Walking GR58 Queyras Trek

Itinerary – GR58 Queyras Trek

Day 1 : Arrival – Transfer to L’Echalp / Italian border.
In the stunning Queyras you will hike high peaks every day, walk on fantastic ridges and discover magnificent villages. You will explore this superb part of the South Alps using the GR5 or GR58, but also off the beaten track path that only locals know! During this trek you will walk on the French side and Italian side adding a nice cultural experience to your trip.
Meet with your France Outdoors International mountain leader for the week at Marseille airport (arrival of the flight Ryanair FR 4285 from Dublin). Transfer time is 3h30 minutes, one or two stops on the way.
Tonight you will stay in the Gite degree 7 in l’Echalp, on the Eastern most side of the Queyras Regional Park near the Italian border.
Multisharing and main luggages available tonight.
Dinner incl.
Day 2: France: L’Echalp (1700 m) to Viso Hut (2400 m).
Difficult to walk the Queyras Regional Park and not stop at the Viso hut! First in the morning a gentle walk along the river Guil, the main river of Queyras that starts at the end of the valley from the Estio lake. At a round 2000m you will leave the river bed track and start your ascent to Viso hut. The Viso hut used to only cater for only 12 guests but was completely renovated in 2002 and is now a nice and comfortable hut!
Multsharing and main luggages not available tonight (no road access).
Ascent: 760 m Descent: 0 m Distance: 11 km
Breakfast & Dinner included – Picnic lunch not included.
Day 3: France – Viso Hut (2400 m) to Italy – Quintino Sella (2630 m)
Big day today and a fantastic immersion into the mountains! First in the morning you will walk to the Col de la Traversette (2950 m) with some further open views both to the French Queyras park and the Monte Viso. The pass de la Traversette is the likely site where Hannibal crossed the Alps. From the col, you will descend straight down to Pian Melze following the Via del Sale (the salt path). Then, after a stop where you can get a cafe and some food, you will climb again to the lakes Fiorenza and Chiaretto. The part of this walk is a classic of the Giro del Viso trek. Then the end of the walk is a climb to Colle del Viso and a gentle descent to Quintino Sella hut, slightly above the lago grande di Viso.
Multisharing and main luggages not available tonight (no road access).
Ascent: 1120 m Descent: 960 m Distance: 15,5 km
Breakfast & Dinner included – Picnic lunch not included. Day 4: Italy ; Quintino Sella (2630 m) to Pontechianale (1600m).
The Rifigio Sella is looked after a local family (family Tranchero) and is a classic hut of the tour du viso used by many trekkers. Today will be another very alpine stage on the East Side of the Monte Viso. The first part of the day will involve some relatively flat walking followed by a short climb to Passo San Chiaffredo (2764m). From there, long descend to Ponte Chianale, where you will spend a comfortable night in a hotel 2/3 per rooms. Dinner won’t be included tonight allowing you to try different type of local Italian cuisine to your taste.
Stay in a hotel 2/3 per rooms and main luggages available tonight.
Ascent: 440 m Descent: 1450 m Distance: 15,5 km
Breakfast included – Picnic lunch & dinner not included. Day 5 – Pontechianale (1600m) to Saint Veran France (2050 m).
We will start the day with a climb to the Blanche pass (2897 m). From there you will enter into France again and will be surrounded by high summits like Rocca Bianca. A short descent will lead you to “la Blanche” hut, where you can stop for lunch (not incl. And / or a drink). In the afternoon you will follow a wide dirt road to an old quite remarkable copper mine site where you will take a shuttle bus to Saint Veran. Saint Veran is the highest “commune” of Europe and arguably one of the prettiest French Alpine villages.
Stay in a hotel 2/3 per rooms and main luggages available tonight.
Ascent: 1320 m Descent: 730 m Distance: 17 km
Breakfast & Dinner included – Picnic lunch not included. Day 6: France ; Saint Veran (2050m) – Ceillac (1650m)
Start in the morning from the hotel and walk down to the river Aigue. From there you will follow the GR58 to the Estronques pass (2651 m). A flat walk will bring you to second col (Col Fromage), from where you will descend to the Cristillian valley, with its the tiny hamlets of Le Villard and Les Chalmettes, just a few houses clustered on the mountainside. You will stay in a gite multisharing for the night.
Multisharing and main luggages available tonight.
Ascent: 760 m Descent: 1060 m Distance: 12 km
Breakfast & Dinner included – Picnic lunch not included. Day 7: France; Ceillac (1650 m) – Val D’Escreins (1750 m)
This walk will bring you from the open alpine fields of Ceillac to the narrow valley of Val d’Escreins. First part of the walk will be a long climb to the “Pas du Curé (2783m)and then the Colette Verte” pass. The view over the Font Sancte peak, and further over the “Pointe de la Saume” is spectacular. The descent to Val d’Escreins, the western most side of Queyras, will be nice and relaxing after a short technical scramble down with few cables you can hold on to.
The walk ends in Basse Rua from where you will get a private transport to Guillestre where you will stay in a hotel 2/3 per rooms.
Ascent: 1220 m Descent: 1070 m Distance: 15 km
Breakfast included – Picnic lunch & dinner not included. Day 8: Farewell!
Transfer to Marseille airport (2h 30 min) in the morning to catch up FR 4284 2:35pm flight to Dublin.
Breakfast.