Day 10: Lac de la Muzelle to Le Bourg d'Oisans
Today, there was no stress about getting an early start, so I set the alarm for seven o'clock. It was cold, and I stayed lying down for a while before getting out of my sleeping bag. The temperature was no more than 5 degrees on the sensor attached to my pack inside the tent. There was a lot of condensation on the inside of the tent, and I saw that I had forgotten to open the vents before I went to bed.
Outside, the sun has now crept over the mountains and is hitting the mountainside on the opposite side of the valley. The tent fabric is wet on the outside too, so the humidity must have been high last night. I want to dry the tent before packing it away for the last time. It will take a while before the sun hits the tent, so I eat breakfast and pack my equipment while I wait. It’s ten o'clock before I’m ready to go. There are only a few tents left on the plain now.
Today's stage also starts with a steep climb. The sun is strong now, and the temperature is 25 degrees. To be sure, there are only 400 meters of ascent today, but it’s still heavy going in this heat. The trail zigzags up the steep mountainside; at the start, there is a gentle incline, but toward the end, it becomes very steep. My legs are still affected by yesterday's stage, and it gets very tough toward the end of the climb. After just over an hour, I reach the top of the pass, Col du Vallon (2546 m above sea level).
There will be a short break here before I continue down the other side of the pass. Today's goal, Le Bourg-d'Oisans, is located at an altitude of 720 meters. This means I have about 1800 vertical meters of descent ahead of me. First, I am heading down to the lake Lac Lauvitel, which lies at 1500 meters.
The first part of this descent follows a trail that is easy to walk on. Gradually, it becomes rockier, steeper, and in some places very exposed. Safety cables have been installed in the most exposed sections. For the first time on this trip, I lose my balance and fall knees-first on the rocky path. I barely manage to catch myself with my hands so that the rest of my body doesn't slam into the ground. I end up with some nasty scrapes on my shins, and my left knee, which took the hardest hit, is aching.
As I continue the hike, I still feel pain in this knee, so I try to use my poles to offset the load. This causes the pace to drop considerably. Eventually, I can see the lake, which is the next milestone, far down below me. Further down the valley, I can also see Le Bourg-d'Oisans. It’s quite a way down, and I realize this is going to take time.
On the way down, I meet people who are on their way up to Lac du Muzelle. Everyone I talk to asks the same thing: how far is left, and whether there are water sources further up. They have had a tough ascent in the heat. It gets significantly warmer the further down I go, so I fill my water bottles every chance I get.
It takes two and a half hours from the pass before I finally reach Lac Lauvitel. The lake is a popular hiking destination, and there are many people here swimming and sunbathing. It is beautiful here, with the turquoise water squeezed between the steep mountains. Where the trail reaches the water, there is also a lovely sandy beach. I would have loved to jump into the cool water myself, but I settle for wading in up to my knees. There is a short break before I have to move on.
The trail now continues down through dense forest and in the kind of switchbacks I have become so used to. The best thing about this part is that you are shielded from the sun and the air is cooler here. I meet many people on this section; most are on day trips to the lake, but there are also some GR54 hikers going the opposite way. They should be glad they don't know what lies ahead.
After another 500 meters of descent, I emerge from the forest at the hamlet of La Danchère. Here I find a water fountain where I take a break. I had two cans of soda in my pack when I started today. I drank one at the pass, and I had saved the other for when I finished the descent. It was, of course, nice and warm by now, so I placed it in the water fountain while I ate. It had managed to get nice and cold by the time I drank it 15 minutes later.
There are now 200 meters of descent left to Le Bourg-d'Oisans. These are spread over the 10 kilometers remaining of the stage, so they are barely noticeable. From here, the route follows a road all the way to the destination. On the way out of the hamlet, I meet Thomas, a German I have met several times over the last few days. We walk together down the valley and naturally talk about what we have experienced on this trip. It strikes me how similarly we think, those of us who go on this hike. Now, ideas and inspiration are mostly drawn from the same sources as well: Andrew McCluggage's book, the same Facebook groups, and YouTube channels. Maybe it’s not that strange after all. We part ways at the pond Étang du Buclet, where Thomas plans to camp tonight. I continue the remaining three kilometers to Le Bourg-d'Oisans.
Shortly before six o'clock, I arrive in Le Bourg-d'Oisans and can proudly acknowledge that I have completed the Grand Tour des Écrins – the trek around the Écrins mountain massif!
Total distance: 21.6 km
Maximum altitude: 2546 m above sea level
Total ascent: 594 m
Total descent: 1982 m
That it ended up being a few days earlier than planned, so be it. I have a Fullflex ticket with Norwegian from Geneva on the 14th, but the flights are full in the days before, so I cannot move my trip forward. Instead of staying here in Le Bourg-d'Oisans, where there are limited things to do, I choose instead to find a hotel in Grenoble to explore the city instead. It will also be less stressful to get to the airport from there. I just make the last bus to Grenoble and book a hotel for the next few days while sitting on the bus.
This has not been an easy journey, I can attest to that. The start was very tough, and there was a period where I wasn't sure if I would be able to complete the trip. It helped to get rid of a few kilos in La Grave. The stage after that was also somewhat easier than the previous ones and gave me my faith back. I think this stage was also the most beautiful of them all. It was truly stunning heading down toward Le Monêtier-les-Bains.
Almost all the stages have started with steep climbs up to a pass, and often ended with demanding descents. Several of the passes have been technically challenging – and with snow, some of them would have been downright dangerous, even with crampons.
In total, I have walked 216.6 km and climbed 13,155 vertical meters. If I were to do the trip again, I would change two things: have a significantly lighter pack (under 10 kg) and go in the autumn when it's cooler.
The trip is complete – not without sweat (and blood) – but also with a sense of mastery and unforgettable experiences.
