Trekking in the Vanoise

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A guide to the Tour of the Vanoise, a 150km hut-to-hut trek in the French mountains between Mont Blanc and the Ecrins, described in 11 day stages from Modane. Also included are the Tours des Glaciers de la Vanoise plus suggestions for other multi-day treks in the national park. 

Cicerone says: 

This guide describes the eleven-day 163km Tour of the Vanoise and the five-day 72km Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise, two fantastic hut-to-hut treks through the pristine Alpine landscapes of France’s Vanoise National Park. Three other short treks – the Tour of the Eastern Vanoise, the Tour of the Western Vanoise and a Traverse of the Vanoise via the GR5 and GR55 – are also summarised. The routes tackle several passes in excess of 2500m but there are no glacier crossings, no significant scrambling and no lengthy paths exposed to either stonefall or vertigo-inspiring exposure (though optional variants may involve some slightly more challenging sections), and waymarking is usually clear – making this an ideal route for those new to Alpine trekking.

The guide contains everything you need to plan and walk the routes, with advice on travel to the region, accommodation and recommended kit. Clear route description, mapping and overview statistics are provided for each day stage, there are notes on the region’s plants and wildlife and other points of interest, and accommodation listings and a handy glossary can be found in the appendices. Completing the package, the beautiful colour photos will call to your wanderlust.

The Vanoise is less well known than its neighbours Mont Blanc and the Ecrins massif but is equally beautiful. The scenery is quintessentially Alpine, with 3000m peaks decorated with gleaming glaciers and snowfields, valleys glistening with lakes and streams, towering moraine walls, impossibly steep rock slabs and, in the early summer, meadows extravagant with a riot of alpine flowers. A well-appointed network of refuges promises a warm welcome at the end of each day’s walking. It’s a perfect place to experience the pleasures of Alpine trekking and these routes offer the ideal opportunity to explore this magnificent region.

Our Verdict

For nearly 50 years Cicerone have been producing guidebooks on recognised treks, regions, areas and general tips for hikers.

We have used them countless times and they’ve always provided excellent insight and knowledge that you only get through experience, giving you the edge to make your trip a success and more enjoyable too.

If you’re a gram counter you can easily remove sections of the book to take with you making your own ultra-lightweight guidebook with only the essential sections that you require.

– Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear

Features

• Seasons: The summer trekking season – mid-June to the end of September
• Centres: Modane, Termignon, Bonneval-sur-Arc, Val d’Isère, Tignes, Pralognan-la-Vanoise
• Difficulty: Mostly easy trekking at fairly high altitude. A few optional route variants cross high and remote cols, whilst a very small number of stages have short sections aided by steps or cables. A great – often overlooked – place to start a trekking lifestyle.
• Must See: The Grande Casse and Grande Motte, views north to Mont Blanc and south to the Écrins massif, lakes at Plan du Lac and Lozières, the Dent Parrachée, the beautiful Leisse and Rocheure valleys, the wild landscapes of the high passes of the eastern and western Vanoise

Specifications

• Weight: 255g
• Edition: Third
• Number of pages: 192
• Size: 17.2 x 11.6 x 1.5cm
• Published: 15 Nov 2021
• Author: Kev Reynolds

Contents

Introduction
Tour of the Vanoise
Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise
Short tours in the Vanoise
The Vanoise National Park
Wildlife and Alpine flowers
When to go
How to get there
Accommodation
Notes for walkers
Recommended maps
Equipment
Safety in the mountains
Using this guide
Tour of the Vanoise
Stage 1 Modane to Refuge de l’Orgère
Stage 2 Refuge de l’Orgère to Refuge de Plan Sec
Stage 3 Refuge de Plan Sec to Refuge de l’Arpont
Stage 4 Refuge de l’Arpont to Refuge du Plan du Lac
Stage 5 Refuge du Plan du Lac to Refuge du Vallonbrun
Stage 6 Refuge du Vallonbrun to Bonneval-sur-Arc
Stage 7 Bonneval-sur-Arc to Val d’Isère
Stage 7A Bonneval-sur-Arc to Refuge de la Femma
Stage 8 Val d’Isère to Refuge de la Leisse
Stage 8A Val d’Isère to Refuge de la Femma
Stage 9 Refuge de la Leisse to Pralognan-la-Vanoise
Stage 9A Refuge de la Femma to Pralognan-la-Vanoise
Stage 10 Pralognan-la-Vanoise to Refuge de Péclet-Polset
Stage 11 Refuge de Péclet-Polset to Modane
Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise
Stage 1 Pralognan-la-Vanoise to Refuge de la Valette
Stage 2 Refuge de la Valette to Refuge du Fond d’Aussois
Stage 3 Refuge du Fond d’Aussois to Refuge de l’Arpont
Stage 4 Refuge de l’Arpont to Refuge du Col de la Vanoise
Stage 5 Refuge du Col de la Vanoise to Pralognan-la-Vanoise
Short tours in the Vanoise
Short tour 1 Tour of the Eastern Vanoise (Tour de Méan Martin et du Grand Roc Noir)
Short tour 2 Tour of the Western Vanoise
Short tour 3 Traverse of the Vanoise via the GR5 and GR55

Appendix A Useful contacts
Appendix B Accommodation
Appendix C French–English glossary
Appendix D Bibliography