100 Hut Walks in the Alps. Kev Reynolds

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      St-Dalmas-le-Selvage (gîte d’étape) is a time-worn village with a beautifully decorated church tucked in a side glen approached by a minor road cutting west from the Col de la Bonette road about 4km north of St-Étienne-de-Tinée. It gazes southwest into a lovely valley through which a jeep track pushes its way to the base of the Ane massif. Either walk along this track, or drive as far as the National Park boundary near the La Barre ruins where the track forks and crosses a stream about 5km from St-Dalmas. If you walk from this point it will take little more than 1¼hrs to reach the hut.

      A signpost directs the path from the track (1980m), and twists easily up the hillside to cross the track again at a higher level by a sign for the Mercantour National Park. The way continues among larches before angling left. Gaining height with little effort, views downvalley grow in extent, while the crags of Fort Carra loom above. An upper pasture is reached, and the trail sneaks past a number of low ruins and grey stone walls. Ahead a stream escapes a high basin through a narrow cleft. The way eases towards it, guided by a line of well-made cairns, then enters a broad open basin of pastureland – marshy in its bed where the stream meanders through. The path rises over grass hillocks (more tall cairns) to a knoll where you come to two small huts. The first is a timber chalet used by a shepherd; the second is the stone-built Refuge de Gialorgues. Above to the north-west a small cirque is rimmed with fingers and towers of rock, while the walkers’ pass of Col de Gialorgues lies 30mins to the southwest.

      The unmanned Refuge de Gialorgues

      Refuge de Gialorgues is CAF-owned. It can sleep 12, but as was mentioned above, it is unmanned and locked. Keys available at St-Dalmas or St-Étienne (Tel. CAF, Nice: 04 93 62 59 59, [email protected], www.cafnice.org). If you plan to stay overnight you should be self-sufficient with food and cooking equipment.

      Allow 45mins to return to the jeep track at la Barre, or 2hrs to St-Dalmas by the same route used on the approach.

WALK 6

      Refuge du Balif Viso (2460m: 8071ft)

Start	La Roche Ecroulée (1780m: 5840ft)
Valley base	Abriès or Ristolas
Distance	7km (4 miles) to the hut
Total ascent	680m (2231ft)
Time	2½hrs up, 1¾hrs down
Map	Didier Richard 10 ‘Queyras’ 1:50,000

      Although it rises on the Italian side of the border, Monte Viso (3841m) stands at the head of the Guil, a long and important valley that eventually opens to the Durance at Guillestre south of Besançon. It’s not only a handsome mountain but, thanks to its position, it is visible from the summit of countless Alpine peaks, and its presence is thereby felt over a large area. Refuge du Balif Viso enjoys a grandstand view of this noble peak, and for much of the way to the hut, the mountain entices you on. The walk begins at the second parking area known as La Roche Ecroulée, named after the huge boulder which dominates the first one. This is found about 7km upstream of Ristolas, and is as far south as vehicles are allowed in the valley. An information office stands next to the car park.

      At the southern end of the car park, where a barrier prevents unauthorised vehicles from proceeding, a footpath signposted to the right gives 1½hrs to the Grand Belvédère du Viso. It rises through larchwoods and in 15mins emerges to an open meadow where the way forks. The righthand path is an ‘ecological trail’, but we wander across the meadow to gain a first magical view of Monte Viso, before entering larchwoods once more. A well walked path leads through the woods, then out to birches by the stream and a bridge across the Guil. Now on the east bank the way briefly heads downstream, before cutting back up the hillside to join the road near a farm building. Once again Monte Viso towers at the head of the valley.

      Monte Viso on the Franco-Italian border

      Just before coming onto the road another path breaks to the right to contour along the hillside below road level. Either walk along the road as far as the Grand Belvédère, or take the footpath. The path certainly makes for more comfortable walking, and is most attractive where it crosses pastures and weaves among silver birch and larch, although in places it spills onto the road for a short distance. When the road twists left to climb in hairpins, the alternative path goes through a small gorge, then climbs out at the southern end onto the Grand Belvédère du Viso, a romantic name for a disappointingly flat area of roadhead at 2133m – although the view it commands is anything but disappointing.

      Climb from the roadhead to a path junction and continue ahead, rising quite steeply over pastures for another 45mins where you intercept the route of GR58 and bear right. After crossing a few minor streams the path leads directly to the refuge.

      Refuge du Balif Viso was built to a modern design by the CAF in 1976. It is well-equipped and comfortable, has places for 48 and a full meals service from mid-June to mid-September when the guardian is in residence (Tel: 04 92 46 81 81, [email protected], www.clubalpin.com).

WALK 7

      Refuge des Bans (2076m: 6811ft)

Start	Entre les Aygues (1604m: 5262ft)
Valley base	Vallouise
Distance	4km (2½ miles) to the hut
Total ascent	472m (1549ft)
Time	1¾hrs up, 1¼hrs down
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