Le Pilgrimage Trail Deux: Shared Trails, Food & Stories
Photo: @gijsferkranus
TRAIL REPORT
The final climb had brought the pilgrims to the Col de Vallouise, high above the valleys they had crossed over the previous days. Behind them lay 125 kilometres of mountain trails, 7,500 metres of climbing, a cold night at Refuge du Pelvoux and countless moments shared around the same trails and tables.
The descent to basecamp was waiting. Shade and water were far below. Still, the pilgrims did not leave. They waited until the others appeared on the skyline, one by one. A few days earlier, they had arrived as strangers. On that final col, they stood together as comrades.
To understand how they got there, the story begins a few days earlier, at Hotel Saint Roch in Puy-Saint-Vincent.
After its inaugural edition last year, Le Pilgrimage Trail returned to Puy-Saint-Vincent in the Écrins for a second journey through the mountains of the French Alps. Thirty pilgrims from eight different countries travelled to Hotel Saint Roch, the basecamp of this journey.
Every pilgrim arrived with a different reason and background. Within the group were ultra trail winners, seasoned hikers, people who had crossed entire mountain ranges, endurance athletes used to long distances, and others taking their first real steps into high alpine terrain.
Le Pilgrimage is a journey. For some, it is mainly a physical one. For others, it is also a spiritual one. Some come to close a chapter in their lives, others to begin a new one. Some come to discover new landscapes, meet new friends, or simply search for adventure and camaraderie.
They were different in many ways. But on that first evening, they had one thing in common: most of them arrived as strangers and sat down next to each other at the same pilgrims' table.
That is where the journey began. Not at a starting line, but around a table. Following the spirit of Saint Roch, Le Pilgrimage invites people to travel slowly, pay attention to the little things and look after those around them.
Le Pilgrimage is a journey where we share trails, we share food and we share stories.
Les Pilgrims:
Adriaan Oprins, Alp Aras (DNF), Anna-Luisa Ruther, Billur Engin (DNF), Brent Waterman, Chiem Helsen, Dennis de Hoog (DNS), Dilara Tuna, Dorothy Teng-Jones (DNF), Erwin Haers, Florian Gräber (DNS), Francesc Varkevisser, Gijs Ferkranus, Hartger Ruijs (DNS), Janneke Scherpenhuyzen, Jenny Tough, Joris Seghers, Josh Allen, Jules Raijer, Justin Selmanoff, Kelly Brady-Selmanoff, Laurent van de Mortel, Lorenz Rieck, Lucas Enthoven, Lucas Jones, Milo Stegmann, Nicolas Hoffschir, Nis Alps, Roy Vermazeren, Sarah Mayer, Sarah Pryce, Tobias Eicke, Vincent van de Mortel (DNS), Yana Strese.
Stage 1: Narreyroux, Col du Bal & Refuge de la Pousterle
Photo: @yorit_kluitman
The cowbell rang, and the first stage started from Hotel Saint Roch, leading the pilgrims into the green Vallon de Narreyroux. Snowmelt still filled the streams and waterfalls, giving the valley a wild, early-summer energy.
From there, the route climbed towards the Col du Bal at 2,600 metres before descending into the beautiful Vallon du Fournel, known for its wildflowers and protected natural landscapes. The trail then followed the GR54 towards Refuge de la Pousterle.
This old refuge, once a place of passage for travellers on the GR route, opened its doors once again for Le Pilgrimage. At the checkpoint, a long table had been set, with a steaming pot of fondue fromage waiting in the middle. Pilgrims sat down, took a fondue fork and joined the table. For those who wanted, a glass of white wine from Savoie was poured.
With the last six pilgrims still out on the trail, the weather changed. Heavy rain swept across the mountain. One by one, they arrived soaked at the old refuge, where they found shelter, warmed up, ate, recovered and gathered strength for the final kilometres back to basecamp.
It was the first real reminder of what a pilgrim checkpoint should be. A place to arrive. A place to find refuge, eat and rest. A place to enjoy the simple pleasures of French mountain cuisine and gather the energy needed to continue the journey.
Stage 2: Montbrison Massif & Croix de la Salcette
Photo: @gijsferkranus
The second stage crossed the valley and climbed towards Bouchier before entering the Montbrison Massif. This was a more technical day, shaped by forest trails, open slopes, limestone towers and loose mountain terrain. The climb to the Croix de la Salcette, at 2,331 metres, rewarded the pilgrims with wide views over the Durance Valley, the Vallouise Valley and the peaks of the Écrins.
The descent demanded full concentration. Storms in the previous week had left their mark on the mountain. Loose stones, eroded slopes and debris made the trail technical and, for some, understandably intimidating. The gaps between the first and last pilgrims became large, but the nearby checkpoint remained open until everyone had passed.
From a distance, you could already smell the checkpoint at Cabane Marcellin. Only reachable on foot or by a steep 4x4 track, this was where the Haute Dogs returned: grilled hot dogs, prepared with love by chef Anne, high in the mountains, using Opinel knives for exactly what they were made for.
No standard ravito point with gels and electrolytes, but food from the grill, with or without sauce, an espresso and an ice-cold Orangina from the fountain around the corner. The kind of checkpoint that makes you sit down for a moment, before the trail drops back into the valley and climbs one last time to basecamp.
Stage 3.1: ToWARDS Refuge du Pelvoux
Photo: @yorit_kluitman
The final stage was the biggest undertaking of the week: 68 kilometres and more than 3,800 metres of climbing, divided over two days, with a night at Refuge du Pelvoux.
Not everyone started this stage, and that too belongs to the nature of a pilgrimage. The terrain is serious, the trails are technical and weather can be demanding. Knowing when not to continue is also part of travelling through the mountains.
The 27 pilgrims who did set out moved from basecamp towards Vallouise, past the Cascade de la Pissette and on to Ailefroide. From there, the long climb to the refuge began. Over the final 1,200 metres of ascent, the trail enters the heart of the Écrins National Park, one of the most spectacular mountain landscapes in France. The trees disappear, the glaciers come into view and the valley drops away below.
One by one, the pilgrims reached Refuge du Pelvoux. Those who had arrived earlier waited outside and encouraged the others as they made their final steps towards the refuge. Everyone who started the journey made it to the refuge in time for dinner in the communal space.
Here, at 2,704 metres, guardian Mathieu welcomed us. After a long day on the trail, he and his team served a warm lentil curry with fresh vegetables. Later that evening, his homemade génépi appeared and was passed around the table. Mathieu makes this mountain liqueur himself, infused with a special alpine herb that grows high in the mountains. A small nightcap to help everyone through a night in the refuge dormitories.
As darkness fell over the Écrins, the refuge slowly quietened down. Some pilgrims chose the warmth of the dormitory, accepting a night of mattresses, tired bodies and the inevitable soundtrack of snoring. Others carried their sleeping bags outside and chose a bivouac under the stars. High above the valley, beneath a clear mountain sky, the night became beautiful, short and cold.
Stage 3.2: THE GRANDE FINALE
Photo: @gijsferkranus
Breakfast was served at 5:00. By 6:00, the cowbell rang for the last time of this trail pilgrimage, while the first rays of sunlight touched the surrounding peaks. The final return to basecamp was 43 kilometres long, with the Col de Vallouise at 2,621 metres waiting as the last major passage of the journey.
The route first descended from Refuge du Pelvoux back towards Ailefroide before turning into the Vallon de Chambran. There, in the morning light, our friends from Another Morning were waiting with a welcome surprise: coffee and croissants served from their cargo bike in a high alpine valley. French petit déjeuner at its best, and much needed, because there was still a long way to go.
The passage that followed moved through high alpine terrain. A no man's land in the Montbrison Massif, passing the Col de la Pisse at 2,358 metres before reaching the Col de Vallouise at 2,621 metres. Between them lay a vast alpine landscape, far away from any village, passing mountain lakes and quiet trails where only marmots, birds of prey and chamois crossed the path.
It was a passage through the alpine landscape where shade was almost as scarce as water. One final test waited before the journey could be completed.
On the other side of the col, the organisation were waiting to catch up the first pilgrims. And one by one, they reached the col. What happened there said something about this group. The next shade was far below, as was the next water source, and the descent was still long. But they waited.
Photo: @yorit_kluitman
The others appeared on the skyline. The group slowly gathered on the Col de Vallouise, looking back over the valleys, passes and trails they had travelled during the previous days. Nobody rushed the moment. There was no clock pushing them forward and no finish line to reach first. There was only the desire to be there together, high above the route they had shared.
And so, a big part of the group came together on the Col de Vallouise. To enjoy the view. To wait for each other. To begin the steep descent together. Tired, thirsty and ready to return, they left the high mountains behind and followed the trail back to Hotel Saint Roch, where the journey had started.
SHARED TRAILS, FOOD & STORIES
That final moment on the Col de Vallouise said more than any finish line could have done.
After 125 kilometres and 7,500 metres of climbing, after a cold refuge night at 2,700 metres, after days of changing weather, difficult trails, shared meals and stories around the same table, the pilgrims waited for each other.
Not because they had to. But because the journey had brought them there together. They had arrived as strangers. They returned from the mountains as comrades.
Le Pilgrimage is not defined by a result, a ranking or a time, but by the way people move through the mountains together. By the moments they share along the way. By the people they meet, the food they pass around, the stories they tell and the memories they carry home.
At Le Pilgrimage, we share trails. We share food. We share stories.
Merci to those who were part of the deuxième edition of Le Pilgrimage Trail. And thank you to those who helped make it possible: our partners Hotel Saint Roch, Opinel & Another Morning and our media team — Gijs Ferkranus, Martijn van Strien, and Yorit Kluitman.
Le Pilgrimage Trail returns in 2027 for its third edition. After two editions in the Écrins, the journey continues. Dates and details will be shared first through our newsletter. Sign up to be the first to hear when the next pilgrimage opens.
