The Lake and the Pavé Refuge

Enjoy a beautiful excursion into the high mountain landscape of the Écrins National Park at the foot of the magnificent peaks of Pic Gaspard, Pavé, Pic Nord des Cabales and Roche Méane, which form a magnificent cirque.

Details

n°92107

Creation:
11 Dec 2014

Last update:
28 Oct 2019

Last review:
11 Aug 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 18.89 km
Duration according to the author: 10 hrs
Difficulty: Very difficult
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 1,334 m
Descent: - 1,328 m
Highest point: 2,887 m
Lowest point: 1,710 m

Country: France
Areas: Alps, Ecrins, Dauphiné
District: Villar-d'Arêne (05480)
Start/End: N 45.019871° / E 6.371503°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3435ET, 3435ETR, 3436ET, 3436ETR
Hour-by-hour weather

Avalanche risk assessment bulletin

Discover Visorando Premium

Downloads

Open in the mobile app

Download GPX GPX

Download PDF PDF

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the last car park after Pied du Col.
(S/E) Take the^GR®54, marked in red and white, which is the^GR® du Tour de l'Oisans. Reach the foot of the Pas de l'Âne waterfall in Falque and, at the first crossroads.

(1) Leave the^GR® trail on the left and take the path on the right.
After a steep climb, the terrain levels out and you will reach the crossroads at the refuge.

(2) Keep to the right, follow the right bank of the Romanche to reach the Pont de Valfourche at an altitude of 2,048 metres.

(3) Cross the bridge and now follow the left bank of the Torrent du Clot des Cavales. Reach an altitude of 2,130 metres to reach the foot of the moraine.

(4) Climb up. The slope is steep, but the trail is direct, leading to the crossroads at an altitude of 2,580 metres.

(5) Take the path on the right and, via a tricky passage , reach the Pavé refuge and the lake of the same name. Please note that this passage is for experienced hikers only. Inexperienced hikers should take the path on the left, which is used for the return journey, as described below.

(6) To return, head south-west to join the path leading up to the Col du Clot des Cavales.

(7) Turn left onto this path heading east to reach the crossroads at an altitude of 2,580 metres.

(5) Follow the same route as on the way up to the junction at the Villar-d'Arêne refuge.

(2) Leave the outward trail on your left and take the trail on your right leading to the refuge.

(8) Continue north to the trail junction at the weather station.

(9) Join the^GR®54and follow it to the first junction on the outward route.

(1) Retrace your steps to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,710 m - Car park at the foot of the pass - Romanche (rivière)
1 : km 1.11 - alt. 1,866 m - Carrefour Pas de l'Ane in Falque
2 : km 3.6 - alt. 1,999 m - Carrefour refuge
3 : km 5.24 - alt. 2,050 m - Valfourche Bridge - Romanche (rivière)
4 : km 6 - alt. 2,131 m - Cote 2130
5 : km 8.15 - alt. 2,553 m - Carrefour du Pavé
6 : km 8.96 - alt. 2,829 m - Refuge du Pavé
7 : km 9.81 - alt. 2,815 m - Crossroads of the pass trail
8 : km 15.61 - alt. 2,078 m - Refuge de l'Alpe de Villar d'Arêne
9 : km 16.52 - alt. 2,059 m - GR54
S/E : km 18.89 - alt. 1,711 m - Car park at the foot of the pass

Notes

Water is present in the streams, but be aware that it comes from snowfields and may cause discomfort to some people.
There are shelters available: Refuges du Pavé and Alpe de Villar d'Arêne.

You are hiking in the heart of the Écrins National Park.

The Écrins massif is an exceptional area, open to all, with a rare natural, cultural and landscape heritage. To protect these treasures, the heart of the park is marked by blue, white and red flags, where regulations must be observed. Please familiarise yourself with these regulations when preparing for your hike in order to preserve this collective asset, at https://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr.

Worth a visit

The source of the Romanche is located upstream from the Pont de Valfourche bridge on the left-hand path.
La Grave.
The Emparis Plateau.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5

Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5

Route interest
5 / 5

cchambault

11 Aug 2025 at 22:21 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A long climb with a reward at the end: the arrival at the lake and the refuge.
Climbing up the cables is not recommended if you are not used to walking at high altitudes.
Very pleasant refuge, bright and run by a lovely team of young people who are very welcoming.

Machine-translated

Britanicus100

08 Sep 2024 at 14:26 7200 • Edited: 08 Sep 2024 at 14:29 7200

It is with sadness that I have just learned of the death of this young woman who was very kind and passionate about the mountains and her job.
She was the one who advised me to reach the refuge via the cable passage with via ferrata equipment.

Machine-translated

Zébulon38360

07 Feb 2024 at 14:38 3600

I have just learned of the passing of the wonderful Lucie Gauthier, young guardian of the old Pavé refuge, who was preparing to open the brand new refuge...
It is with immense sadness that we have lost such a radiant, wonderful person, who made this exceptional site even more enchanting.
I will return there, if only to feel her presence once more...

Machine-translated

Zébulon38360

13 Oct 2023 at 17:58 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike, from the start to the refuge. Fabulous scenery along the entire route.
We did the hike in October in ideal conditions for the time of year. We slept in the old refuge, which will be replaced in the spring by the new one built right next door. We had a wonderful evening with the refuge warden Lucie, who was as wonderful in her hospitality as she was in the meals she prepared. There were also five workers finishing the new refuge for the end of October, which was a bonus for us as it was interesting to hear about their work in very special conditions and they were very friendly.
The sunrise and dawn in this extraordinary location is a sight that is well worth the effort.
We climbed via the footpath, rather than the cableway, the last part of which, above an altitude of 2,500 metres, is arduous and requires a good level of fitness.
Thank you for this hike, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Machine-translated

cyrilledegraveson

30 Jun 2020 at 11:26 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent route, both on the Alp and in the valley around the refuge, in a sumptuous setting. At the end of June, the end of the route was very snowy, and some snowfield crossings to reach the refuge required crampons and ice axes.

Machine-translated

roman53

12 Aug 2019 at 13:46 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We love the hikes you suggest, keep it up!

See you soon, Manuel 15

Machine-translated

oryx38

30 Jul 2018 at 10:51 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Starting from the first car park (micro central pont d'arsine), this is a long hike that requires caution in its final section (as I was alone, I avoided the faster cable route). sumptuous and varied landscapes, following the night's storm, impressive schist flows emanating from Combeynot at the start (covered trail), round trip during the day, almost 9 hours of walking!

Machine-translated

Britanicus100

19 Jul 2016 at 10:05 7200 • Edited: 08 Sep 2024 at 14:16 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Route taken with a direct climb to the refuge and Lac du Pavé via the cableway and return via the normal route with a short detour to the Alpe refuge.

This route is incredibly beautiful, allowing you to admire the landscape of moraines, glaciers and prestigious peaks.

I made a video with the names of the peaks, which describes the atmosphere and shows the route of this high-mountain hike.
It's here.https://youtu.be/mP0cW6G_1lg?si=K334Qv6b...

Machine-translated

pipo84

17 Aug 2015 at 18:14 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike in mediocre weather, the vast plateau of Plan de l'Alpe is truly worth seeing. I climbed up to the refuge via the return route, which seemed a little dangerous to me, especially in wet weather. I received a warm welcome at the refuge, where I enjoyed a nice cup of coffee before quickly heading back down due to the bad weather :-)

Machine-translated