In the beginning

It was dinner time on the 28^th of June 2009 and I was sitting at a long table in the pretty little refuge of Basse Rua in a steep-sided valley on the south-western edge of the Queyras National Park. I’d joined a French group for a 6-day circuit trek through this little-known (in the UK) Alpine region and, at this point, before the main course, I had to make some sort of an introduction. Thankfully, I had picked up a smattering of French over the years and I was able to tell my co-travellers that I worked for KE in the UK and that I was hoping to learn more about the region and to be able to offer the Queyras trek to my clients. Over the succeeding 10 years this trek, based around the GR58 - Tour de Queyras, with additions including diversions to several accessible 3000-metre summits, has proved to be utterly timeless.

What goes up, must come down

Any self-respecting trek in the Queyras needs to cross between high Alpine valleys and it was clear from the outset that there was going to be a fair amount of up and down. On the first day, we trekked up above Basse Rua, gaining 1000 metres of elevation through sparse pinewood, to reach the open summit of Pic d’Escreins. Here, we had a great perspective across the region, from the peaks of Tete des Toillies and Monte Viso to the east all the way around to Rochebrune to the north. We would be getting quite a lot closer to each of these peaks. Our onward route then took us by way of rocky crests, down to a hidden sheep fold and pasture and then down again through dense stands of pine trees to our hotel in the traditional village of Ceillac with its patchwork of fields and imposing church tower.

 

Most memorable summit

After a night in the Refuge Agnel, we set out to climb Pain de Sucre, a prominent rocky peak on the border between France and Italy. We crossed patches of old snow and followed a zig-zag trail which picked out the easiest line to the cross at the airy summit. This is a fantastic viewpoint with Monte Viso just a few kilometres away to the south-east, the peaks of the Ecrins to the north-west and the central Alpine summits including Mont Blanc to the north. Scanning the nearby, Pic d’Asti with my binoculars I could see a pair of rock-climbers making slow progress on the sheer face and, close to them, seemingly at their ease on the precipice, a number of ibex.

Alpine profusion

On the final day of the trek, we diverted (again) from the GR58 onto a high shoulder of Rochebrune, one of the highest of the Queyras peaks. Crossing a couple of high cols on scant trails, we searched for genepi, a rare aromatic herb and looked out northwards across a wilderness of lakes and hidden valleys to Mont Chaberton on the Italian border. Finally, beyond the Col de Chaude Maison, we dropped down through flower-filled ‘alpages’ to a remote and deserted farmstead and from there hiked easily down to Le Laus and the welcome sight of a roadside auberge selling beer and ice-cream.

 

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Take a look at KE’s Alpine Trails and Summits of the Queyras holiday or give us a call to plan your next holiday on +017687 29680 or USA/Canada toll-free 1888 630 4415.