Refuge des Drayères

The Refuge des Drayères is located at 2180 m at the end of the Clarée valley above Névache, in the municipality of Névache in the Département Hautes-Alpes. The hut belongs to the Briançon section of the French Alpine Club FFCAM and offers around 64 beds in multi-bed dormitories. It is typically manned from February to around May and again from June to September, making it an important base in both winter and summer. Culinary delights await guests in the form of simple, home-cooked meals prepared mainly from organic or local produce; hot meals, cakes and drinks are served during the day, a communal menu is served in the evening, packed lunches are also prepared on request and special dietary requirements are catered for where possible. In summer, the refuge can be reached in around an hour from the parking lots at Laval or Plan Lachat, from Névache in a good four to four and a half hours with an ascent of around 600 m, in winter in three to four hours on the snow-covered valley road or via ski or snowshoe routes. The hut is a stage stop on the GR57 (Tour du Mont Thabor) and a frequent stop on the Tour des Cerces; nearby are Lac Rond, Lac du Grand Ban and other lakes as well as ski tour destinations such as Pointe de Roche-Château or Pointe des Cerces. Depending on the months when it is open, it is suitable for multi-day trekking tours as well as family-friendly short stays, as the short ascent from Laval also makes it attractive for children, older people and people with limited mobility. As in all alpine regions, the current weather conditions, avalanche and trail conditions, any closures and the capacity of the refuge should always be checked before embarking on a tour.