Exercise Incentive - Refuge des Bans

We'll be the first to admit that we're not the most active of people. In fact, we need a little incentive to even attempt some kind of cardiovascular.

So when we went on holiday to the alps, our Dad knew the only way he could coax us up a mountain would be if there were a little sweet treat at the end of the trail...

This is where refuges come in. These little mountain huts were invented for the hardy hikers to break up their expeditions and refuel. Thankfully, they also come in handy to lazy folks like us, who walk for 2 hours and declare themselves utterly exhausted and in great need of sustenance. This is exactly what happened on our recent trip to the Refuge des Bans in the Parc des Ecrins.

Parc des Ecrins is a stunning national park in the French Alps, 2083m above sea level. Refuge des Bans is nestled in the mountains and the scenic walk up to it is not too demanding. You pass waterfalls, frog ponds and beautiful mountain flowers.

As if the walk wasn't delightful enough, the real reward was the homemade praline crepe and steaming bowls of hot chocolate. Perfect after a slightly damp walk, we warmed up in the cosy alpine interior and had a lovely chat with the friendly owners.

God only knows what kind of spread they would have to lay on to get us up Everest!

http://refugedesbans.ffcam.fr/situation---acces.html

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