GEORGEOUS LE MONÊTIER LES-BAINS
COL DE BUFFÉRE –> CAMP COUROUNBA
VIA ALPINA DAY 63 – SUNDAY 23 AUGUST 2026
DISTANCE HIKED: 32.90 m
ELEVATION GAIN: 1,213 m
TOTAL DISTANCE HIKED: 1,601.38 km
TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN: 83, 923m
It was a cold start to the day, with the morning twilight illuminating the small hanging glaciers in front of us as we descended from Col de Buffère. The trail was great and not too steep until we decided to take another route into the village of Le Monêtier-les-Bains. We were keen to pass a mountain chapel and some ruins, but this turned into a bit of a steep cross-country adventure and made for slow progress.
The rising sun was beginning to illuminate the valley below, although it would be a while before its warmth reached us.
Two and a half hours after leaving camp, we descended into the beautiful mountain village of Le Monêtier-les-Bains. Situated between Briançon and Grenoble, it is a popular ski destination in winter and is famous for its thermal baths, which date back to Roman times.
We stopped at a boulangerie and devoured the most delicious pain au chocolat with a morning coffee. The bakery was buzzing with cyclists, hikers, trail runners and locals picking up their Sunday bread. It was one of those lovely mountain-town moments that made me want to stop hiking altogether and simply stay there for the morning.
It was so beautiful that I really found it hard to leave.
But leave we did, reluctantly starting the long ascent to the top of the gondola and then on to Col de l’Eychauda at 2,425 metres. Church bells were ringing down in the town as we slowly ground our way upwards. It was Sunday, and they rang for what seemed like a very long time. The bells gradually faded behind us as we climbed higher.
The only positive about the slow grind was that we were climbing through forest and remained in the shade, making the temperature perfect for hiking.
Just before reaching the top of the gondola, we passed Renee, who was hiking on her own. She had injured her ankle and was planning to return to town, or perhaps Briançon, to have it looked at. How disappointing, especially being so close to finishing the hike. Fingers crossed she hasn’t broken anything.
We reached Col de l’Eychauda at 2,425 metres just after lunchtime. What a grind. It was probably the hardest climb we had done in France so far. It was steep in places, entirely through the forest, and seemed to offer no respite.
The landscape at the summit was completely different. It looked almost like a moonscape, with barren, jagged peaks soaring above us. We didn’t stay long. It was stark and exposed, and somehow the warmth and life of the valley below already seemed a long way away.
From the summit, we began a long descent along a series of switchbacks. The trail was well made and at a reasonable gradient, making for a long but relatively safe descent into the valley.
The valley walk dragged on a little. We were now in full sun and beginning to feel the accumulated fatigue of the day. By the time we reached the village of Vallouise, Hammer was ready to stop.
Vallouise felt quite busy, so after stopping for a cold drink, we decided to push on a little further to a quieter campground along the trail. We eventually reached Camping Le Courounba, which was a great spot and, best of all, right on the trail.
It had been another long day, but the memory I think I’ll carry with me is that morning in Le Monêtier-les-Bains — the churchbells ringing, the busy boulangerie, the pain au chocolat and coffee, and that fleeting feeling that perhaps we could just stay there and enjoy the mountains instead of walking through them.
