Hiking Tour in the French Alps: Beaufortain Trekking Traverse

The Trip

Beaufortain Trekking Traverse in the French Alps

The Beaufortain is a wild massif, a winter playground well known for the most famous ski mountaineering race "La Pierra Menta". We will leave from the extreme south of the Mont Blanc Massif to cross the Beaufortain in the footsteps of Gargan in its Brèche, to then reach the feet of the Pierra Menta and continue towards Arèches and its summits: the summit of the Grande Journée above Albertville will be above us and maybe the Mirantin to finish in the Beaufort country. 

Program

TREKKING PROGRAM

You can arrive a day in advance and we recommend the Base Camp Lodge in Bourg Saint Maurice.

DAY 1
CORMET DE ROSELEND - COL DU GRAND FOND - REFUGE

Vertical drop: +850 m and - 700 m
Walking time: About 6 hours of walking

Meeting at the Funicular car parking at 9:30 am in Bourg Saint Maurice. You will be able to park your car in a free car parking for the week. Remember to take your own picnic luch for today.

We leave this pretty farm with beautiful memories, you will surely come back.
We will start the day on a small path to reach the Cormet de Roseland, well known to cyclists, before taking the Nova valley: the walk is regular to reach out the Nova lakes. At the Col du Grand Fond we drop down our backpacks to make a small round trip to Brèche de Parozan: a great and breathtaking cliff on the other side, however the path iss good on our side and the viw is amazing. 
We return to the pass to then walk down to the Presset Lake at the feet of the Pierra Menta, once at the Balme refuge we drop off our backpacks and enjoy this beautiful place.

DAY 2 
REFUGE - PIERRA MENTA FEET - REFUGE

Vertical drop: + 700 m and - 600 m
Walking time: About 5-6 hours of walking

We start from the refuge and follow the stream under the Pierra Menta, we might see climbers on the North pillar, the classic route. We will then walk down to the Lac d'Amour and enjoy our meal with the Marmots. We then join the short Pass which, after a quick descent, will takes us to the Refuge de la Coire, where the view between Tarentaise and Beaufortain will be magnificent.

DAY 3
REFUGE  - LAC SAINT GUERIN - REFUGE

Vertical drop: + 850 m and - 900 m
Walking time: About 6 hours of walking

After the night at the hut, we set off light for the ascent of the Rey Ridge, a magnificent summit that the "Pierra Menta" Race made famous. If some people wish to rest they will stay quietly at the refuge. Once back, we will collect our stuff to continue the day and reach the lakes of Saint Guérin and its famous Nepalese bridge. We take a nice path to climb to the Alpage refuge, at the feet of the Grand Mont, tomorrow's goal.

DAY 4
REFUGE - LE GRAND MONT - REFUGE 

Vertical drop: + 850 m and - 950 m
Walking time: About 6 hours of walking

We will leave the hut in light mode or not, depending on the route you choose together with your guide: the ascent of the Grand Mont should take you about two hours, maybe a little more. It is the mythical summit of Pierra Menta, where the race passes three times at the top. On top you will get a beautiful view! On the way back you will take your backback and we will continue on the path that leads us to the Arolles refuge.

DAY 5
REFUGES - COL DE LA BATHIE - COL DES LACS - MONT MIRANTIN- PLANAY

Vertical drop: + 700 m and - 1300 m
Walking time: About 7 hours of walking

Here is our last day: after a good breakfast, we will leave in the direction of "La Grande Journée", a great summit which we will pass by along the Col de la Bathie and the Col des Lacs, before reaching the Mont Mirantin. However the day itinerary can vary depending on the wetaher conditions and your shape, we can shorten it, or even cut it in case of bad weather.
So we may pass by the summits of the “Grande Journée” and the Mont Mirantin: you will discuss the different options with the guide the evening before.
You will end the trekking in Planay and take a transport to return to Bourg Saint Maurice.

Return to Bourg Saint Maurice: 5.30 p.m. You can organise your transport from 6 p.m.

END of the TRIP. See you next time for a new adventure!

Equipment

How to prepare your backpack for your hiking trip in France

The hiking backpack

If possible, take a bag that is light enough to be carried well, and no heavier than 1.5 kilos.

• Small : 45 litres max
• Large : 50 litres max

Your rucksack should have 10 to 15 litres of space for the food you will be carrying for lunch and sometimes the next day, which the mountain huts or guides will give you.

Kilos to carry - it's better to wash than to carry :

• Small : 5/6 kilos max, without water and food
• Large : 6/7 kilos max, without water and food

Allow 2 litres of water and 500 grams of food for the day.

Head-to-toe equipment for the trek:

• a cap or hat for the sun
• a hat for the cold
• a buff or choker (optional, but great in bad weather)
• a Gore Tex jacket or equivalent for bad weather
• a pair of gloves, waterproof if possible
• a small down jacket or fleece to withstand sub-zero temperatures
• two jumpers: one light and one warmer; if it's cold, we'll use all the layers
• two or three technical T-shirts
• 2 to 4 pairs of socks, which you can wash in the torrents near the refuges (use solid soap to wash)
• trousers
• tights
• shorts
• a bag cover for the rain
• a waterproof bag to keep a change of clothes dry
• a change of clothes for the refuge
• a pair of hiking boots with Vibram soles or good quality trail shoes from 20 July, if possible try them on before the trek.

Essential items:

• a sleeping sheet for the hut
• 2 telescopic walking poles
• canteen or water bottle to provide at least 2 litres of water
• sun cream factor 30 to 50
• a pair of category 3 sunglasses
• a light headlamp
• small treats such as dried fruit and chocolate
• cash and your identity card or valid passport

Toiletries :

• a light, quick-drying towel, hiking style
• body soap
• toothbrush with toothpaste or solid toothpaste
• small shampoo (specialist shops sell small bottles that you can keep for the rest of your hiking life)
• a pair of earplugs to help you sleep at night in the refuge

Pharmacy & other items :

• your medication
• a light survival blanket
• nail clippers
• enough to make small dressings
• a few compresses and plasters or, better still, Strappal

Your guide will have a more comprehensive first-aid kit in case of a major accident.

A small book or card game (weighing less than 150 grams)...

Necessities for meals :

• an hermetic tupperware (approx. 400ml) for the picnic
• a light Opinel-type knife
• a fork and a spoon
• a local speciality to share with the rest of the team, liquid or solid.

Weight is the hiker's enemy, but a frozen or soaked hiker is a hiker without pleasure!

So take the time to prepare your rucksack well and weigh it before you set off, to check that without water or food your rucksack weighs 6 to 7 KG, but no more !

IMPORTANT: if a person is not properly equipped and dressed, the mountain guide may decide not to allow him/her to take part in the climb. We ask you to read carefully the equipment list provided in the programme PDF and to call us if you have any doubts.

Level

Technical Level  2.5/5

Intermediate screen between 2 and 3 Mountains.
Mountain trekking for experienced people, you have experience and skills in the mountains.
Some passages are dizzying and it is sometimes necessary to put your hands to help the progression.
Weather forecast learning and cartography experience: the guide could give you the map to learn how to manage a route.

Physical level 2/5

Pretty easy hiking. Effort corresponding to 700 to 900 m of elevation gain in trekking.

Useful Infos

Useful information to organise your mountain trip

Insurance

Cancellation and repatriation insurance is mandatory, as is mountain search and rescue insurance (minimum cover of 10,000 Euros).

Esprit Montagne offers the following insurance: https://www.assurance-multi-sports.com.

How to reach Bourg Saint Maurice, 73700

• By train, access by TGV to Bourg Saint Maurice station - the hotel will be reachable by shuttle;
• By car from Albertville, access by expressway to Moutiers - Bourg Saint Maurice is 2.5 hours from Lyon.

Meeting on the first day

Meeting at the Funicular in Bourg Saint Maurice at 9.30am, you can park your car in a free parking for the duration of the trek.

Accomodation

Nights in Refuge in room or dormitory according to availability.

Nights after the end of the trek are possible in different hotels in Bourg Saint Maurice, here is our advice:

• Base Camp Lodge
• Hôtel de l'Angival

Car sharing

When you register online, you can choose whether or not you wish to take part in the car-sharing scheme to get to the starting point of your course. Once you have made your booking, you can log back into your Esprit Montagne account to access a section dedicated to carpooling. Here you will find the contacts of the other participants who are interested in car-sharing, so that you can contact them directly.