Refuge Ricou to Lake Laramon: The Most Beautiful Alpine Trek!

Welcome to the second episode of my series exploring the Vallée de la Clarée in Hautes-Alpes! In the first episode, which introduced my new ‘Road Reports’ style, we enjoyed the drive to Camping de Fontcouverte. From there, we hiked up to the stunning Refuge Ricou at 2111m, where we spent a memorable night. The Refuge Ricou is a true gem, offering breathtaking views and a cozy atmosphere.
In the morning, our adventure continued as we embarked on a trek through this Alpine paradise to discover some amazing lakes. This video captures the first part of our journey from Refuge Ricou to the serene Lake Laramon, probably one of the most beautiful Alpine trek. Join me as we explore the beautiful landscapes and tranquil beauty of the Vallée de la Clarée.

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0:00:00-0:01:04 – Intro
0:01:05-0:04:20 – Refuge Ricou
0:04:21-0:43:26 – The first part of the ascension
0:43:27-0:45:25 – Timelapse and images of clouds above the peaks
0:45:26-0:58:55 – The final part of the ascension
0:58:56-1:04:52 – Lake Laramon
1:04:53-1:05:17 – End screens
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Hello, dear friends of Provisualstock! We are in the mountains! We are here at Refuge Ricou, where we spent three nights and tackled two amazing hikes in the Vallée de la Clarée in the Hautes-Alpes, France. In this video and the following 2-3, we will explore the stunning landscapes and hiking trails. Located at an altitude of 2115m, Refuge Ricou is a great place to stop during a multi-day hiking trail in this area. It is situated in the Névache commune, nestled in the middle of the mountains. We have visited Refuge Ricou at least twice over the years and deeply appreciate the owners, who care for and develop the place with a lot of love and competence. Before starting today’s hike, I will give you a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. It is a cloudy morning, so during the hike, we will discover how the peaks appear through the clouds. I will provide details about the mountains as we climb up and get better views. In the distance, we have a nice view of two important peaks in the region: to the left is The Devil’s Crest (Crête du Diable, 2869m), and to the right is The Grape Crest (Crête du Raisin, 2818m). During another visit here, I witnessed an amazing view of these peaks at sunset. On my website www.provisualstock.com, there is a fine-art print of that image available. If you’re interested, you can purchase a gallery-quality print ("Cloudy Sunset Over the Peaks") with an Authenticity Certificate by visiting the link provided in the upper part of this video. Now we start a hike during which we will see two very nice lakes (Laramon and Serpent), and if we are lucky, we will reach an altitude of 2980m on Pic du Lac Blanc. The total hike is long, so I decided to split it into two episodes. This video shows the first part of the hike up to Lake Laramon at 2359m. My hikes are not aimed at pushing athletic limits, so I will only occasionally mention the elevation gain or other technical aspects. They are simply leisurely outings. Also, it was my first fully filmed hike, so the pace of movement is deliberately slow as I adjusted to continuously using technology for filming while hiking. As a reminder, in the previous video, I showcased the road we drove along to Camping de Fontcouverte, from where we embarked on a short hike to reach the Ricou Refuge. The clouds are still present, and the refuge buildings gradually shrink into the distance. If we are fortunate enough to have a clear sky as we ascend, we will be able to discern layers of mountains of various heights. The highest peak visible is Barre des Écrins. If you enjoy the video, please don’t forget to like it and leave your impressions as a comment. To stay updated with the new content I produce, please consider subscribing to my channel. If you’d like to support my channel more directly, you can consider joining as a member. In exchange for a small regular fee, you’ll gain access to special member benefits, including a dedicated members’ chat. We are in the Vallée de la Clarée, located in the Hautes-Alpes region of France, bordering Italy. It offers breathtaking views to the south of the Ecrins Massif and Queyrellin Massif and to the north of Mont Thabor in Savoie and the Piedmont region in Italy. Here, we can begin to glimpse through the clouds something from the Queyrellin Massif 2935 m, as well as the peaks I described previously, which are featured in one of my art prints. In the years 1970-1990, there was significant agitation in this area because uranium resources were discovered here, with clear intentions to transform it into an industrial area. However, locals strongly opposed this, and eventually, the area was transformed into a natural reserve. Today, it is exclusively dedicated to activities in nature, both in winter and in summer. The connected localities are Névache and Briançon. At the Refuge Ricou, the source of energy is entirely natural, hydraulic. They are very proud that they succeeded in implementing this system with significant support from the community of those who have visited the refuge. In front of us, in the distance, we can see the peaks of mountains in Savoie, with the highest summit being Mont Thabor at 3,178 meters. As in the majority of my nature films, I’ve left the natural sounds to preserve the specific sounds of the wind or birds. If you’d like to use the video as an ASMR experience, you can turn off the sound and play your desired music through your headphones or speakers. Until we get a bit closer to the lake and to better vantage points, I will stop my comments and let you enjoy the gradual ascent. The mountains we see here are, as I mentioned, from the Ecrins Massif. The highest peak now visible is Montagne des Agneaux (Mountain of the Lambs), standing at 3,664 meters. We will get a better view from the hikes presented in the following two videos. We can hope that the weather will be better in the second part of the hike 🙂 We have arrived at a crossroads. One path leads to other refuges in the valley, and the other path, our path, goes up to the lakes. This is a good vantage point to make a timelapse for one of my future films, "The Genesis of the Mountains." This film will feature timelapses of clouds moving and revealing the mountain peaks. You saw the timelapse made here in the intro to this video as well. This is Queyrellin massif 2935 m Here, again, to the left is The Devil’s Crest (Crête du Diable, 2869m), and to the right is The Grape Crest (Crête du Raisin, 2818m). The beautiful sunset view is depicted in my Fine Art Print available on my website, provisualstock.com. Here we are on the final stretch before reaching Lake Laramon at 2,359 meters. As we get closer, the wind becomes more powerful. That water is from the lake. And here is the Laramon Lake. We finally arrive at Lac Laramon, nestled in the pristine Vallée de la Clarée. Its crystal-clear waters and breathtaking alpine vistas offer a captivating escape for hikers and nature enthusiasts alike. In the next episode, we will continue our hike, climbing to the next lake, Lac du Serpent (The Snake Lake) at 2448 meters, and above it, attempting to reach Pic du Lac Blanc at about 3000 meters altitude. Be sure to subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss the second part of the hike, coming next week. In the next episode, we will begin to see the higher peaks above 3000 meters and even 4000 meters from the Ecrins Massif. At the end of this episode, you will see two images of the lake from another ascent, when the weather was very fine. Thank you very much for watching the video until the end. Until next time, take care and keep exploring!