Alpage et Buvette de la Louère

Alpage et Buvette de la Louère sits at 1,550m on the Plateau d'Emparis in the Parc National des Écrins, a high pasture southeast of the Écrins massif. The hut sits above the Romanche valley and overlooks the Chaîne de Belledonne to the east. Reach it from Le Bourg-d'Oisans (45km south of Grenoble) by driving to Ailefroide, then hiking 2 to 2.5 hours via the Chemin de la Mule and Plateau d'Emparis trail. The walk is steady but not technical. Horse-mounted hikers still use this route during summer months.
The hut operates as a mountain dairy and simple café rather than an overnight refuge. It serves local Tomme de Savoie cheese, dairy products, and basic food and drinks May through October, depending on snow conditions and the grazing season. The alpage (high mountain pasture) produces butter and cheese using traditional methods. Staff numbers are small; it functions more as a working pastoral operation than a staffed mountain restaurant.
Contact the hut directly before visiting to check opening dates and daily operation hours, as they vary with seasonal herding. A phone call in advance is wise. Allow extra time for the walk in late spring when patches of snow may linger on the approach. This is a hiker's stopping point rather than a destination with bunk beds; plan it as part of a day walk or longer tour of the Plateau d'Emparis.