Je souhaite effectuer une randonnée avec des amis le weekend du 10 mai au départ de pralognan la vannoise avec retour à pralognan (ou alors finissant à un endroit d'où l'on peut rejoindre facilement pralognan en bus par exemple).
Je suis à la recherche d'une rando de 2-3jours avec du dénivelé qui ne soit pas trop technique (on a pas d'expert en randonnée hivernale dans le groupe) avec nuit en refuge.
Est ce envisageable à ce moment de l'année ?
Quelles conditions météo espérées ?
J'ai déjà fais le TGV en passant par pralognan l'année dernière en été et j'ai un petite idée de trajet en tête mais mes interrogations portent plus sur les conditions climatiques à cette période et le matériel/expérience nécessaire.
Si le trajet ne m'a pas paru très difficile en été j'ai conscience que c'est une autre paire de manche à cette saison.
Bonjour,
Je n'ai pas été vers Pralognan cet hiver, mais d'après ce que je connais de la Vanoise, le TGV en raquettes? Mieux vaut ne pas y penser! 🤪
A la rigueur, à skis de rando si experience adéquate, et encore...
La partie la plus exposée est entre le col de la Vanoise et la dent Parrachée, avec des passages très abrupts sous Chasseforêt. La neige est souvent très gelée dans ces pentes.
Cette année l'enneigement important sur tous les massifs va surement persisté au delà de juin.
Merci pour le commentaire mais je n'ai pas été très clair je pense. L'idée n'est pas de partir s'aventurer à faire le TGV au mois de mai, en particulier la partie que vous citez autour du refuge de l'arpont (repère à chamois).
Je cherche une sortie sur deux jours au départ de pralognan et donc logiquement moins ardue. Quelque chose comme un aller retour au refuge du col de la vannoise ou une boucle par le refuge de la valette ou un tour du coté du petit mont blanc, étant motorisé je peux aussi imaginé descendre au sud et faire randonné du coté du refuge de poclet.
Mais ne connaissant le paysage qu'au mois d'aout, j'aurais besoin d'orientation sur ce qui est envisageable ou pas par des personnes dans une forme physique moyenne avec un équipement de base.
J'étais peut être naïf mais je m'imaginais qu'il y avait des choses de ce genre envisageables au mois de mai sur cette zone même si j'ai conscience que ce début d'année a été "neigeux".
Bonjour,
Autour de Pralo en mai il y a des balades à faire en 2 jours...
Pourquoi ne pas monter au refuge de la Vanoise par le lac des vaches, par exemple et redescendre par le lac des assiettes, (derrière le refuge et en contre-bas).
ou monter au refuge Peclet Polset par le vallon de Chavière.
Un peu plus loin, le col de Chavière est souvent enneigé encore début juillet, alors en mai cette année je ne sais pas ce que ç�� va donner!
Moi en mai ce que j'aime bien dans la Vanoise c'est la partie sud : au dessus de Modane, et jusqu'à Bonneval sur Arc. Et surtout le balcon de Haute Maurienne entre l'Orgère et Bessans. Plus chaud et plus ensoleillé que la Tarentaise.
De plus souvent en mai au dessus de l'Orgère les chamois descendent assez bas, pour chercher leur nourriture et boire dans les torrents quand la neige fond en dessous 2000m.
Il faut te renseigner pour savoir si les refuges sont gardés en mai. (Ouvert surement, mais gardés peut être juste pour les grands we.)
J'ai oublié de rappeler sur le message précédent que le refuge de l'Arpont est fermé pour travaux jusqu'en 2014... Pas de possibilité de faire étape entre le refuge de la Vanoise et Plan sec! (L'été la seule possibilité sera de descendre à Termignon pour faire étape).
Merci beaucoup pour ces précisions randoalp, me voila un peu rassuré.
Je garde en tête l'idée de l'A/R au refuge du col de la Vannoise (gardé à cette époque il me semble) qui reste une solution assez simple avec la possibilité de pousser un peu à l'est après le refuge.
Pour avoir fait le refuge Peclet Polset - pralognan par le vallon je n'en garde pas un très grand souvenir, un peu déçu à l'époque de ne pas être passé plus haut (j'avais suivis un peu bêtement le topoguide).
Pour la partie au nord-est de Modane, j'oublie car notre camp de base est sur Pralognan et j’imagine que le trajet en voiture serait un peu chronophage.
Je reviens sur mon idée du refuge de vallette (qui était mon idée de départ à vrai dire), je crois avoir lu dans un post d'un autre sujet que tu le déconseillais en début de saison car c'est assez escarpé mais il semble y avoir plusieurs sentier possible pour y accéder :
Pralognan - cirque de l'arcelin - grand marchet -petit marchet
Pralognan - petit marchet
Pralognan - chalets des nants, apriori le chemin privilégié pour les amateur de ski de rando à destination du dôme de chasseforêt.
Est ce que tout ces itinéraires sont aussi escarpés ? Est ce vraiment inenvisageable à cette période en raquette ?
Le refuge n'est pas gardé mais ouvert, ce qui nous conviendrait bien.
Bonjour,
Le refuge de la Valette est accessible au printemps en partant plutôt des Prioux, et les chalets des Nants. Ce n'est pas recommandé de passer par les 3 cirques car très abrupt et avec des névés en pente souvent jusque début juillet!
Le passage par le pas de l'âne dans le rocher est aussi déconseillé s'il y a de la neige ou si c'est mouillé!
Mais pour avoir des infos toutes fraîches il faut téléphoner aux gardiens des refuges ou le PGHM 04 79 08 71 15, quelques jours avant de partir. 😉
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Bonjour
Nous avons comme projet de séjourner 8 jours sur l'ile de Sao Nicolau, sac à dos. Nous hésitons de prendre le bateau de Sao Vicente ou un vol inter iles. On me dit que les bateaux ne partent pas toujours?
Nous souhaitons faire trois haltes chez l'habitant afin de voyager en étoile de chacun des 3 points.
Première escale dans les environ de Juncalinho, deuxième escale du coté de Cachaco et enfin une troisième étape du coté de Tarrafal. Nous recherchons des pensions simple mais authentiques (pas d'hôtels). Avez-vous des suggestions?
Merci
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Hello,
In mid-November, we’ll be in Mindelo and Santo Antão.
We’ve booked transportation with Kapverden Tours.
One trip is from Porto Novo to Ponta do Sol, including the hike from Corda to Coculi.
What’s the trail like?
Then we’ll be staying in Ponta do Sol,
Here’s what we’re planning:
A hike to Fontainhas—what’s the best direction, considering we’re not great with climbs? No problem with flat terrain or descents.
Take an aluguer to Ribeira Grande and continue along the coastal road.
With the agency:
An excursion to Cruzinha with a short walk.
Return to Porto Novo via the path from Cova to… I’m not sure where yet, to pick up the car for Porto Novo, since we’ll be taking the ferry that evening.
We’ll have a guide for this hike.
We’d love to spend a day in Tarrafal, but getting back requires a boat or taxi, and it’s really expensive!
We’re a couple, 78 and 76 years old.
What do you think of this itinerary?
I’m planning to do the Mercantour crossing following the Randoxygène route in mid-July.
I’m used to hiking in the mountains, but I sometimes get vertigo, for example on ridges with drops on both sides. I wanted to check if there are any T4 or T3-T4 sections and find out if there are any very exposed passages—and if so, where—so I can plan an alternative route.
Can anyone give me some info on this?
Thanks!
hi how can I get internet when I arrive at Haneda? I mean in areas without free wifi. Is it more interesting to buy a SIM card? If so, at the airport? thanks for your help
We're planning to go at the end of November/beginning of December to visit (with a rental car) and hike on La Palma and El Hierro for 15 full days, including 1 day for inter-island ferry transfers. What’s the best split between the two islands—8 days on La Palma and 6 on El Hierro, or even more time for La Palma? Should we have one or two home bases on La Palma? Thanks for your tips!
Annie
Hi there,
I’m planning to cross the Gourgs Blancs Pass at the end of the month, from La Soula Refuge to Portillon Refuge. On this section near the pass, I don’t have any trail marked on my IGN map. Is the path well signposted, or should I use a compass?
Also, beyond the physical effort, are there any technical, exposed, or vertigo-inducing sections on this part?
Since I’m finding very little info, I’m being thorough with my questions.
I'm developing a free and open-source web app for planning walking and cycling trips (and even car trips). You can create a route by clicking directly on the map to add waypoints, and it can consist of multiple stages. The app provides tools to edit the stages and the overall route, and to display useful information (distances, altitudes, and elevation changes). A relief profile can be shown as a graph for a specific stage or the entire route.
Once the route is ready, it can be exported as a GPX file, which can then be used with a GPS or a mobile navigation app.
The app is built in JavaScript and runs entirely in the web browser. It uses the Leaflet library and several OpenStreetMap-based services. Initially developed for my personal needs (I enjoy hiking and cycle touring), I’d be happy to share it with anyone who might find it useful. It’s free to use, doesn’t require an account, and the source code is available.
Not very well known: Hokkaido Island has national parks that rival those in North America. Hiking there is free (even many mountain huts) and requires no formalities. These treks are described in the LP *Hiking in Japan* guide—you can just buy the Hokkaido PDF. It’s way better than Mount Fuji. Of course, everything depends on the weather, which is very unstable in the Japanese mountains (frequent strong winds). The trails are often obstacle courses.
The Daisetsu Zan traverse is a stunning hike through volcanic terrain with a remote section in the middle that requires at least one night of camping (there are basic huts for the rest, which is popular with Japanese hikers): 4 to 6 days.
The Shiretoko traverse takes 2 days with views including an island in Russia, but the ridge is brown bear territory—there are even more here than in Denali National Park in Alaska (brown bears and grizzlies are the same). I ran into 7 in just 6 hours of hiking!
Hi everyone,
I’m leaving on Monday, August 3rd for my very first long-distance trek: the GR223 from Coutances to Mont Saint-Michel, over 6-7 days (~11-14 miles/day), solo.
I’m looking for tips from people who know this section well (Coutances → Regnéville-sur-Mer → Hauteville-sur-Mer → Bréhal → Granville → Genêts → bay crossing):
Budget-friendly accommodations: I’m struggling to find affordable stopover lodgings (a lot of what I find online are expensive vacation rentals, not really suited for a solo hiker). If you have any great spots (hostels, hiker-friendly B&Bs, nice campgrounds), I’d love to hear them!
Bay crossing: Any feedback on guides/providers leaving from Genêts for the final crossing?
General tips for a first long-distance trek: What you wish you’d known before your first time, pitfalls to avoid, etc.
Hi,
We’re planning to do the 4-day trek from Mestia to Ushguli without an agency. The descriptions mention that there are accommodations at each stop, but we can’t find any details about them. Has anyone got info or feedback on this route?
New to this forum, I’m planning a pretty big project for 2028.
I’m heading to Nepal to do a trek from Kathmandu all the way to Everest Base Camp (a cool 5,300 m 😄).
This trek is a bit special because even though I’ll be part of a group, I’m going solo (so far, no problem—I’m used to it). But it’s my first real trek, and it’s also a humanitarian one: once I reach base camp, I’ll stay an extra week to help clean up the waste left by tens of thousands of climbers! Since I’m originally from South America, from two countries that share the Andes, I have a deep respect for mountains—they fascinate me. So Everest… it’s kind of the trip of a lifetime!
So, a little question for those who’ve done treks to Everest before… any tips for good mental preparation (I’m already working on the physical side)?
We're planning to trek in Peru and Bolivia and would love to find some local agencies.
If you know any, could you share details on prices and, of course, the names of the agencies?
Which trek would you recommend?
Elocine
I'm heading out on a fully self-sufficient trek in Morocco (10 days) from Imilchil to Aghbalou.
Can I find screw-on gas canisters (Coleman, Primus) in Marrakech (any addresses?) or in villages between Imilchil and Aghbalou?
If not, are Butagaz canisters for camping gas (small 230g size) available?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Hello, I’d like to embark on a little trip in my home country, Switzerland. I’ll start walking from La Cure, heading toward Le Noirmont first, then I’ll improvise my route—but it’ll probably follow the French border... at least as far as Lac de Joux.
I’ll decide day by day how much farther to go after that. My goal is to stay in nature as much as possible, wander around for as long as I can, and restock food in villages or towns along the way.
I’m thinking of mostly camping, but we’ll see if I end up in a hotel or another campsite depending on my route.
I’d love to reach La Chaux-de-Fonds on foot... maybe even Delémont.
The whole thing should take about a week, give or take.
I’ll be bringing my dog, and I’m preparing for this as soon as I’m ready.
Any tips to make sure everything goes smoothly for us? Things I should know—or avoid? What about shepherds with their flocks of sheep? And isn’t hunting season open right now?
I’m not sure if what I’m planning is even doable, which is why I’m asking around.
This’ll be my first time doing something like this—wandering in nature *and* with a dog. I’m really excited for this adventure... and I need it. Thanks!
We’re really keen on ecosystems and want to hike in "natural" ancient forests—not planted woods or areas heavily degraded by human activity. Travel guides (like Lonely Planet) don’t provide much info on this. Could you point us to the most interesting spots?
Thanks in advance for your tips.
We wish you happy holidays and a fantastic 2026, full of discoveries!
Claire and Albert
Hi, this might not be the right section, but I’d like to know if it’s possible to start mountaineering with another person without necessarily hiring a guide. We’ve done quite a bit of hiking but not mountaineering—we’ll just do a half-day glacier course. After that, we were thinking of starting with La Grande Motte and the Pointe de la Traversière, which were recommended to us. Honestly, for things like roping up and knots, I’ll learn at home with lots of videos and a book.
I’d love to know if anyone has done treks in the Rwenzori Mountains and how much it costs on average, what the infrastructure is like, the landscapes, and safety in the area. Thanks so much! I’m really looking forward to your replies.
We’re leaving in 9 days for a two-week trip to Madeira, mainly to hike.
From my research, I’ve found that since last year, access to most trails—and systematically for the most popular ones—is now paid. You have to pay an access fee of 4.50 € per person per classified hike in 2026, and even 10.50 € for the most iconic hike: Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. When paying, you also have to choose a day and a 30-minute time slot for your start time. Of course, this reservation is neither changeable nor refundable, even if the weather that day is terrible.
Personally, given the massive influx of tourists to the island in recent years, I don’t mind paying a fee to help maintain the trails. Similarly, setting a limit on the number of people who can hike them per day is certainly preferable to preserve this priceless heritage.
However, what’s much less fair is that in reality, most of the available spots are reserved: 1/ for Madeira residents (which is normal); 2/ for "economic operators" (meaning local tour operators). For example, if you’re a non-resident (independent tourist), no booking is possible for the Pico Arieiro hike for an early morning start before September! So, unfortunately, we’ll have to skip this hike.
It’s the same issue for Ponta de São Lourenço, the 25 Fontes, Pico Ruivo... in short, all the most popular hikes. Oh well, we’ll skip those too!
So my question is: which hikes do you recommend where we won’t face the huge crowds that the others get? And where we can book the day before for the next day, taking the weather into account?
Finally, a quick accommodation question: we’ve booked the first week in Funchal, but I haven’t decided yet for the second week. Do you have any advice on where to stay in the south or north, preferably avoiding overly concrete-heavy and touristy spots?
I’m reposting about the logistics for Samaria Gorge.
I’d love to get recent info, especially about whether it’s possible to park my car in Omalos, do the hike, and then catch a bus back to my vehicle.
In theory, it’s doable, but when you check the KTEL website, there aren’t any feasible schedules listed. If anyone has recently organized this with reliable, verified details, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
We’re flying from Montreal to Lyon this August to go hiking in the French Alps. We’ve rented a car and will be staying at campgrounds. We’re planning to do day hikes and want to stay a few days in one spot, do a few hikes, then move on to our next camping spot. Could you share your favorite spots or any recommendations for places to spend a few days with great hikes?
A few details:
We arrive in early August and leave in early September.
We’re looking for day hikes (or shorter), moderate difficulty, with a cumulative elevation gain of no more than 1000m, and of course, beautiful scenery!
We’d prefer not to drive too much—maybe it’s best not to head too far south and deal with unnecessary heat?
Along the same lines, if you know of any great campgrounds where we can start our hike directly without needing the car, we’d love to hear your suggestions!
Hi there,
I’m planning to go hiking on this island and would like to know the best time to do it. I visited for a few days in November 2018—not for hiking but just to explore—and the weather wasn’t great, especially in the mountains. So, is a star-shaped itinerary doable if I rent a car and maybe use two different accommodations?
I’m not planning to join an organized group—just traveling with one other person and organizing things ourselves—unless you’d recommend a local agency or guide. Finally, even though I’ll be getting maps, a topo guide, and a GPS, I’d really appreciate your top hiking recommendations.
Thanks so much for your tips!
I’m planning a trip around Cap Corse and the AGRIATES in 2026, from May 8th to 15th (there are still 2 spots left, by the way! Just DM me if you're interested).
I’d love to know which hikes are worth prioritizing in the AGRIATES. We’ll be staying in SALECCIA for two days as our base—what should we focus on from there?
A round trip to IGNHU beach? Any other suggestions?
For Ostricano, I think it’s too far for a round trip...
Thanks for your tips!
Have a great day,
Anie, Toulouse
I’d like to get some info about the GR10 Pyrenees traverse. I need help planning the daily stages and accommodations—my wife isn’t an experienced hiker but walks a lot, so I’d like to schedule shorter walking days and thus a longer overall trip in terms of number of days.
Could anyone give me some help and advice?
Best regards,
Hi there, I’m planning the Annapurna Circuit for March 2027 and I’m looking for a local agency with a local guide—preferably French-speaking—to arrange this trek for us. Any suggestions? Thanks
Hello!
We’re spending a few days in Toraja country at the end of May. We’d love to do a day trek—taking our time—on a route that’s stunning in terms of scenery, but not a level 5 in difficulty!
Any suggestions you can share, please?
Thanks in advance
I’d like to do the Mare a Mare Sud in May over 4 days. I’ve found quite a few places to stay along the route, but I’m stuck on the start and finish.
I’ll be arriving by plane on Sunday evening and would like to start pretty early on Monday morning. Ideally, accommodation right at the trailhead (Alzu di Gallina) would be amazing, but I can’t find anything. Any tips?
Also, for the transfer from Figari Airport to Porto Vecchio or Alzu di Gallina?
At the end, I’d like to pick up a rental car—any advice on that too?