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The Vallée de la Clarée - Family Friendly
3 days
T2 trails / no difficulty markings
Distance: 0 - 10 km per day
250 -500 ascent per day
> Hike our 3-day alternative of the Tour du Mont Thabor itinerary together with your children!
> Short and crisp but long enough for everyone to take it all in
> Don't worry about booking the accommodations, we got that covered
The 3-day Vallée de la Clarée trek is perfect for some family-friendly hiking adventures and a short alternative for the Tour du Mont Thabor and GR57. The Grande Randonnée (GR57) is better known as the Tour du Mont Thabor. This is a loop around the lesser known but still very prominent Mont Thabor, in Vallée de la Clarée in the Hautes-Alpes. Vallée de la Clarée is a sheltered, dead-end valley north of the fortified town of Briancon, on the border between France and Italy and forms part of the unspoilt Massif des Cerces. There are no ski slopes or other large-scale tourism, this valley is there only for hikers, cyclists, and other nature lovers. When doing the full circuit, you can expect a total distance of around 85 kilometers and more than 5,000 meters of elevation gain. You don't have to, though. Tour du Mont Thabor is easily broken up into pieces thus allows an experience for the entire family.
Itinerary
Day
1
From Névache to Refuge Buffère
Duration: 01:15 h
Distance: 4.2 km
Ascent: 460 m
It's only a short walk from Névache to your first refuge for the night, but it does come with a nice steep climb to get the legs moving. Over a distance of (only) 4 kilometers, you are tackling almost 500 meters of vertical gain. If you started early, you are likely to have the entire afternoon at Refuge Buffère to yourselves. You can use this time to discover the area. If it's a hot day, you can take the kids to Lac du Privé, a tiny mountain lake at 2,300 meters that allows for a quick cold dip and plenty of fun.
Refuge Buffère
Day
2
Refuge Buffère to Refuge de Ricou
Duration: 01:30 h
Distance: 5.5 km
Ascent: 290 m
Descent: 270 m
What goes up, must come down. Today you descend via a different trail than yesterday. In the valley you walk parallel to the stream Clarée through a beautiful larch forest. The water of the stream may look tempting, but it can get really cold. On your right, you will find the small hamlet of Fontcouverte. From here, it is a steady uphill walk to Refuge de Ricou at 2,115 meters.
Refuge de Ricou
Day
3
Refuge de Ricou to Névache
Duration: 03:00 h
Distance: 11 km
Ascent: 250 m
Descent: 770 m
We ascend a little further before we make a gentle and long descent back to Névache. Today, you have two options. Either you go see the Lac Laramon, or you make a few extra steps out to Lac Serpent, further up the slope. Both offer stunning views. It's as if you're at Lac Blanc at Mont Blanc! The way back to Névache offers an undulating descent back to the starting point.
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