Alpe de Villar d'Arêne Mountain Hut - Monêtier-les-Bains

(S) Take the path behind the Refuge de l'Alpe de Villar-d'Aréne on the right towards the^second refuge, the Chalet de Chamoissiére. Continue straight on and rejoin the^GR®. Carry on across the pastures and pass by the shores of Lac de l'Étoile to reach the Col d'Arsine.

(1) Leave the^GR® and take the path on the right which climbs gradually through a very rocky landscape. Continue to Lac du Glacier d'Arsine.

(2) Turn back to return to the Col d'Arsine.

(1) Turn right and rejoin the^GR®54. Follow the left bank of the milky-white Petit Tabuc stream. Cross the rocky area of the Vallon du Réou d'Arsine to reach the steep descent leading to Lac de la Douche.

(3) Cross the lake via the stone causeway, then enter the larch wood. Continue down the slope until you emerge onto a wide track.

(4) Follow this track, passing a picnic area, and you will reach the Pont du Clot du Gué bridge spanning the Petit Tabuc. Cross the bridge and follow the wide track into the village of Le Casset.

(5) Cross the bridge over the Guisane, turn right and, a few metres further on, you’ll reach the restored mill. Cross the Guisane again and take the^GR® on the left^. Stay on this path, following the red and white markings. You’ll come out onto a wider track before reaching the Chapelle Saint-Roch.

(6) Continue straight ahead, leaving the Pont des Granges on your left. Carry on along the right bank of the Guisane. You will reach the lower part of the village of Monêtier-le-Bains. Continue along the Guisane opposite the water sports centre and you will then reach the bridge on Rue de la Grande Turière.

(7) Turn left here, walk up the street for about a hundred metres until you find Lodge Le Flourou (E) on your right, today’s stop.

Departure from the Alpe de Villar d’Arène refuge. Stage with 400m of ascent and 1000m of descent

Arrival at the Gîte le Flourou in Monêtier-les-Bains where we spent the night. A night without camping. An excellent lodge, both in terms of the comfort of the accommodation and the quality of the dinner. A superb welcome.
Useful addresses and links:
https://www.leflourou.com/
contact@leflourou.com
"06 80 95 43 96
04 92 24 41 13"

Do feel free to take a stroll around the lovely village of Monêtier-les-Bains.

As with all mountain hikes, bring binoculars, a camera, an IGN map and/or a guidebook.

There are plenty of streams, so you won’t have any trouble finding water.

Many herds are guarded by sheepdogs, known as Patous. Hikers are therefore strongly advised not to stray from the path. If you encounter a guard dog, remain calm and passive to reassure it.

(2) Lac du Glacier d'Arsine: The lake water is milky. A landscape that is certainly lunar but absolutely fabulous. The view over the valley known as Le Réou Martin is just as extraordinary.
Monêtier-les-Bains: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Mon%C3%...

Monêtier-les-Bains is a village in the Hautes-Alpes, situated at an altitude of 1,500 metres, historically the administrative centre of the canton of Monêtier-les-Bains (comprising the municipalities of La Salle-les-Alpes and Saint-Chaffrey) and part of the Serre Chevalier ski resort. The commune is now part of the canton of Briançon-1. The neighbouring communes are La Salle-les-Alpes, Pelvoux, Villar-d'Arêne, La Grave and Névache in the Hautes-Alpes, and Valloire in Savoie1.

It covers 9,787 hectares between the Galibier range in the Cerces massif and the Combeynot range in the Écrins massif, and includes the famous Lautaret Pass (the climatic boundary between the Northern and Southern Alps, opening onto the Oisans and the Romanche valley leading down towards the department of Isère) and the Galibier (a pass opening onto Savoie and a key stage of the Tour de France).

The municipality borders the Écrins National Park; there is a park visitor centre in the hamlet of Le Casset.

Given the municipality’s size, the area features numerous mountain lakes (the main ones are listed below):

On the left bank of the Guisane, the Grand Lac is the main lake (2,282 m). Around this lake (at around 2,500 m – 2,600 m) are smaller lakes, both permanent and temporary (Lac de la Ponsonnière, Lacs des Crouserocs).
On the right bank, in the resort of Serre-Chevalier, an artificial lake serves as a water reservoir for part of the resort, at the Col de l’Eychauda.
On the right bank, the Arsine Lakes (Lacs Blancs, 2,450 m to 2,500 m) and the Réou d’Arsine Lakes (small lakes, around 2,250 m) are set amidst a landscape of moraines and meadows. Lac de la Douche has a slightly more wooded atmosphere (altitude of around 1,900 m).
Lac de Combeynot (2,530 m) lies isolated in the Combeynot massif2.
In addition to the main town, the municipality includes the hamlets of Lautaret (altitude 2,090 metres), Lauzet (alt. 1,668 m, on the boundary between the outer and inner zones of the Alps), Les Boussardes (1,660 m), Le Casset (1,512 m, in the upper Guisane valley), Les Guibertes (1,440 m), Le Freyssinet (1,460 m) and Le Serre-Barbin (1,450 m).