Refuge de Claran

The place

Sleeping places planned: 10. Places on mattresses: 10. The refuge is made up of 2 parts, one reserved for shepherds, the other open to hikers. The section open to hikers has 2 rooms: a two-tier dormitory with 10 places in total, and the living area with a table and benches. Very good insulation. 2025 inventory: - Running water at the tap - Solar panels and lighting (not working in July 2025 — is there a main switch somewhere?) - one table and 2 benches - 10 places on mattresses - 2 log saws, one of which lacks tension in the blade - 1 axe - 2 brooms + 1 shovel - 1 sledgehammer - Very little crockery/cutlery (4 plates and 3 forks, 2 knives) - But an endless supply of eco-cups - a corkscrew - 2 saucepans: one really damaged, another large one in good condition - 1 barbecue grill. Note that the ceramic stove gives off a gentle, mild heat for a long time, but is rather unsuitable for cooking food. As for firewood, you'll find a few conifers nearby, but only a small number and already well picked over. However, with a bit of effort, walking ~100 m to the north-east you can find some green alder, a source of dry wood. The toilets are private during summer — they belong to the shepherd and their availability may vary outside the grazing season. Apart from the indoor tap, if it isn't running there is no basin/fountain right in front, so you'll need to go back down the vale a little to find the stream. (The pond just in front, which drains away, isn't very appealing.) To help fund renovations to this cabin, a voluntary contribution system has been set up: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/association-belledonne-sports-nature/formulaires/2 (by the Association Belledonne Sports Nature, https://belledonne-sport-nature.fr/). Via Les Plagnes: go up from the Collet d'Allevard resort, arrive at les Plagnes, follow the ridgeline, and once at the Col de Claran, descend keeping left into the vale. Via Beauvoir: after the chapel du Bar, follow the GR of the Allevard region past the huts of Bel Air and de la Racine, then climb towards the Col de Claran. Via the Arête de l'Évêque: from Super Collet, a path follows the Arête de l'Évêque to the 1800 m mark; from there a path runs roughly along the flank towards [->85], and shortly before reaching it, a path climbs towards the Col de Claran. Chapelle du Bar town hall.