• Walking in the French Alps
• Tour du Vieux Chaillol - Long distance walk
• Saut du Laire - Family Walk
• Walking with Donkeys - day and overnight treks
• Dormillouse - overnight in mountains

Activities - Walking in the French Alps - The Tour du vieux Chaillol

Have a look at our Tour du Vieux Chaillol Holiday Offer

This is a classic long distance walk in the four valleys visible from Champsaur's highest mountain, the Vieux Chaillol. It takes between 5 and 7 days and you stay in different mountain refuges and gites along the way.

Each of the valleys, Champoleon, Champsaur, Valgaudemar and Molines, have their own unique characteristics, from the deep steep dramatic valley of Valgaudemar to the open rural landscape of Champsaur.

There are two pairs of golden eagles in the area, chamois, ibex and lots of marmots. The flora is also spectacular, with 60 different species of orchid, wild orange lillies, wild daffodils, gentians and thousands of other flowers I don't know the names of!

Have a look at the map to see the route.

Most of the tour traverses along the valleys on the GR 50 and GR 54 long distance trekking paths, so the paths are easy and not too steep. However, the days are long, so you will need a reasonable level of fitness to do it comfortably.

There are lots of possible variations, but on the classic route you cross one high mountain passage of 2607 metres, which takes you from the Valgaudemar valley into the Champoleon valley. This is done over two days staying in the refuge Vallonpierre at 1534 metres but you will climb approximately 1150m in one day.

The classic route is five days long, so if you are plannng a week's holiday, you have one rest day, with one day travelling either side. You can either spend it resting, or you can take in one of the many variations.

Click here for a day-by-day technical breakdown of the classic route.

We can organise a holiday for you to do the tour, either self-guided or guided. For the self-guided version we'll organise all the reservations for you and your airport transfers, and if you would like a bit of a helping hand with your baggage (it's not cheating!!), we can, where possible, transfer baggage between refuges, so you only have to walk with your day sack. The guided version is all-inclusive, so all you have to do is enjoy the walk! Have a look at our Walking Holiday Offers, or contact us for more information.