Isère valley
France > Alps > Vanoise > Isère valley

Mangard

From AlbertvilLe, 8km south of where the N508 from Annecy joins the N212 from Chamonix, the N90 climbs southeast along the bends of the Isère River for 50km to Moûtiers, the turn-off for the massive Les Trois Vallées ski region. Here the river course swings northeast, passing Aime, whose main Grande-Rue presents a pretty and little-spoilt succession of buildings. Six kilometres later, you reach BOURG-ST-MAURICE, the midpoint of the upper Isère valley, which is known as the Tarentaise. the town is of little interest itself, but can be a useful place to stop. The big purpose-built ski resorts of LES ARCS and LA PLAGNE are nearby and the classic pass into the Italian Val d'Aosta, the Col du Petit St-Bernard, is right behind (there's one daily bus crossing in July and August, from Bourg-St-Maurice to Courmayeur). It's a rather spooky crossing, reaching a height of 2188m, with a couple of barrack-like buildings and a row of statues of St-Bernard, who built a hostel for mountain travellers here in the twelfth century. It's at its most dramatic when you're coming over from the Italian side in the early evening, right into the eye of the setting sun. With its Swiss twin, the Grand St-Bernard, it was the only route around the Mont Blanc massif until the Mont Blanc tunnel was opened in 1965.

There are a few reasonable places to stay in town, the best being L'Autantic, a modern chalet in a wonderful forested setting at 69 rte Hauteville (tel 04.79.07.01.70, fax 04.79.07.51.55; €40–55). A more central, and slightly cheaper option is the Hostellerie du Petit St-Bernard at 74 av du Stade (tel 04.79.07.04.32; €30–40). There's also a hostel, La Verdache, just beyond Seez (tel 04.79.41.01.93, [email protected]; closed Oct to mid-Dec), 4km away on the dreary main road, avenue Leclerc. The train and bus stations are in the centre of town, with the tourist office almost opposite (Mon–Fri 9am–noon & 2–7pm, Sat 8.30am–7pm, Sun 9am–12.30pm & 3.30–7pm; tel 04.79.07.04.92). The town's campsite, Camping le Versoyen, is on route des Arcs (tel 04.79.07.03.45), on the right past the sports ground on the Val d'Isère road.

Around 5km beyond Bourg-St-Maurice, a road turns right into the valley bottom to LA SAVINAZ and LA GURRAZ, whose creamy church tower is a landmark for miles around. High above, though looking ominously close, the green ice cliffs that terminate the Glacier de la Gurraz hang off the edge of Mont Pourri (3779m). From the turn, the lane veers steeply down through trees and meadows, past ruined houses, to the river. The climb up the opposite bank is hard going, past impossibly steep fields, before taking a right fork for La Gurraz across a rickety plank bridge in the jaws of a defile. It's about an hour's walk, for seasoned hikers, once you're on the lane.

The village is tiny and untouched by tourism. Its dozen old houses have wide eaves and weathered balconies spread with sweet drying hay, and firewood stacked outside. The houses are all sited in the lee of a knoll for protection against the avalanches that come thundering off the glacier above, thousands of tonnes of snow and rock, almost sheer down into a cirque behind. If you are unlucky enough to be out of doors when an avalanche occurs, the blast knocks you off your feet and can even suffocate you. There are no provisions available, so bring your own. Other hamlets on the opposite flank of the valley are just as interesting, the prettiest being LE MONAL, in the mouth of a small hanging valley, also accessible by car from LA THUILE, further along the Bourg-St-Maurice road.

From La Gurraz, a signposted path climbs to Refuge de la Martin in an hour and a half. It zigzags up the slope behind the village of La Savinaz, onto a spur by a ruined chalet, where a right-hand path goes up the rocks overhead to the edge of the glacier. The refuge path continues left along the side of a deep gully, crosses a ferocious torrent by a plank bridge and follows a mule track up to the mountain pastures by the refuge, where cows and sheep graze. The Mont Pourri glaciers are directly above. Opposite is the big Glacier de la Sassière and up to your right Val d'Isère, with the Col de l'Iseran behind.