Refuge des Conscrits

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An incredible hike!
If you follow the directions on Visorando, it's very well marked! Especially after the first refuge, when the orange and blue dots start, you can be sure you won't get lost.
We slept in the high winter refuge for conscripts, which was an amazing experience! There's gas, beds and blankets, it was great!
I understand the difficulty rating for the hike, which is intended to discourage some people, because you do need to be confident on your feet and with your hands on the various ladders and slightly steep passages equipped with ropes.
But it's a hike that's still very doable for athletes or those who are used to the mountains. In any case, we loved it! The scenery is breathtaking!

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Date of your route : Aug 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A round trip completed in a day, and even in less than 7 hours, taking time to visit the glacier and taking different paths on the descent after Trè la Tête to enjoy the variety of scenery. I reached the top in 3 hours and 20 minutes, but I must admit that I have a good pace and am not afraid of the few exposed sections.
It should be noted that around the Pointe des Terriers, the trail is not quite right. Instead of going back up and looking for a higher passage, there is now a kind of ladder with a knotted rope opposite the finish. I completely missed it on the way up and had to do a bit of climbing to find the trail again. That was the only time I felt I took a risk; the rest was fairly straightforward. On the way back, you come straight to this ladder.
It was very exciting on the footbridge, which is impressive but at the same time completely safe.

Although I didn't get to see any ibex, I did come across a few shy marmots!

Although you meet people on the way to the Très la Tête refuge, the second part is much less touristy.

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Date of your route : Jul 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Tough route!
We set off on 1 July 2022 (2 hours 25 minutes to the Tré-la-Tête refuge, then 3 hours 45 minutes to the Conscrits refuge, making a total of 6 hours 10 minutes) with our rucksacks loaded with mountaineering equipment. Altitude of the Conscrits refuge: 2,602 metres according to the FFCAM website.
We descended on 2 July 2022 after crossing the Dômes de Miage and the Aiguille de la Bérangère. That's why we chose to stop for the night at the Tré-la-Tête refuge (3 hours 15 minutes "descent" between the two refuges). A good choice for "well-seasoned" sixty-somethings! Then a peaceful return to the valley on 3 July 2022.
The path from the car park to the Refuge de Tré-la-Tête is even and pleasant.
The trail connecting the two refuges is "rough". With the numerous "rocky" sections scattered along the trail and the steep slopes indicated in the description, we were unable to maintain a steady pace. The "jolts" in the walk are frequent and tiring, especially on the descent.
Ibexes near the Refuge des Conscrits and marmots along the entire route.

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Date of your route : Jul 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike. Lots of ibex and marmots. Still some snowfields. Keep your eyes open to follow the trail. The footbridge was reopened last week. Draught beer at the Conscrits refuge.

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Date of your route : Jul 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

cloudy weather, beautiful, dizzying hike, alpine hike, lots of ropes and some dizzying passages.

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Date of your route : Aug 09, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Going on Friday, 9 August
The description is accurate, with the only addition being that some markings are no longer blue but orange... Do not be confused and follow the route carefully.
The advice to spend the night at the refuge is wise: it allows you to descend from the refuge to the glacier in the evening (since you have time), enjoy a pleasant evening (thanks to the refuge team) and take in the sunset in this enchanting setting.
The next day, you can take a walk to the old refuge or the Bérangère Pass before heading back down if the weather is nice (unfortunately for me, although the climb was done in the sunshine, the next day was rainy)

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Date of your route : Aug 28, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The goal of our outing on Sunday, 26 August 2018: a day trip to the Conscrits refuge and back.
We arrived at the car park in Cugnon at around 7:30 a.m. It is a large car park just 10 minutes from the start of the path leading to the refuges. It is a pleasant hiking trail that quickly climbs to the Tré La Tête refuge at 1,970 metres. From there, you can see the end of the Tré La Tête glacier at the bottom of its moraine.
From the refuge, the path becomes steeper and more rugged. We are now tackling a high-mountain alpine trail that climbs rapidly up grassy slopes to 2,400 metres and then continues through boulders and rocks. The path is well marked with cairns and blue paint, so it's hard to go wrong. There are a few secure passages with handrails, which are very useful when the rocks are wet (the day before, it had snowed up to an altitude of 2,200 metres), and the footbridge about 45 minutes from the Conscrits refuge, which we reach at around 12 noon at an altitude of 2,614 metres.
We have a bite to eat near the refuge in front of a magnificent landscape of glaciers, peaks and snow-covered ridges. It was a feast for the eyes
We returned to the Conscrits refuge for a coffee served by the friendly "refuge assistant", then we began the descent at a leisurely pace. With the sun shining and a light breeze, the snow had melted, the ground was dry, and the descent was uneventful.
My opinion of this hike:
A very beautiful hike with magnificent, wild landscapes. We can't wait to come back next year and spend a night at the refuge.
This hike is intended for people with a minimum of experience in the high mountains. The "very difficult" rating is justified to discourage any beginners who might want to venture there. The elevation gain is significant (approximately 1,600 metres round trip) but not insurmountable for people with a minimum level of fitness and some training hikes under their belts.

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Date of your route : Aug 28, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

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The summer trail is perfectly passable: work to secure the footbridge was completed at the end of June. A beautiful hike at the foot of the Mont Blanc massif.

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Date of your route : Jun 17, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

i set off on Sunday towards the Refuge des Conscrits, a very difficult parish-specific to Brittany route i can confirm that from the start at the Cugnon car park, the path climbs steadily for at least 3 km, then becomes rather stony and rocky. When I arrived at the Tre la Tête refuge, I was surprised to find that the Nepalese footbridge over the glacier was unusable as it was being secured for an indefinite period as I didn't have my crampons and was alone, I didn't take any risks. I stopped at the edge of the glacier in the company of marmots for lunch and turned back, but this hike is really great for those who want to tackle the high mountains. From the Tre la Tête refuge, the landscape becomes completely different. I'll go back as soon as possible with all the necessary equipment.
a helmet is mandatory from the Tre La Tête refuge onwards, as the path runs close to the mountain and rockfalls are common. This hike is really only suitable for hikers and people who are physically fit.

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Date of your route : Aug 01, 2013
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very long and exhausting hike, with very little shade. There are some aerial and dangerous passages, which are quite frightening (and I'm not talking about the suspension bridge, which is safe). It's a hike that's worth the effort, but you need to be trained, fit and well-shod.
To echo the previous comment, I don't remember having any trouble finding the route (I had a 1:25,000 map with me). I agree with the "Very difficult" rating. Personally, I would rate it "Extreme", as the elevation gain is very significant (close to 1,700 m)

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Hello,
i have several comments to make about this particular hike.

Firstly, I would like to respond to the comments made by quent88, which made me a bit angry, in order to defend the author of this guidebook.
It is clearly stated – and rightly so – several times that this is a long, alpine hike with steep slopes, sections with handrails (ropes), aerial passages, route finding (blue arrows), etc. It therefore seems obvious to me that you should not take people who are inexperienced in this type of terrain with you, nor those who are not physically prepared for the effort required and the impressive nature of the route. Every hiker must take responsibility for their own actions, and if you do not have the required level of experience, you should choose something else. The decision is not only for yourself but also for the most inexperienced member of the group.
This hike has been downgraded from "difficult" to "very difficult" following the comment. Normally, I am against the principle of overrating a route on the pretext that someone has fallen, turned back or had other difficulties (excessive fatigue, etc.). But looking at the Visorando rating system (sorry, I'm new here!), I would dare to make this equivalence with the R1 to R5 system used on other sites: R1=easy, R2=medium, R3=difficult, R4=very difficult, R5=extreme (borderline alpine).
Based on my experience, I would rate this hike as R3, leaning towards R4 for its length and the difficulty of finding the route, so the "very difficult" classification seems well deserved in this case, especially in comparison to other hikes of the same level that I know in my area (Grenoble).

For your information, I did this hike in August 2013 based on another guidebook (sorry, I didn't know about Visorando at the time) and I didn't have any particular problems, except for finding the blue dots on the descent from the refuge: you have to keep your eyes peeled, but it's more fun when you enjoy treasure hunts. It took me less than 5 hours to walk there and back at a brisk pace, and I can confirm that a cold beer on the terrace of Les Conscrits with a view of the glaciers is a great way to reward your efforts!

Finally, the footbridge is undoubtedly the safest part of the entire route: there's not much risk, except for vertigo for some sensitive people, especially in strong side winds.
It suffered significant damage this winter following heavy avalanches. It has recently been repaired and is awaiting approval to reopen soon (21 July). If in doubt, call the guardian of the Tré-la-Tête refuge.

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I have just reread this description. The VR moderators have rated this hike as Very Difficult, a detail that we missed when we approved it. But on rereading the description carefully, there are elements that suggest that this hike is not suitable for the average hiker. The difficulties are mentioned, highlighted in bold, and above all, there is mention of alpine hiking and all the precautions to be taken (a piece of rope may be useful). So before setting off on these routes, be aware that a guidebook is not enough; you also need to gather information beforehand: weather, difficulties, and I think that in Chamonix and Les Contamines, there is no shortage of professionals.
As for this trip, it provides access to a high-altitude mountain refuge, of which there are hundreds in France, and these refuges are not hotels that are easy to reach. It always takes a few hours of hard work to reach them, so it's best to be sure of the participants' level before embarking on what I usually call an adventure. And according to your comment and that of the Conscrits refuge warden, this is a frequent occurrence, and not only in this mountain range. For example, living in Briançon in the summer, every day in July and August I see a dozen helicopter flights bringing injured mountaineers to the hospital: ankles, knees, trauma from falls and fatigue are the most common reasons for rescue operations. Well, I've strayed from the subject, but I wanted to because your previous comments are entirely in line with the idea that one must be modest, cautious and confident before venturing into tricky terrain.
Thank you for your comments and welcome to our site with your future descriptions.

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I think more emphasis should be placed on the fixed rope passages (especially the third one), as two people who turned back after the third one were unable to descend...they were clearly not used to this type of passage, but they were fixated on the "difficulty" of the footbridge (which is far from being a major hazard in terms of accidents; it may be impressive, but that's all)!After the footbridge, I would point out that you have to keep to the right when you see the stream, as there is a short section of path on the other side. Here too, several people turned back, climbed back up, etc., because they couldn't find the path. For our part, as we were unsure, we carried straight on (but with small climbing steps)! So, in my opinion, you should emphasise these few difficulties more, because when talking to the caretaker of the conscripts, I learned that many people who are not that experienced venture out on this hike!I experienced this with my two friends who are not very used to this type of difficulty! I only made these comments because my friends struggled a bit. For my part, the description was more than enough for me

Have a good day

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While awaiting a response, we have increased the difficulty rating of this hike and classified it as "very difficult". And as quent88 says,

1. Carefully consider your mountain experience before embarking on this route

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