Refuge de la Fournache - Refuge de l'Orgére

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The final stage of this fabulous route from the Refuge de la Fournache to the Refuge de l'Orgére, via the Col de la Masse. The ascent of this pass is difficult due to the steep gradient. The end of the ascent and a good part of the descent are very technical. The view from the pass is absolutely exceptional; you will be able to see the Écrins and the Thabor massif.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise starting from Modane

Details

n°2449414
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.52 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 712 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,143 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,923 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,932 m
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Photos

View of the descent from the Col de la Masse
Ascent of the Col de la Masse
Descent from the Col de la Masse
View over the valley and the end point of this route

Description of the walk

(S) From the La Fournache refuge, take the path that descends to the left of the refuge and joins theGR® 5.
Turn right onto it and descend towards the stream, joining it at the Pont de la Sétéria.

(1) Cross the stream and take the path that climbs steeply opposite towards the Col de la Masse, until you reach a flat section and two junctions. Go straight on at the first junction, ignoring the path that branches off to the right. Continue for a few metres to a further junction.

(2) Continue straight on, leaving theGR® 5. After the flat section, begin the difficult climb. The gradient becomes steeper as you ascend. Before reaching the pass, the final metres of the climb are very technical. You will reach a maze of rocks on a plateau at the pass.

(3) Begin the descent, which is very steep and technical for the first two kilometres. Halfway down, you’ll reach a vast scree slope, which descends steeply to the edge of a wide, deep snowfield.

(4) Take care here: this section requires the utmost caution. Continue down a long, winding descent through large boulders to a junction in the undergrowth.

(5) Turn right onto the wide track. Continue to the Refuge de l’Orgére (E):.

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 2,363 m - Refuge de la Fournache
  2. 1 : km 1.24 - alt. 2,207 m - Sétéria Bridge
  3. 2 : km 2.43 - alt. 2,426 m - Crossroads GR°°®°° 5-path
  4. 3 : km 4.35 - alt. 2,922 m - Col de la Masse (2922m)
  5. 4 : km 5.89 - alt. 2,541 m - Scree slope
  6. 5 : km 7.7 - alt. 2,074 m - GR5 junction – Discovery trail
  7. E : km 9.52 - alt. 1,932 m - Porte de l'Orgère refuge

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4 / 5
Based on 1 review
Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
Maz
Maz

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

I only followed the route from 1 to 5 to reach the cave dwelling and then retraced my steps
I noticed that the GPS track between points 2 and 3 took me through two spots that were a bit cluttered with branches. There is a parallel path that is much more accessible and clearly visible. On the way back, simply follow the main path and do not follow the GPS track when it veers off. On the way there, it’s a bit trickier to find the start of this path… It begins about 150m from point 2 and, at the start, corresponds to the dotted line visible on the Visorando map; it then passes through a forest and joins the GPS track well after it turns sharply left along the cliff
Enjoy the walk
Enjoy your walk.

Machine-translated

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