Barre des Écrins
4,102 m
France
Also known as Бар дез Екрен, ბარ-დეზ-ეკრენი, +1Also known as
Бар дез Екрен · ბარ-დეზ-ეკრენი · Барр-дез-Экрен
- Elevation
- 4,102 m
- Prominence
- 2,045 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jun–Jul
- Routes
- 2
Road closedReported 2 Sep 2026
Floods on 27–28 August 2026 swept away several sections of the road (RD204T) from Ailefroide to the Pré de Madame Carle. On 2 September 2026 the authorities announced it will not be rebuilt in its previous form; a walking route, a new car park lower down and shuttles are being studied. Allow about 2 extra hours on foot from Ailefroide.
pistehors.comAdvisoryReported 2 Sep 2026
After the 28 August 2026 storms the Refuge des Écrins and Refuge du Glacier Blanc remained staffed and accessible, but the usual approach has changed; contact the hut keepers for the current route. Several trail sections and footbridges in the Vallouise were damaged and not all will be repaired in 2026.
refugedesecrins.ffcam.frAdvisoryReported 31 Jul 2024
A large rockfall came down the south face on 31 July 2024, east of the Col des Avalanches and off the usual south-face line.
camptocamp.orgRegulationReported 16 Jun 2026
Écrins National Park decree of 16 June 2026 on bivouacking: pitch after 19:00 and strike before 09:00, one night per site, more than one hour from the core-zone boundary or car parks; the park director may impose quotas or prior booking on specific sites.
lechotouristique.com
Routes
2Sources differ: AD- (Parc national des Écrins (30–35° snow, 3b rock/mixed)) · F+ (Camptocamp (glacier section to the Dôme de Neige; can feel PD late in summer))
Two days from Vallouise: up the Glacier Blanc to the Refuge des Écrins (3,170 m), then a pre-dawn climb of the crevassed, serac-threatened north face to the Brèche Lory and a short, exposed rock-and-snow ridge (3b) over Pic Lory to the summit. Since the August 2026 floods the walk starts at Ailefroide, about 2 hours below the old car park.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 18.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,789 m
- −179 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 4,102 m
- Time Up
- 12h 01m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 8h 32m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Day one: the road from Ailefroide to the Pré de Madame Carle car park was swept away by floods on 27–28 August 2026 and will not be rebuilt in its old form, so for now the approach starts at Ailefroide (about 1,500 m), roughly 2 hours on foot below the Pré. From the Pré de Madame Carle (1,874 m) the busy path climbs to the Refuge du Glacier Blanc (2,542 m), then crosses onto the Glacier Blanc and follows its left bank to the foot of the rock promontory below the Refuge des Écrins (3,170 m). The national park gives 4½ hours from the Pré to the hut. Crampons, harness and rope are needed on the glacier. Day two: descend about 120 m from the hut to the glacier and follow it west, leaving the Col des Écrins on the right. The north face of the Dôme de Neige is climbed by its easiest snow slopes on the right, crossing the debris path below the big serac quickly (or, in good conditions, by the steeper but less exposed ice tongue in the centre), then weaving between large crevasses to a shelf at about 3,600–3,700 m, and up a steeper slope that turns the upper serac band on the left. The upper plateau leads along the foot of the Barre's north face to below the Brèche Lory (3,974 m); Camptocamp allows about 3 hours from the hut. Cross the bergschrund, often awkward and sometimes well to the right, and climb a fairly steep snow slope (40–45° on the variants) to the Brèche Lory. Skirt the step above the col on the left, follow ascending ledges to the crest, and keep to the crest over Pic Lory (about 4,086 m) to the summit, about 1 hour from the bergschrund. The ridge is narrow and exposed and often snowy above 4,000 m. Descend the same way; most parties abseil about 35 m from an anchor below the gendarme above the Brèche Lory to clear the bergschrund. The Dôme de Neige (4,015 m), a few minutes from the Brèche Lory, is often added or chosen instead.
Start
Ailefroide1,489 m
- Train to L'Argentière-les-Écrins (Briançon line), then the seasonal bus to Vallouise and Ailefroide; check current service since the 2026 floods.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ailefroide → Refuge des Écrins | 13.8 | 1,733 | 47 | 7h 35m |
| 2 | Refuge des Écrins → Barre des Écrins | 5.0 | 1,056 | 133 | 4h 25m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Ailefroide1,489 m
Road end since the August 2026 floods
- Feature: Pré de Madame Carle1,871 m
Former car park; road beyond Ailefroide destroyed August 2026
- Hut: Refuge du Glacier Blanc2,546 m
- Hut: Refuge des Écrins3,175 m
- Col: Brèche Lory3,974 m
- Shoulder: Pic Lory4,084 m
- Summit: Barre des Écrins4,102 m
Key Passages
- Glacier Blanc approach to the Refuge des Écrins
- Debris path below the big serac on the north face (cross quickly)
- Crevasse zone around 3,700–3,760 m
- Bergschrund below the Brèche Lory
- Ascending ledges and exposed crest over Pic Lory (3b)
- 35 m abseil over the bergschrund on descent
Equipment
0/11 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
At 4,102 m the Barre des Écrins is the highest peak of the Écrins massif and the most southerly 4,000 m summit in the Alps. The normal route climbs the crevassed north face from the Refuge des Écrins and finishes along a short, exposed rock ridge.
The Barre des Écrins rises in the core zone of the Écrins National Park between Vallouise and the Vénéon valley, ringed by four glaciers: the Glacier Blanc, Bonne Pierre, the Vallon de la Pilatte and the Glacier Noir. It is France's highest mountain outside the Mont Blanc massif, and was the highest summit in France until Savoy was annexed in 1860. Its summit ridge links the Barre, Pic Lory (about 4,086 m) and, to the west, the Dôme de Neige des Écrins (4,015 m), the 'easy 4,000er' climbed by most people on the same glacier route.
The north side is a wide glacier face with serac bands and big crevasses above the Glacier Blanc; the south side is a 1,000 m wall of mixed rock and hanging ice above the Pilatte basin. The normal route goes up the north face to the Brèche Lory, then follows the west ridge over Pic Lory: about an hour of exposed scrambling at 3b, often snowy, with an abseil over the bergschrund on the way down. It is a step up from the Dôme, and serac fall on the lower face causes accidents every year.
Access changed sharply in 2026. On 27–28 August 2026 floods destroyed the road from Ailefroide to the Pré de Madame Carle, which carried about 29,000 cars a season, and officials announced it will not be rebuilt in its old form. The Refuge des Écrins and the Refuge du Glacier Blanc stayed open, but the approach is now about 2 hours longer on foot unless a new car park or shuttle is created. The southern approach from La Bérarde has also been restricted since the June 2024 flood in the Vénéon valley.
Climbing Notes
Plan two days from Ailefroide: about 6½ hours to the Refuge des Écrins (2 hours to the old Pré de Madame Carle car park, then 4½ hours via the Glacier Blanc hut and the glacier), then 4 hours from the hut to the summit and a long descent. You need roped glacier travel and crevasse-rescue skills, crampon technique on 35–45° snow, and the ability to move together over exposed easy rock at 4,000 m. A guide is a good idea if you have not led on a glaciated 4,000 m peak; the Bureau des Guides des Écrins in Vallouise can advise on conditions.
Acclimatise first, for instance with a night at the Glacier Blanc hut or an ascent of the Dôme de Neige. Leave the hut around 03:00–04:00: the serac zone should be crossed quickly and in the cold, and the lower north face gets the sun early and softens fast. In late summer the bergschrund below the Brèche Lory can become difficult, and the Dôme de Neige becomes the sensible objective. Book the Refuge des Écrins well ahead; it is the base for both the Barre and the Dôme and is often full in July and August.
History
Edward Whymper, A. W. Moore and Horace Walker, with the guides Michel Croz and Christian Almer, made the first ascent on 25 June 1864 by a couloir on the eastern side of the north face (the Couloir Whymper) and descended the west ridge. The second ascent, in 1867, was by Jean Carrier, Alexandre Tournier and Henri Vincent; Jean Gauthier made the first solo ascent on 14 July 1876. The south face was first climbed on 3 September 1880 by Henry Duhamel with Pierre Gaspard father and son, and W. A. B. Coolidge with the Almers made the first south–north traverse on 11 July 1881. Daniel Armand-Delille made the first winter ascent in February 1926.
Season
Best Jun–Jul- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Good
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Good
- September: Possible
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; refuge unstaffed, long approach on ski
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Refuge des Écrins staffed from mid-March; ski-mountaineering season begins
- Apr
- Classic ski-mountaineering season for the Dôme; the Barre ridge is often snowy
- May
- Good snow cover on the glacier; ski ascents
- Jun
- Crevasses well bridged; best time for the north face
- Jul
- Main season; start early because of serac fall and soft snow
- Aug
- Glacier opens up and the bergschrund can be awkward; heat waves increase serac and rockfall risk
- Sep
- Refuge des Écrins staffed until about 20 September; icy, open glacier
- Oct
- Refuges unstaffed; short days and early snow
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Refuge des Écrins (FFCAM): online via refugedesecrins.ffcam.fr or +33 9 82 12 70 85 / +33 6 07 79 89 96, refugedesecrins@ffcam.fr. Refuge du Glacier Blanc: refugeduglacierblanc.ffcam.fr, +33 4 92 23 50 24. Refuge Temple-Écrins: refugetempleecrins.ffcam.fr, +33 4 76 79 08 28.
- Fees
- Refuge overnight fees (FFCAM; members' discount); booking required in the staffed season
- Vénéon valley shuttle (July–August 2026): EUR 4.80 per single trip plus EUR 0.50 mandatory booking fee
- Rules
- Écrins National Park core zone: no dogs (even on a lead), no camping; bivouac only between 19:00 and 09:00, one night per site and more than one hour's walk from the core-zone boundary or car parks (decree of 16 June 2026)
- Since 28 August 2026 the road from Ailefroide to the Pré de Madame Carle is closed and will not be rebuilt in its previous form; access is on foot from Ailefroide
- Upper Vénéon (south side): in summer 2026 the D530 beyond Pré Clot was reserved for residents, professionals and walkers with a refuge booking from 5 July to 30 August; the hamlet of La Bérarde stayed closed to the public
- Getting There
Vallouise-Pelvoux (Ailefroide); Briançon is the nearest larger town
Turin (TRN), Grenoble-Isère (GNB) or Lyon (LYS)
- Train to L'Argentière-les-Écrins (Briançon line), then the Zou! summer shuttle towards Vallouise-Pelvoux and Ailefroide
- By car to Ailefroide; since August 2026 there is no road to the Pré de Madame Carle (about 2 hours on foot)
- South side: bus to Bourg-d'Oisans and Venosc, then the summer Vénéon shuttle to Combe Noire near La Bérarde
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Avalanche
- Rockfall
- Altitude
- Exposure
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
3- 2,410 m
Refuge Temple-ÉcrinsRefugeStaffed
Staffed 6 June – 13 September (2026); winter room with mattresses and blankets
- 2,542 m
Refuge du Glacier BlancRefugeStaffedBooking required
131 beds · Staffed from late March to about 20 September; 35 places outside the staffed season
- 3,170 m
Refuge des ÉcrinsRefugeStaffedBooking required
116 beds · Staffed 14 March – 20 September (2026); 40 places in the unstaffed winter room