A winter weekend in the Trièves, at Esparron refuge

It is 5 p.m. at the beginning of January, we park near the national road to reach the wild and authentic Esparron refuge, a few kilometers further on, deep in the forest. Off we go for a beautiful weekend escape in the Trièves.

We quickly leave “civilization” and the sound of cars is soon behind us, although we remain on a forest track where we will cross paths with a few 4×4s and forest rangers during the 2,5km that will take us to the refuge. We arrive with our headlamps at the refuge covered with a light layer of snow, isolated in the middle of the forest at 1080m altitude.

The refuge is very large and spacious and can accommodate up to 29 in 2 separate dormitories, with everything you need on site (blankets, pillows, mattresses).

The living room is very large and has tables, benches and armchairs to relax by the stove. The kitchen is also equipped with a gas cooker and all the necessary equipment, and the dry toilets are outside near the refuge. It should be noted that there is neither electricity nor running water (but a fountain flows opposite the refuge).

The last rays of sunlight are already far behind us and the nighttime cold has taken over. We therefore hurry to quickly light the stove to warm up while others cut wood. In the evening we enjoy a good pan of mushroom ravioli before playing some board games.

The next morning, we wake up quietly from our night, where we had slept well bundled up under several blankets each. The early risers have lit the stove and we all have breakfast together. We also prepare our picnic for lunch. Because on the agenda is a hike to the summit of Platary, a hike of approximately 9/10km round trip and 600m of elevation gain.

We start the walk with the Esparron hermitage as the first stop, a few hundred meters from the refuge. It is a peaceful and magnificent place, full of history. Located deep in the forest, it consists of several stone buildings.
Its origins date back to the 13th century. The Virgin Mary is said to have appeared there to children and inhabitants. A sanctuary was subsequently built and became a place of pilgrimage.

We were moved by the stories displayed on the walls of the ruins. There you discover the poignant history of French Resistance members who took refuge at Esparron.

In autumn 1940, the Esparron hermitage was occupied by 200 boys from the Youth Chantiers who devoted themselves to forestry and physical education. Even before the Youth Chantiers were dissolved in June 1944, Esparron was already a refuge for the Resistance. On 3 February 1944, at dawn, seven hundred Germans, armed with two machine guns and mortars, attacked and brought an end to camp C11 of AS-Vercors. The besieged French (30 young people, 10 of them armed, led by commander Grange) retreated after losing one of their number, Charles Yves Bassinet-Dufour, who was covering their retreat. Since the alarm system had failed to function, the guerrillas were caught by surprise. In control of the terrain, the German soldiers set fire to the buildings while Grange led his men toward Mont Aiguille. Marius Desserre was killed.

The Resistance memorial installed in the upper part of these grounds commemorates this event. Three plaques are displayed there. A first is in memory of Charles Yves Bassinet-Dufour and reads: “Here fell on 4 February 1944, Bassinet-Delfour Charles Yves”Bordeaux" in clandestinity aged 25 years. A maquis volunteer, died a hero to enable his comrades to retreat during the attack on Esparron camp by Nazi hordes". A second reads “In memory of Michel Fissore, 30 years old, died for France in deportation on 17 November 1944 in Mauthausen (Austria)”. And finally, a last reads “In memory of Marius Desserre, 21 years old, (Berlingot), 4th squadron, 11th cavalry, died for France on 3 February 1944”.

After the war, the chapel was moved to the inn that the Chantiers had begun to rebuild. The large walls of the burned buildings were demolished. From 1980, the Diocese of Grenoble, which had become owner of part of the rebuilt site, rebuilt, thanks to donations from pilgrims and a multitude of volunteer workers, the buildings necessary to resume the spiritual activities of the pilgrimage.

Today, there remains a room that serves as a reception venue in summer, but the rest of the hermitage has fallen into ruin or is under restoration.

We continue our walk to the Menée Pass road, between small paths and streams. From there, we begin our ascent to the summit of Platary, first through the forest, then in the open above 1300/1400m.

Upon reaching the summit at 1586m, we are rewarded with a superb panoramic view: we can see Mont Aiguille, the ridges and high peaks of the Vercors, Dévoluy, the Trièves plain and the highest peaks of the Diois. The ideal place for a picnic break! The return is via the same route back to the refuge.

Unfortunately, we will not have other opportunities to explore the surrounding area more fully due to time constraints, but many possibilities exist from the refuge, notably the Grande Leirie ridge or Mont Barral. These hiking possibilities are available through our #stay at Esparron refuge for 4 days with a guide, which will also take you on the wolf trail.

Backcountry Skiing Introduction at Gresse en Vercors

Part of the team also took advantage of this weekend in Trièves to try ski touring. Under the guidance of Laura and Adrien, who were more experienced, it was therefore at Gresse en Vercors that Giovanna, Oriane and Cassandre made their first conversions. This village-station, located at 1250m in Trièves at the foot of the majestic Grand Veymont, offers several marked routes from easy level (150m elevation gain) to difficult (450/500m elevation gain). The conditions in this early part of the year are quite ideal with nice dry and cold snow, a crisp morning and a beautiful winter sun. Despite the appearance of a beautiful winter landscape, we can clearly see the lack of a base layer and we will need to be careful on the descent.

For the first ascent of the day, we opted for the easy route, one of the 2 easy routes offered by the station. The ascent is done slightly off the slope on the grassy slopes, with a few easy conversions, ideal for warming up. The route is well-marked and laid out, and there is even a sign at the end of the ascent indicating the finish and when to remove the skis. We then rejoin the alpine ski slope for a nice descent in the sun.

For the 2th ascent, we head to an unexploited part of the domain, in the Alleyrons sector. A sector sheltered from the sun where the snow remained nice and powdery and hasn’t transformed yet. The first part is done with conversions while climbing a fairly steep red slope.

Then after a slight descent, we go back up the Alleyrons ski lift, before branching off towards the ridges of Mont Brisou. The reward is there with a superb panoramic view of Mont Aiguille and Dévoluy in the background. The descent is equally enjoyable with beautiful turns in the powder.

A beautiful day when we were able to try out an easy slope before heading to a wilder area of the station and enjoying a beautiful view at the summit.