Good campsites in the Vercors - Isere

JB

JB

Member
Wondered if anyone had any suggestions for good campsites in the Vercors - Isere. Des Marshall recommends a couple of sites at La Balme de Rencurel in the Bourne Gorge (probably 'Camping Le Moulin' and 'Camping Caravanning Le Moulin') but since his book's getting on for 15 years old would be good to get more recent opinion. I'm after a site with decent facilities rather than just a field. If it has a bar on-site or within walking distance that would be excellent!

Ta very much,
Jules.
 
Long time since I stayed there, but a very good campsite in Villard, located on the sweeping RH bend as you climb up into the town from the north.

Good facilities, inexpensive (at least it was 15 years ago), and only a 300yard walk to all the bars etc. in the centre of town.

However, if there's a few of you going, it's worth considering a gite - not much more expensive than camping, and a damn sight more salubrious. We always stayed in one at the top of Villard (where the main footpath upto the ridge starts), called "le Petit Aiguille" if I remember correctly. 3 years ago, it was 400 Euros for 2 weeks, and it sleeps about 6.
 
Thanks for that. Will have a look at the one in Villard and gites etc.

Cheers,
Jules.
 
we stayed at Autrans - dont know if this is a bit far from where you want to be or not. (dont really know the vercor that well).


 
I have stayed at both the campsites you mention in the Bourne gorge. 2 neighbouring fields. The downstream one is the bigger but the upstream one is a bit nicer IMHO. Saying that it was 11 years ago so things move on as you say. There is canyoning right from the doorstep though  :thumbsup:

There used to be a restaurant in the village a short walk from the site and the ambience of the place on a moonlit night is very special.
 
I agree the Bourne Gorge is very spectacular and atmospheric, but this aside, I always found it a little "out on a limb" for the caves (with the obvious exceptions of the Bournillon / Gournier / Bury), given that on summer days it can take upwards of 2 hours to reach the top of the gorge when stuck behind caravans, wagons etc. trying to negotiate the tunnels and turns.

Villard and the other towns on the plateau have the advantage of being much more central - the parking areas for the caves at both the north and south of the Vercors are generally accessible within about 20-30 minutes
 
We stayed at this campsite between Autrans and Meaudre when we were part of the SWCC / SUSS Berger Expo this year.

http://www.camping-les-eymes.com/

Very nice spot with both Autrans and Meaudre accesible on foot if required. The Trou-qui-Souffle / Saints de Glace system is literally 500 yards away along the Forestry Road. Plenty of canyoning in easy driving distance as well as caving.

Dan.
 
JB said:
Wondered if anyone had any suggestions for good campsites in the Vercors - Isere. Des Marshall recommends a couple of sites at La Balme de Rencurel in the Bourne Gorge (probably 'Camping Le Moulin' and 'Camping Caravanning Le Moulin') but since his book's getting on for 15 years old would be good to get more recent opinion. I'm after a site with decent facilities rather than just a field. If it has a bar on-site or within walking distance that would be excellent!

Ta very much,
Jules.
Click to expand...

Both camp sites at Rencurel seem to have closed in recent years. You say "Vercors - Isere" so you want to stay in the north of the Vercors, the main villages/towns are Villard-de-Lans, Autrans, Meaudre and Lans, all have camp sites and I can pick up a local guide for you this week (which includes a list of camp sites and gites) if you want (you'll have to PM me your address). It may be worth listing the location of the caves you want to do before deciding on where to stay, in order to reduce travel time?

If I can be of further help, let me know.

Cheers,

Glenn
via the Speleo Vercors wifi LAN

 
Glenn said:
It may be worth listing the location of the caves you want to do before deciding on where to stay, in order to reduce travel time?
Click to expand...

Ey up Glenn,

Thanks for that! I've just bought the IGN Top 25 3235OT (Autrans) and 3236OT (Villard de Lans Mont Aiguille Parc Naturel Reg) maps and plotted the caves on there that look particularly good. I need to have a word with the other people who are keen but I reckon Villard-de-Lans is central to the places that we want to go. I'm planning a two-week Eldon trip for the week before and the week of the conference. If you get chance to pick up some info on campsites/gites in that area that would be superb. I'll PM you my address and get you a beer in the Speleobar.

Cheers,
Jules.
 
JB said:
Glenn said:
It may be worth listing the location of the caves you want to do before deciding on where to stay, in order to reduce travel time?
Click to expand...

Ey up Glenn,

Thanks for that! I've just bought the IGN Top 25 3235OT (Autrans) and 3236OT (Villard de Lans Mont Aiguille Parc Naturel Reg) maps and plotted the caves on there that look particularly good. I need to have a word with the other people who are keen but I reckon Villard-de-Lans is central to the places that we want to go. I'm planning a two-week Eldon trip for the week before and the week of the conference. If you get chance to pick up some info on campsites/gites in that area that would be superb. I'll PM you my address and get you a beer in the Speleobar.

Cheers,
Jules.
Click to expand...

Hi Jules, I'll call in at Villard on my way back on Friday and pick up a local guide. Do you have Speleo Dans le Vercors Tome 1 & 2? These are the most up to date (and accurate) guides to the caves of the Vercors. They were published in '97 and '99 respectively so are not completely up to date (there have been several new finds since they were published) but they are very accurate in terms of rigging and rope lengths (although locations can be a bit vague...).

Cheers,

Glenn
via the Speleo Vercors wifi LAN
 
Hi Glenn,

Thanks, that would be great! Yep - fortunately I was recently given both books in great condition by a friend who's packed in foreign caving. We're going to have people wanting to do all sorts from easy trips with the kids to bigger stuff. Personally, I like the look of the Scialet du Tonnerre and Scialet du Blizzard. The Vercors 2008 website says that the Tonnerre should be rigged so that would be nice to get into. Some friends have just come back from the Scialet du Silence which apparently was a big, big trip and they said they were all in survival mode on the way out. Given that, I suspect that the Blizzard may be a monster!

Cheers,
Jules.
 
Just a quick note may or may not be of help. I was there last year and the Autrans site is very nice but also very expensive. the second time out we stayed at the municipale site down valley from Choranche show cave i think it was called the Choranche site, nice spot, good views, toilet block not bad and a bread van comes every morning at 7:30am ish and its way cheaper than Autrans. Also not too far to drive to caves and good canyons nearby. Reccomend doing the upper and lower Ecouges, amazing.
 
spikey said:
Just checked - the campsite is called "Camping de l'Orsiere" and is on the Villard tourist site http://www.ot-villard-de-lans.fr/www-liste_camping_villard-640-ETE-UK-presta.html.

The gite is not listed, but I seem to remember having to phone up the tourist office to get the contact details. It is located on Chemin de la Fauges at the Eastern extremity of the town.
Click to expand...

I can recommend this campsite, we were there this summer. Excellent facilities and they welcomed us cavers. Lots of other caving groups there as well as us.
 
We've always been very happy with l'Oursiere in Villard. However, it's very popular and if you don't book soon you may have difficulties getting a space. As you note, it's find-able online; and the male owner has fair English that he's happy to practice (the lady's is passable but probably not phone-proof).

I can strongly recommend both Silence and Blizzard (from what I've seen) but it's worth considering a bivouac up there (if you can manage water supply). I have some further rigging notes for the Silence that I made in 06 - extra from that in Tome 2 - so if they'd be any use, get in contact sometime. If you're doing the caves up the hill, Villard is by far the most sensible place to stay.

Note that the tele makes the access rather easier (!) so you're okay in the summer, but it's generally undergoing maintenance early in the season. Should be fine in high season, though; also it may well be that some of the caves are pre-rigged for visitors.
 
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