Hiking in the Hautes-Alpes

The Hautes-Alpes pack into 5,549 km² some of the finest French Alpine massifs: the Écrins (south side), the Queyras with its villages perched above 2,000 m, the Devoluy with its unique karst landscape, and the Cerces near Briançon. The Barre des Écrins (4,102 m) culminates in Isère but the massif extends widely. Major trails: GR 54 (Tour de l'Oisans-Écrins), GR 58 (Tour du Queyras), GR 653D.

Access is via Gap or Briançon, mainly by TER from Marseille or Grenoble. Briançon, the highest fortified town in Europe (UNESCO), is the ideal base for the Queyras and the southern Écrins.

Best season: mid-June to late October. The dry, sunny climate of the Hautes-Alpes (300 sunny days a year in the Queyras) extends the hiking season compared to the rest of the Alps. Be aware of afternoon thunderstorms in midsummer and possible snowfalls from mid-September at altitude. Always check the forecast in high terrain.

The 647 routes we offer cover the entire region, from family walks in the Devoluy to committing traverses of the Tour des Écrins.