Day 1: La Grave to the Promontoire
We meet early in the morning at around 8:30 am at the valley station of the famous La Grave cable car. Here we run an equipment check and then ride up together on the first car. The first day of the tour is all about the Meije. Two steep cols, the Col de la Girose and the Brèche du Râteau, mean things get serious right from the start, before a final climb takes us to our first overnight stop, the Refuge Promontoire.
Total time: 5 h | ↑ 1,050 m | ↓ 1,150 m | Difficulty: S
⌂ Refuge Promontoire

Day 2: Over the Col du Pavé
Day 2 begins with a short descent below the south faces of the Meije. At first still on skis, but soon on very steep ground in crampons, we climb to the next col. Crossing the Col du Pavé, we change valleys once again and, after a steep entry onto the Glacier Supérieur des Cavales, enjoy a magnificent descent past the Refuge du Pavé, closed in winter, beneath the imposing north faces of the Grande Ruine. Our overnight stop is the Refuge de l'Alpe de Villar d'Arène.
Total time: 4.5 h | ↑ 550 m | ↓ 1,500 m | Difficulty: ZS+
⌂ Refuge de l'Alpe de Villar d'Arène

Day 3: To the Refuge des Écrins
Today a demanding ascent over the Col Émile Pic is on the programme. First we head ever deeper into the impressive Vallon des Agneaux, before climbing left into the steep slopes below the Pic de Chamoissière. Here too we will switch several times between skis and crampons and, if necessary, abseil from the col onto the south flank to reach our overnight stop, the Refuge des Écrins.
Total time: 6 h | ↑ 1,400 m | ↓ 300 m | Difficulty: ZS+
⌂ Refuge des Écrins

Day 4: Dôme de Neige
Day 4 – and the highest summit of the Dauphiné is on the programme. The tour to the Dôme de Neige des Écrins is spectacular. We start the day at an easy pace, heading up the valley along the flat Glacier Blanc. Our objective towers ever larger and steeper ahead of us. Suddenly the glacier rears up, and we climb past huge seracs and up steep slopes to the winter summit. On the descent we pass the Refuge des Écrins on our left and ski down to the lower hut, the Refuge du Glacier Blanc.
Total time: 5.5 h | ↑ 950 m | ↓ 1,450 m | Difficulty: ZS
⌂ Refuge du Glacier Blanc

Day 5: Descent to Monêtier
On the last day the crossing of the Col du Monêtier still lies ahead. How could it be otherwise: on this crossing too, at some point we won't be spared from strapping our skis to our rucksacks and carrying on in crampons. Our reward is a long descent which, depending on snow cover, takes us far down into the Vallon du Grand Tabuc to the village of Le Monêtier-les-Bains, almost 2,000 vertical metres below. The crowning finale of an impressive ski traverse. A taxi takes us back to our cars at the cable car valley station. We arrive there in the early afternoon and set off for home.
Total time: 4.5 h | ↑ 800 m | ↓ 1,850 m | Difficulty: ZS+