Refuge des Evettes

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Enjoy your hike. Paid parking in the hamlet of L'Ecot. Gentle climb, then two cable passages without much difficulty. At the bottom of the cirque, we couldn't cross the stream because the flow was too strong and there was no way around it. We turned back to go to the refuge. Then a gentle descent. Very beautiful scenery.

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Date of your route : Jul 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We did it by the same route, i.e. L'ECOT, then Col des Evettes and the refuge. The start of the trail is often a stream, but in the middle of the walk, the yellow signs are not very clear. There is a shortcut before you reach the pass, which is not very easy and not clearly marked for "elderly" people aged 75, but we got there in the end! the times indicated are very inaccurate. At the start, it says 1 hour 35 minutes, but after 10 minutes, it says 1 hour 55 minutes, and it continues like this throughout, so BE CAREFUL. OTHERWISE, IT IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL WALK WITH PRETTY FLOWERS AND LITTLE SNOW ON THE GLACIER IN THE BACKGROUND, LE GRAND MEAN

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Date of your route : Jul 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike to the Col des Evettes. The view of the cirque is magnificent.
After a night at the Evettes refuge, we climbed up to the Grand Méan Glacier. After the small Roman bridge, continue to the right until you reach the foot of the rocks (signpost). After that, the path is not very well marked, so follow the cairns and climb up. When you reach the summit, the view is breathtaking. The glacier plunging into the lake is truly spectacular.

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Date of your route : Jul 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike in a high mountain setting.
A nice variation is to go to the foot of the Grand Méan glacier to see a beautiful specimen up close, which is unfortunately threatened by global warming. A lake has begun to form at its foot less than 30 years ago (not shown on the Didier-Richard map updated in 1995). To do this, at the start of the Evettes map, after crossing the Roman bridge, simply leave the flat ground and turn onto the eastern flank the access to the Méan glacier lake is signposted at the start and then the route is obvious - arrival at 2,876 metres, which gives us a total elevation gain of 945 metres, including the steep climb back up to the Evettes refuge. on the way back, it is not essential to pass by the Evettes refuge as you can access the pass of the same name directly, but it is still very interesting to stop off, refill your water bottles for the return journey, treat yourself to a drink or a snack, or simply contemplate the Cirque des Evettes from the terrace.

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Date of your route : Jul 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The climb up the gorge is also known as "John's path".
It is quite easy to get lost in the scree, as there are not many cairns.
In any case, it is better to choose the mountain side rather than the stream side...
Also, the slabs can be slippery when wet.
But at the top, what a sight... truly magnificent in the cirque, and the glaciers seem to have regained some of their volume after a very snowy winter/spring!

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Date of your route : Aug 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

very beautiful hike, gradual climb and a cirque with glaciers
Magnificent

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Date of your route : Aug 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The only problem is that the route does not lead directly to the refuge

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Date of your route : Aug 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The best route is clockwise as described, i.e. starting from Ecot, head up the La Reculaz valley to avoid descending in areas equipped with cables. After the detour to the Roman bridge and waterfall, the climb to the glacier and Lac du Gran Mean is tough, but the view on arrival is well worth the effort.

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Date of your route : Aug 01, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The well-marked trail begins with a slight incline, then climbs quite steeply, marked by cairns. The two short sections with cables are not difficult, even with children. We shortened the hike to the Roman bridge and the waterfall due to lack of time. Unfortunately, the glaciers will soon be nothing more than a name, giving way to moraines.

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Date of your route : Jul 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike, well frequented but without any particular problems (we didn't climb up to the glacier).
The climb can be challenging due to the succession of stones on the path. But you just need to take your time. The two cable-assisted sections are not particularly difficult, and you are never alone when crossing them. This is always reassuring.
The detour via the "Roman" bridge is worth it, it's a picture-postcard spot. Afterwards, you can wander wherever you like in the huge glacial cirque.
The return trip is easy and without difficulty, but quite long in the end.
All in all, a very beautiful day.

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Date of your route : Jul 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A not too long walk with a splendid view of the glacier from the pass. No particular difficulty, the trail is well marked and the start of the Ecot is worth a look, a small village with houses still in their original state, even if some of them look much more recent :-(

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Good evening. We did the hike with our two dogs at the time. You may need to help them where there are cables. If your dog is agile, there's no problem.

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Hello,
Is it possible to hike up the gorge with a dog?
Thank you

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Date of your route : Jul 29, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did the loop in July and climbed up to the foot of the Grand Mean glacier.
The climb through the gorges isn't really difficult, but the cable sections may put some people off.
The best part of this hike is the climb up to the Grand Mean Glacier. The view is spectacular.
There is a somewhat challenging ford across the lake's barrier to pass along the lake and approach the glacier. It is magnificent.

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Date of your route : Aug 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The climb up through La Reculaz isn't that technical (except for young children and older people), and there are beautiful views from the refuge. Definitely worth doing. Only the return trip is less interesting.

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