An accessible hike in a magical environment of wild mountains will take you to the refuge des Bans, hidden deep in the valley of the Vallouise. Discovery in 360 ° virtual tours and video ...
On the way to the Bans refuge
From the village of Vallouise, take the road that leads to the place called Entre Les Aigues (1618 meters above sea level). The place accessible by car only in the summer season can be reached in less than 30 minutes. In winter the road, dotted with avalanche corridors, forces mountaineers to go skiing.
The course
From the end of the road (alt 1618m), in summer, it takes about 2 hours to reach the refuge. A small shelf runs along the stream and a fairly steep climb winds between the trees sheltered from the sun or almost. You will then arrive in a false upright flat area. A stop at the pond with tadpoles will delight young and old. You are here in full protected area of the Ecrins National Park. Be careful not to disturb frogs, or even put your hands in the pond, it would disrupt the aquatic ecosystem. The refuge is, as often, on a rocky spur at the bottom of the valley of the Bans. There is a hundred meters of elevation to bypass the rocky hill. Cables, called "handrails", can be held on a few tens of meters on this portion a little more air.
An oxygenating and wild ride
The undeniable global warming will deprive you of fir trees yet still recently present along the ride. Children, we slipped for hours on these icy slopes in summer ...
The fauna and flora will compensate. All kinds of flowers and alpine lawns dot the hike, for example magnificent and sumptuous orange lilies, visible in the spring also visible here on this site.
By coming early in the morning, being discreet and attentive, you will surely see chamois or even ibex. The golden eagle often hovers in the area looking for a groundhog to eat. It signals them with a whistle, panicked. Not to mention the yellow or orange flowers in search of the crumbs of sandwiches that hikers leave on their way.
A nice little hideaway
The shelter open all year round is kept during the spring and summer ski season. You will find below on this page all the useful information (web and phone). It is a very small refuge compared to those of the white glacier, Pelvoux or Sélé. 22 beds allow to be ready to climb the neighboring summits: Les Bans 3669m, Pointe des Bœufs Red (3516m), Peak Bonvoisin (3516m), Jocelme (3458m) etc ... The Pas des Aupillous allow travelers, as in the old time, to switch to Chapelle-en-Valgaudemare, then to Grenoble ...
The friendly welcome at the refuge invites the hikers to a well deserved break before going down. Grilled meats and homemade fries will delight the taste buds of gourmands, not to mention desserts, blueberry pies or raspberries. Little mountain curiosity refueling the refuge in a mule or even a helicopter a few times a year for the heaviest objects only partially relieves the backs of the guards and wearers on foot.
An unforgettable ride in a very "high mountain" area
This walk, easy even if, one must always remain vigilant in mountain, will offer you an exceptional landscape, far from the crowd, so frequent in July and August. The circus in the middle of which is the refuge, captioned of summits to more than 3000 meters and of a fresh and limpid air, will give you an impression of great wild nature and end of the world.
Interactive virtual tours of the hike
Click on the purple links to move in the virtual visit or on the globe 
to view a map of 360 ° views and access them.
