Le Monêtier-les-Bains, the mountain town and its ring of hamlets
Le Monêtier-les-Bains, the mountain town
and its ring of hamlets
Vu d'ici Le Monêtier les Bains village d'Alpinisme
ce petit hameau de montagne est réputé pour être une terre d'alpinisme, on y pratique aussi depuis peu l'escalade de bloc
Warning: you are entering mountain territory in CAPITAL LETTERS!
A place where authenticity is not overused. On the edge of the Guisane valley, under the Lautaret and Galibier passes , the large Roman town of Le Monêtier-les-Bains (13,000 hectares), the highest point of the Serre Chevalier Vallée Briançon ski area (summit of the Yret chairlift, 2830 m), is spread out over six villages on either side of the fiery torrent:
- Le Lauzet (1630 m)
- Le Casset (1519 m)
- Le Monêtier-les-Bains (1,500 m)
- Les Guibertes (1420 m)
- Le Freyssinet (1430 m) and
- Le Serre-Barbin (1400 m).
Under the benevolence of the Cerces massifs and the domination of the Casset, Monêtier, Près les Fonts and Arsine glaciers, this commune of ancient thermal waters is a condensed alpine experience. Here, in the area covered by the Ecrins National Park, the mountains are pure and raw.
On the vast Pré Chabert snow front, served by shuttle bus, skiers returning from the summits, beginners and children learning to balance in the dedicated areas, tobogganers at their leisure, and cross-country skiers at the start of the itineraries, all live side by side.
You'll also come across biathletes ready to hit the target, walkers criss-crossing the trails, contemplative types gazing up at the peaks tearing through the azure sky, and even bathers emerging from the naturally warm water basins of the Grands Bains du Monêtier, the 4,500 m2 thermo-ludic center built in 2008.
Not far from this lively winter sports hub is the unspoilt hamlet of Le Casset, just a Nordic spatula or shuttle ride away.
Now that mountaineering has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, seven of the Ecrins' most famous sites, including Le Casset, have launched a joint initiative: Villages d'alpinisme.
Their aim: to re-enchant their villages, promote authentic, respectful mountaineering, pass on the tradition to new generations, and raise public awareness of the fragile beauty of the natural environment.
A Mecca for cross-country skiers, Le Casset has gathered along the river and the mélézin to offer visitors its 19th-century grain mill.
A completely redesigned museum space facing the legendary café-restaurant Chez Finette, where the blueberry tart is devilishly delicious! As soon as you've wolfed down your blueberry tart, it's time to stop off at the Ecrins National Park Visitor Centre.
Here, a park warden, binoculars glued to his eyes, observes a herd of chamois, while another comments on the permanent exhibition. The curious will be sated by a stroll through this typical high-altitude village, and will inevitably be tempted to discover Le Lauzet and its organic honey factory, Le Serre-Barbin and Le Freyssinet, Les Guibertes and the cheeses from its sheepfold.
See you on March 4 for La Trace
Since 2019, in partnership with Dynastar, the ESF Serre Chevalier is organizing its ski touring event again this year:
- A night mass start on ski touring skis
- A signposted ascent (directional torches in place)
- MANDATORY descent via the uphill slope
- Prize-giving ceremony followed by a convivial evening
Did you know?
- Since its return in 2017, LE GRAND PRIX DE SERRE CHEVALIER, "the craziest race in the country", has been staging its crazy finish on the snow front in le Monêtier.
- Opened in 1997, the Chapelle Saint Pierre museum in Monêtier-les-Bains houses one of the finest collections ofSacred Art in the Hautes Alpes. Shall we go there after skiing?
- Monêtier is a paradise for off-piste skiing and, by extension, ski touring. Mountain atmosphere guaranteed! Hard-core skiers simply love it!
