Moutaineering and climbing
Despite having fewer than 300 inhabitants, Orpierre is famous the world over. At the foot of a rocky cirque, the vertiginous rock faces are 1200 metres high. Further north, close to Gap, in Sigoyer in the Tallard-Barcillonnette sector, the Céüze rock face is also well-known to climbers. The most difficult climbing routes in the world are alongside a via-ferrata.
Throughout the Hautes-Alpes there are numerous climbing routes, as there are via ferrata and international events. The most emblematic are the Mondial d’escalade de Briançon (Briançon World Climbing) and the Ice Climbing des Écrins (Écrins Ice Climbing).
Higher, above 3000 metres in altitude, ice is master. A blue-tinted metallic shell, forms a strange environment with striking lace-like intricacies. Under the supervision of a mountain guide, the climb up the glaciers of the Écrins, the Valgaudemar or the Meije can begin.
The Barre des Écrins, the highest summit in the Hautes-Alpes culminates at an altitude of 4102 m.