Chalet de la Conay

Chalet de la Conay sits at 1193m in the Chaîne de Belledonne, a quiet ridge east of Grenoble that gets far fewer visitors than the Écrins. The hut is reached from the village of Entraigues by a 2.5-hour walk via the Gorges de l'Infernet, or approached from the south via the Col de la Loze (3 hours from Allevard). The trail climbs steadily through beech forest and open pasture. This is not a high-altitude refuge—it sits in rolling alpine terrain where the climbing is steady rather than steep.
The FFCAM-managed chalet sleeps 19 people in dormitory rooms. You get dinner and breakfast, with simple mountain food: soup, bread, local cheese, eggs. The hut has no shower but there is water and basic facilities. It operates year-round, though spring and autumn are the practical seasons for hikers—winter access requires snowshoes. The hut sits on the Balcon du Dauphiné walking route and works well as a base for day walks across open ridges or as a stage on longer loop treks through Belledonne.
Book by phone directly with the hut. Weekend spots fill 4–6 weeks ahead in July and August. Mid-week you can often find beds with shorter notice. The hut is run by volunteers, so be flexible with meal times and accept that facilities are basic. This is hiking accommodation, not a hotel.