which had unexpectedly balled up on soft snow – an apparent design fault as modern crampons should reduce or eradicate this dangerous phenomena. Meanwhile Helen, Michael, Ann-Karin and Kjetil sweated under a hot sun to complete a circular route above Briançon, taking in one of several of the UNESCO World Heritage Vauban fortresses that overlook the town. With Kjetil and Michael’s BBQ skills to the fore, all enjoyed a communal meal in the chalet garden with extra guest Craig, a member of the Ochils Mountaineering Club, also staying at the campsite.

Monday Steve and Wendy enjoyed a pleasant walk down the valley and back, exploring the old back streets of Vallouise, finally finding a pair of suitable new crampons and returning via the higher hamlet of Puy Aillaud, where they encountered Toby, Conrad and Richard – the latter having thrown himself off the path on a higher level walk and dented his pride as well as receiving cuts and bruises – fortunately no lasting harm! Meanwhile, Michael, Helen, Kjetil and Ann-Karin walked up the dramatic peak of La Blanche (2953m) – below the summer snow line and offering some stunning 360 degree panoramas away out of the Pelvoux/Vallouise valley to the south and into the heart of the eastern Écrins massif – Mt Pelvoux, Pointe Guyard, Les Bans and more. Resting by Lac du Puy Aillaud, AK struggled to get Nicco to leave the idyllic spot as the others returned from the steep and loose summit. Not noticing a diverging path, Helen found herself alone until met by a French lady who enquired whether she had ‘lost her husband’. Tempted to say ‘that’s no bad thing’, Helen nevertheless was then able to rejoin the party…..

For Solvig, Saturday had marked the end of her climbing forays and after time spent in the local area, visiting the church at La Grave and buying books/topos, she headed off early Tuesday on a long road tour of various mountaineering/climbing destinations. H,M, R, S and W opted for a midday traverse of the first two (of three) linked Via Ferratas a short way down the valley at Pelvoux. Starting at a tunnel, the climbing was easy at first before becoming airy and exposed. Although busy, the group enjoyed the routes and after about an hour or so of traversing they returned for coffee in the village, a combined lunch and some kit prep in the afternoon.

The Barre des Écrins and Dôme de Neige des Écrins loom large over the head of the Glacier Blanc and are difficult to ignore as tempting alpine climbing objectives. Spurred on by the previous week, it was time to give one of them a go – Dôme de Neige des Écrins. At 4015m it is a serious snow climb, riddled with crevasses and although popular, not without the need for serious care, with steep slopes, significant seracs and some exhilarating, if somewhat daunting exposure, high above the glacier.

Wednesday began with the remaining 9 meet members all heading up to the Refuge du Glacier Blanc at 9am. After a quick lunch and numerous brews, H and AK waved goodbye and soon headed back down, as the rest set off up the lateral moraine towards the Refuge des Écrins, descending steep shale and detritus to then rope up on the glacier and complete the journey. The final steep ascent up off the glacier in the hot afternoon sun tested everyone, but was soon forgotten with brews and cake to restore energy! After a typical night in an alpine hut (big meal and interrupted sleep….), all seven were up for a 3 am breakfast. Not feeling great, Michael opted to return to the valley later and the rest headed out at 4 am down to the glacier, where Kjetil was somewhat dismayed to find his crampons were missing from his pack and not at the stash of gear that the group had left at the bottom of the slope. Short on options, Richard and Kjetil remained as Steve led Toby, Wendy and Conrad on a single rope up the glacier. Back at the Refuge, Kjetil discovered a pair of crampons inadvertently switched at some point by a fellow climber in the busy boot/kit room. Having lost time, it was too late for Richard and Kjetil to make an ascent, so joining forces with Michael a leisurely descent to the valley ensued. The climbing team made steady progress and were rewarded by a superb alpine dawn and cloud inversion as they ascended the lower slopes of the Dôme. After crossing some pretty alarming crevasses, they made a high traverse under the high  rock slopes of the Barre des Écrins before the final steep steps onto their summit, reached in under 4 hours. The views were terrific, especially towards La Meije. After a short break and shared congratulations with a Spanish team, it was time to descend – a more daunting prospect with the exposure made more obvious in descent and the snow softening on one of the hottest days of the meet. Sharing advice with the Spanish group a quick detour under seracs avoided the steepest descent section and elated, though strained, the team reached the relative safety of the glacier, stopping for a snack below the Refuge des Écrins after a round trip of just over seven hours. All felt it had been a hard and testing day – more than a simple snow plod requiring steady nerves and secure foot placements for prolonged periods. As Toby and Conrad roped up for their continued journey down the glacier and back to the valley, Steve and Wendy tackled the steep slope up to the Refuge des Écrins one last time for several well earned brews, cake and chocolate! Down in the valley, Helen and Ann-Karin completed a pleasant 10km loop, starting and finishing at Vallouise.

After a slightly better night’s sleep, S and W took a 4 am breakfast before retracing their steps from the previous week up the glacier’s left bank and onto the steep snow slopes at the head of the glacier, this time heading up to the popular peak of Roche Faurio. After a crevasse crossing near the top, mixed ground led to a final ridge which narrowed significantly to give exposed climbing. With several groups criss-crossing the final stretch of the ridge and having reached the highest point (3730m), they opted to down climb before the later descent became too dangerous in the softening snow – a good decision as they encountered some significantly slippery conditions on the way down. The final ridge had been spectacular again and both were satisfied with their final alpine peak of the meet. After a final trudge down the Glacier Blanc and a hot descent to the valley, both were pleased to get back and meet with the rest of the group. Back in the valley, whilst some packing was done, M, H, K and AK finished off their stay with a scenic mountain walk, taking in three cols (l’Eychauda, l’Ane and des Grangettes), and the turquoise Lac de l’Eychauda, travelling on pleasant paths with some steep and slippery ground and a few cables to negotiate.  A convivial evening group meal at the main hotel in the village finished off the meet, though sadly the menu did not include the coveted Dôme de Neige desert! Maybe next time………..

Saturday saw the end of the meet with various plans for the following week and homeward journeys for Michael and Helen plus Kjetil and Ann-Karin.

Other Activity and Achievements

After leaving Ailefroide the previous Tuesday, Solvig travelled to the Vittorio Sella hut in the Gran Paradiso National Park (unfortunately the Sella archives were closed during August); Chamonix for a quick coffee (the museum was closed for refurbishment); a look at Mont Blanc, Zermatt for the mountaineers graveyard, with a quick walk up to the Riffelalp and a spectacular view of the Matterhorn before the museum opened, then over to Grindelwald. With the campsite full and after a glimpse of the Eiger North Face, Solvig set off to spend the last few days at Fontainebleau to write up field notes and do the Circuit des 25 Bosses. 

For Steve and Wendy, Saturday and Sunday were easy days with a return bus journey to L’Argentière-la-Bessée and a valley walk to Vallouise and back. On Monday the pair walked down to Pelvoux and took the first section of the chairlift to the Préron mid stop. From there a steep track and then pleasant paths led up to the col above Lac du Puy Aillaud before the steep and loose final rocky slopes to the summit of La Blanche. As previously mentioned, the vistas from the top were stunning. Returning via Lac du Puy Aillaud, they were delighted to finally hear the tinkle of cow and goat bells amongst the lower pastures heading down to Pelvoux and a walk back to the campsite. After the high temperatures of the preceding week the weather broke with evening rain showers. Tuesday morning was dry enough to head over to the Sous La Fissure crag again, this time Steve and Wendy tackled some longer routes, upping their grades and especially enjoying the foot and finger jams of ‘Crac-crac’, their final route. They retired at midday as the crag became very crowded – a small fire in the forest on the east side of the valley had caused many of the surrounding large crags to be closed and everyone seemed to have headed to Sous La Fissure! After packing in the afternoon, they stayed in the tent as a prolonged and heavy thunderstorm lashed the area for several hours into the night. At least the forest fire was put out. After drying out the tent Wednesday morning, Steve and Wendy said a sad goodbye to Ailefroide, made more bearable by a lovely overnight stay in Briançon, with its delightful old town, fortress and church and a particularly good restaurant featuring flaming raclette – delicious! From there it was a 2-day drive back home.

Having adopted the call-sign ‘The Three Musketeers’ (I have no idea why…..), the gallant trio of Toby, Conrad and Richard headed off to Switzerland on Saturday, keen to avoid the rigours of 3 am starts and hut dormitories. With Toby having friends visiting Zermatt, it was a perfect opportunity for a fact finding/reconnoitre for the Club. With a list of hostelries provided by Richard’s daughter, our Musketeers first visited the Tourist Office, immediately causing trouble by their in-character acting and not queuing properly. Suitably chastised they finally figured out railway and lift passes for the next few days, putting behind them the spectres of French hut toilets, torchlights in the face at 2 am and all the other delights of an alpine refuge. Disappointed at a lack of opportunity for a sword fight, they were instead entertained by a group of alpine horn musicians – possible augmentees for Helen’s keyboard playing at the AGM? (ok, perhaps not). Next day (Monday) saw the trio on the 6:30 am lift for the Breithorn with, amongst others, the Swiss women’s national ski team, whose warm-up routine left our Musketeers feeling out of breath and flabby! After the lift came a long trudge across a glacier followed by a busy ascent to a fine summit at 4160m and superb views. After a couple of rest days and some lower altitude exploration, Thursday saw our musketeers back in action, walking from the top of the Gornergrat lift to the summit of the Stockhorn (3532m) – a longish day on rock requiring care with significant exposure. The trio enjoyed fabulous views to include Mont Blanc, Grand Combin, The Weisshorn and Monte Rosa, amongst many other peaks. Enjoying perfect weather throughout, our gallant trio travelled home Friday through Saturday.

ps – how to defeat a Musketeer: ‘Conrad – so what part of Australia do you come from?’ Female bar attendant/waitress: ‘I’m from Latvia’……. :-0

Attending:

Kjetil and Ann-Karin Tveranger, Michael and Helen Smith, Toby Dickinson, Conrad Tetley, Wendy and Steve Richards, Solvig Choi, Richard Taylor.

Further Information

Ailefroide is a very well appointed site for outdoor activities, especially alpinism, rock climbing, kayaking, mountain and valley walking and winter ski-touring. The Écrins Massif has hundreds of alpine routes and away from Ailefroide, centres of activity include La Grave and La Bérarde, amongst others. There has been significant glacial retreat and the climbing season continues to start earlier. YRC Members found most winter snow had melted away by the end of July and many routes had significant loose shale and scree slopes to overcome, where previously snow would have remained until September, perhaps even all year. That said, many routes remain challenging and worthwhile alpine objectives. The area has many well serviced Refuges and booking on-line or by telephone is relatively straightforward. Perhaps a little crowded at peak season, the Ailefroide campsite had good facilities and very reasonable prices – bookings are not mandatory but recommended. Other places to stay are limited – our booking for a self-catering chalet, part of the Gite Leï Mendi chalet and Gite group in the village, was made a full year in advance. There are a couple of hotels and a number of self-catering destinations, with more choice further down the valley in Vallouise etc, though moving down from Ailefroide means moving a little further away from the easy access to the crags, Glaciers Blanc and Noir and the Sélé Glacier basin. Due to glacial retreat and global warming the changing conditions on the mountains requires judgement – guidebook descriptions may not be accurate. Nevertheless, the group used several guidebooks which proved useful:

Mountaineering in the Écrins Massif – Frederic Chevaillot, Paul Grobel & Jean-Rene Minelli

Classics Routes in the Écrins – Sebastien Constant

Walking in the Briançonnais – Cicerone

Écrins National Park: 70 Walking Routes in the French Alps – Cicerone

Climbing Around Ailefroide: Multi-Pitch Routes and Crags – Jean-Michel Cambon

Briançon Climbs – M Yann Rolland