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Refuge du Roc de la Pêche

Albertville

Pralognan-la-Vanoise

Vanoise Massif

A very comfortable hut and an ideal entry point into the Vanoise national park.

Ski Touring Easy

Distance
7.1 km
Ascent
569 m
Descent
92 m
Duration
3-4 hrs
Low Point
1.4 km
High Point
1.9 km
Gradient
47˚
Refuge du Roc de la Pêche Map

The Refuge du Roc de la Pêche gives a very comfortable start to the circuit of the Vanoise with an easy mellow approach. It can make a good warm up day with plenty of time to practice avalanche rescue or crevasse rescue skills.

Description

Considering the Vanoise has the biggest and busiest ski resorts in the world close by it has a very wild feel about it. Further into the tour your team may be the only one leaving the hut and the decisions that day will all be yours to make.

Opportunities to spot wildlife are plentiful and you may be lucky enough to see chamois, marmot and the gypaète barbu (bearded vulture). Carefully consider the weather before setting off, it is fairly straightforward skinning to the Roc de la Pêche in poor visibility, but for the rest of the tour good weather and a very stable snowpack are needed. The kit listed assumes that you are doing the circuit as opposed to just going to the hut. Where you park and start from will depend on the time of year and whether the road is clear.

Assuming the road is closed, skin from Pralognan-la-Vanoise through the ski de fond area and cross the river at the Pont de Gerlon. Now continue up the east side of the valley as the other side is prone to avalanches from large slopes above. Further up you will need to cross the river again to reach the hut itself. Try not to get sidetracked by the jacuzzi in the hut! There are four superb days in the wilds of the Vanoise to come.

Difficulty

Easy

Wide gentle slopes at around 20 degrees or less.

Low Exposure (E1)

1 out of 4

Exposure is limited to that of the slope itself. Getting hurt is still likely if the slope is steep and/or the snow is hard.

Remoteness

2 out of 4

Away from help but easily accessed.

Best time to visit

between January and April

Features

  • Tree Skiing
  • Single Descent

Equipment required

  • Rope
  • Skins
  • Ice axe
  • Crampons
  • Glacier kit

Similar routes nearby

Guidebooks in this area