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The "Tour de l'Oisans" is the name given to one of the most strenuous alpine walks: the 'GR54'. It is circuitous, traditionally beginning and ending at the alpine resort of Bourg d'Oisans 40km (25miles) to the east of Grenoble. The massif it encircles is that of the Ecrins, the bulk of which is a National Park. The landscape is stupendous. There are wondrous views and nowhere along the whole route lacks interest. The valleys are rich in individuality, the hamlets varied in style and facility. Forest, meadows, bare mountainside, scree, scant tracks, stones, bushes, rocks, streams, pools, rivers, lakes, glaciers are the ingredients and very little roadwork is encountered.
The GR54 should not be attempted by anyone who has not had a thorough 'primer' of approaching difficulty elsewhere in the Alps. The Mont Blanc Tour is similar in scale: of distance and total ascended altitude, taking about the same time in which it can be accomplished.However, the GR54 is more difficult, being severe and exposed in places with attendant increase in danger and risk. Nevertheless, thousands flock to the area annually. The French quite rightly recognise its grand potential and there is a constant passage of people progressing their way around the paths.
Introduction; The Route; Suggested Itineraries; Accommodation; How to Get There; When to Go; Notes for Walkers; Equipment; Recommended Map; Safety in the Mountains; The Parc National des crins; Alpine Flowers and Wildlife; Using the Guide; Information at a Glance; Tour of the Oisans; Part 1 Bourg dOisans to Vallouise; Stage 1 Bourg dOisans Besse-en-Oisans; Stage 2 Besse-en-Oisans La Grave; Stage 3 La Grave Montier-les-Bains; Stage 4 Montier-les-Bains Vallouise; Part 2 Vallouise to Bourg dOisans; Stage 5 Vallouise Refuge du Pr de la Chaumette; Stage 6 Refuge du Pr de la Chaumette La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar; Alt Stage 6 Refuge du Pr de la Chaumette La Chapelle via Vallon dIsola; Stage 7 La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar Le Dsert-en-Valjouffrey; Stage 8 Le Dsert-en-Valjouffrey Valsenestre; Stage 9 Valsenestre Refuge de la Muzelle; Alt Stage 9 Valsenestre Bourg dArud; Stage 10 Refuge de la Muzelle Bourg dOisans; Alt Stage 10 Bourg dArud Bourg dOisans; Appendix A: Accommodation; Appendix B: Useful Addresses; Appendix C: Bibliography; Appendix D: FrenchEnglish Glossary
Kev Reynolds is a freelance author, photojournalist and lecturer whose first title for Cicerone Press (Walks & Climbs in the Pyrenees) was published in 1978, and has been in print ever since. He has produced many books on the Alps, a series of trekkers' guides to Nepal and, nearer to home, several guides on walking in southern England. He also contributes regular features for the outdoor press, writes and illustrates brochures for tourist authorities, and occasionally leads walking or trekking holidays in various high mountain regions. The first honorary member of the British Association of European Mountain Leaders (BAEML), and a member of the Alpine Club, Austrian Alpine Club and Outdoor Writers' Guild, Kev's enthusiasm for the countryside in general, and mountains in particular, remains undiminished after a lifetime's activity. When not trekking or climbing in one of the world's great mountain ranges, Kev lives among what he calls 'the Kentish Alps', and during the winter months regularly travels throughout Britain to share that enthusiasm through his lectures.
