Normal route on Les Rouies
A bright, wild stroll on Les Rouies.
With Marine, Alex, Aude et Christophe.
Summer is over and a strange silence, yet always present, now floods the mountains, where a clear air rests that the summer bustle had muddied.
Not a soul in the Gioberney car park, from where we take the path to the Pigeonnier hut. The air is cool, and the bright, deep blue sky frames a dream setting. Like an unchanging face-off, the warm south wall of the Rouies seems to taunt the austere north face of the Sirac, already dressed in its beautiful indelible gown.
The race against the sun is in vain and the hut is already in the shade. A few tables are stacked away for the winter, the fountain is closed and the little lake has dried up. Still nobody. And this calm...
We drop our packs in this very comfortable hut, still warmed by large bay windows facing west. The evening is peaceful (except for Alex, god of Scrabble, who takes a monumental beating, hehe).
Under a sky pricked with stars, we start our route towards the Rouies. Everything is perfect: the air is cool but not cold, the recent snow is white but very hard, the sky is waking up in a dazzling blue.
We have all the time in the world and make the most of it. We come out onto the huge plateau of the Rouies glacier and stroll towards the summit. The pace is meditative; the Ecrins are simply beautiful. One last short steep section takes us to the top!
The mountains in autumn: a real treasure!
Photo gallery...