Description
This almost 66 km circuit start in Bourg d'Oisans.
The Écrins National Park now extends over 918 km², 180 of which are in the area of St Christophe en Oisans, making a total of 76 % of the Chritolet area.
La Bérarde has had a considerable influence on mountaineering history. Indeed, at one moment or other, all the great mountain climbers have dreamt of this village at the edge of the world; dreams of conquests, of ‘virgin’ routes, since Oisans, which was closed in by the mountains for many years, drove back many an assault. In 1900, the Vénéon valley was as famous as that of Chamonix. Climbing the Meije - the last of the Alpine summits to be conquered - was a feat that every mountaineer wanted to add to their list of achievements. It was as crucial as Mont Blanc.
Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans is the native village of Pierre Gaspard - nicknamed ‘Le Père Gaspard’ - a local guide who was the first to conquer the Meije on August 16, 1877, to the great displeasure of the English. ↘The Museum of Mountaineering Memories (“Mémoires d’alpinismes”) portrays the history of mountaineering from the forerunners to the present day. The cemetery at Saint Christophe honours the memory of a number of famous mountaineers. In the village centre, don’t miss the friendly atmosphere of ↘“La Cordée”, which was
awarded the status of "historic café" in June 2007. Marie-Claude Turc will give you an enthusiatic welcome in this family-run café that opened in 1907.
To get your energy back, you can now enjoy the ↘hammam of la Cordée d’A Côté.
Carry on up to La Bérarde, stopping off at the hamlet of Les Etages to admire the Écrins (4,102m). This road was opened to vehicles in 1921, with the particularity of having set times for going up and for coming down. The vehicle going up had priority until the 1970s. The road widening scheme was completed in 2000, but the road has kept its original beauty. Parking at La Bérade is on the outskirts
of the village, allowing you to enjoy a stroll through this famous hamlet and to the ↘little chapel that sits at the bottom of the path leading up to the south face of the
Meije.
Opening
Throughout the year : open daily (la route de La Bérarde ferme en hiver, renseignements auprès de l'office de tourisme.).
