Family Bivouac in the Vercors
In the heart of the French Alps, the Vercors massif, its high plateaus and impressive cliffs set the stage for this 4-day family trek.
This destination, accessible by train via Grenoble, offers the possibility of a mountain immersion as a family, where discovery happens at the gentle pace of donkeys.
The nature and mountain guides from Altimood offer you a stay with pack donkeys, these faithful long-eared companions who love scratches. The donkeys provide valuable service by lightening the load for both children and adults. This stay will be an opportunity to learn how to lead them under the wise advice of a guide who knows their equines perfectly.
Along the way, it's also an opportunity to discover, with the expert eye and playful and educational approach of Alice or Robin, the secrets of nature. In addition to the panoramas, the rich wildlife of the Vercors High Plateaus will certainly give rise to magical encounters, whether with marmots, chamois, ibex, vultures, or even the edelweiss and other emblematic mountain flowers.
A stay with two ways to sleep in the mountains. One rather for children who are often excited about the idea of sleeping in a bivouac, the other, rather for adults who prefer the comfort of a bed. The campsites are set up next to small refuges. Moments of conviviality around the fire, outdoor cooking, and meals are shared together before everyone returns to their sleeping bag.
The Essence of the Experience
- A stay adapted for children in France's largest nature reserve
- Pack donkeys for a trek with a lightened load
- Mixed accommodation between bivouac in a tipi and mountain refuge
- An expert guide of the territory for an enriching discovery of fauna and flora
Effort level
This stay is open to anyone in good physical health and children from 8 years old, 6 years for young adventurers. Walking times, adjusted to the group and weather, do not exceed 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon. Distances and elevation gains are specified for each stage in the program below.
Program
4 days of trek with donkeys
Day 1: Chichilianne – Pas de l'Aiguille
The meeting point is set at Chichilianne, a charming village nestled at the foot of the majestic Mont Aiguille. After preparing the donkeys and loading the equipment, you'll head towards the High Plateaus by taking the Pas de l'Aiguille climb. This passage, through woods and pastures, represents the most intense effort of the stay. However, the stage is designed so that everyone can progress at their own pace. Once at the top, the alpine meadows reveal their rolling landscapes, and the refuge, a true haven of rest, crowns this ascent with a beautiful reward.
- ⏱️ 3h to 3h30 of walking, 6 km, +650 m, –50 m.
- Night at the Pas de l'Aiguille refuge or in bivouac
Day 2: From ridge to valley on the Vercors High Plateaus
During this second day, you'll explore the vast wild expanses of the Vercors High Plateaus. From the Pas de l'Aiguille, the trails cross high-altitude meadows and sparse forests. The route ends in the Combeau valley. Along the way, keep your eyes open: marmots, vultures, and ibex might well cross your path.
- ⏱️ 3h30 to 4h of walking, 8.5 km, +300m, –500m
- Night at the Combeau inn or in bivouac – hot shower available
Day 3: Along secret trails
On the little-traveled trails of the Combeau valley, the caravan gently rises towards the ridges. Up there, a panoramic view opens onto the Alps, from Mont-Blanc to the Écrins, passing through Chartreuse. The Col de Menée, a natural border between Drôme and Isère, is the highlight of the day. Then, the trail plunges into a typical mountain forest, nicknamed the wolf forest. The refuge is finally discovered in the heart of a clearing with a view of the High Plateaus cliffs just crossed.
- ⏱️ 3h30 to 4h of walking, 8.5 km, +350m, –650m
- Night at Esparron refuge or in bivouac – solar shower available
Day 4: Through forest and bocage at the foot of the cliffs
Direction Chichilianne to complete the trek! The trail leaves the refuge through the wolf forest, climbing towards the Prayet pass. Along the way, a wolf track may be freshly imprinted in the humid combes. The picnic is taken in the middle of the Trièves bocage at the foot of the impressive High Plateaus cliffs on which the route evolved over the previous 3 days. Arrival is scheduled in the afternoon.
- ⏱️ 3h30 to 4h of walking, 8.5 km, +300m, –400m
Booking 2026
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Price
- Child up to 16 years old: 450€
- Adult: 495€
This price corresponds to an individual registration through an accredited tour operator. You join a group of 6 to 14 participants. The stay is guaranteed from 6 participants.
This price does not include cancellation-repatriation insurance. If you are not covered, appropriate insurance contracts are offered at the time of your registration. The multi-risk contract is approximately ~4.85% of the stay price.
Learn more about travel and trek insurance.
The price includes
- Supervision by a state-certified mountain professional
- Picnics (x4) from organic, local, and seasonal products
- Half-board (dinner, overnight, breakfast) in refuge – meals will be cooked collectively at the refuge on Day 1 and Day 3. On Day 2, Gilles, the manager of the Combeau inn, prepares a meal from local specialties
- Donkeys and their trekking equipment
The price does not include
- Transportation to/from your home to the meeting/dispersal point of the stay,
- Individual insurance
- Drinks, snacks, personal purchases, and tips
- and everything not mentioned in the "price includes" section.
Technical Information
Meeting / Dispersal
The meeting is set on Day 1 at Chichilianne at 10am. The group dispersal takes place on Day 4 in the late afternoon at Chichilianne.
The nearest train station is Clelles-Mens. Carpooling will be offered between participants to reach the exact meeting point which will be communicated to you on the convocation. If you arrive by train and no participant is likely to carpool from the station to the meeting parking lot, the Chichilianne taxi allows you to complete this last link (indicative price: 15–20€, 06 44 29 85 55).
Many accommodations, inns, hotels, and AirBnBs allow you to arrive the day before – nearby villages: Chichilianne, Clelles, Mens, Le Percy.
Accommodation
Nights are either in bivouac or in refuge. Here are the accommodation details:
- Day 1: The Pas de l'Aiguille refuge is reserved exclusively for the group. It is sometimes shared with the shepherd. The dormitory is equipped with mattresses and blankets, dry toilets are available. Spring nearby. No shower, wash with a glove or wipe.
- Day 2: The Combeau inn, a guarded refuge type, is equipped with water toilets and hot showers. Dinner and breakfast will be served by the manager.
- Day 3: The Esparron refuge is reserved for the group. Sleeping is in a dormitory with mattresses and blankets. There is no electricity, fresh water flows abundantly at the fountain. Dry toilets and solar showers are available.
- Days 1, 2, and 3: Bivouac next to the refuge – equipment is loaned (sleeping bag, trekking mattress, 10-person tipi). To optimize loading, it will be necessary for adults to specify if they wish to sleep exclusively in the refuge or try bivouac at the start of the stay.
Equipment
- Appropriate hiking attire
- Sun protection: cap, cream, sunglasses
- A pair of high-top shoes
- A change of clothes to stay dry at the refuge
See the recommended equipment list for a summer outing with overnight stay in a refuge:
Formalities
- Valid identity card
- Health insurance card or European health insurance card
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