In the Écrins, from one itinerary to the next

After welcoming the 11 PhD students from the 1st Mountain Research School, organized by Labex ITTEM and OSUG in the form of an itinerant hike, the Ecrins National Park is preparing to welcome the participants in the 4th Ecotraversée alpine, organized in partnership with the Alpes-là association. Each in its own way – one with a scientific objective, the other with the aim of transmitting information to a wider public – these two initiatives provide an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of a territory and to meet the people who live and work there on a daily basis, against a backdrop of rapid change.

From July 25 to August 1, the fifteen or so Ecotraversée des Ecrins participants and their two mountain guides will set off from the village of La Grave in the Hautes-Alpes to end their journey at the hamlet of La Bérarde in the Isère department. In seven days, they’ll cover 80 kilometers, with 5,280 meters of ascent and descent, culminating at the Col de la Temple (3,301 m) and reaching the village of Vallouise (1,237 m).

Along the way, they will stop off at the Alpe de Villar-d’Arène (2,071 m) and Temple-Ecrins (2,410 m) refuges, and meet with various researchers and local players – local residents, park rangers, trackers, guides, artists – to gain a better understanding of the issues at stake: the future of the village of La Grave, the impact of water resources on the mountain economy, the evolution of permafrost and lakes, the Park’s missions, the role of mountain huts and transition initiatives underway in the massif. On July 29, Emmanuel Salim, coordinator of the Mediadapt project, will talk about glacier tourism live from the Glacier Blanc.

Meetings and events, scheduled for lateafternoon and evening on certain stages, are open to the general public . They will takeplace outdoors, or in the event of bad weather, in refuges or other alternative locations .The Refuges Sentinelles scheme, supported by Labex ITTEM and the Parc national des Ecrins, will be presented on the evening of July 26 at the Alpe de Villar-d’Arène refuge, at the heart of the initiative (see Refuge Remix video).

Discover the full program and list of speakers for this 2021 edition on the Ecotraversées alpines website and Facebook page @EcotraverseesAlpines.