Walking in the mountains

As a treat, for my birthday, my wife booked me and her, without the kids, into a 'Gite d'étape' in the mountains, not far from our village. A 'Gite d'étape' is like any other except that it is usually on or close to a walking trail. The one we chose is set on the ski pistes at the Sept Laux, in Isere (http://rando7laux.free.fr/refuge.htm). We spent a pleasent evening in the company of Anita, after a short walk up from the station of Pleynet (http://www.les7laux.com/). Our objective was to walk, with our snow shoes, from Pleynet along a mountain ridge to the 'Cret du Poulet'. It is not a particularly arduous walk between 3 and 4 hours, over approximately 15 kms, with an ascension of about 300m. Of course, like all ridges you go up and down a fair bit. It is a safe walk, as there is no avalanche risk, and it is hard to get lost with the tracks of other walkers.
The Gite was very pleasent, a converted sheperds hut, which serves as skiers restaurant as well as Gite. The rooms were clean and warm. We ate our 'Tartifette', a traditional dish of potatoes, ham and cheese, in front of a fire. As we were the only guests the dining room took some time to warm. However, we were able to have a good chat with Anita the manager. She has lived in our village for a long time and runs the 'Refuge of the Cret du Poulet', our destination during the summer months.
Unfortunately, Anita was fairly disenchanted with the attitude of our local town hall, the owner of the 'Refuge du cret du Poulet', not least because after 15 years of loyal service, they had put the management of the 'Refuge' out to tender. We talked about tourism in the region; the influx of foreign visitors to these small, low mountain stations; and the difficulties faced by the service providers. It seems there is a lack of coordiantion which doesn't always encourage development.
The next morning, after a breakfast of coffee and croissants, we made our way under a menacing sky to the ridge. The views from the ridge are spectacular, to the right is the ridge running down from the 'Pic de Belle Etoile'. This part of the moutains is very dangerous with its numerous avalanche corridors. Far below we can see the villages and hamlets of the 'valley du Breda', a true alpine valley. On the left the scenery is gentler with the foothills of the Belledonne range giving way to the Gresivaudan valley and Grenoble. Then rising suddenly to the ramparts of the Chartreuse. Unfortunately, for us the snow clouds blocked our view to Grenoble and the Vercors beyond. We walked rapidly as, although the walk is safe, it is best not to be caught in the fog on this ridge.
Most of the walk is exposed, except the final portion following a marked snow shoe track through the trees to the picturesque 'Refuge du cret du Poulet, set in it's own clearing. The clearing is a junction for cross country skiing tracks. It is a an ideal place to stop and have a bite to eat, inside if the weather is bad or outside in the sun. The 'refuge' offers walkers meals and hot drinks. It is also possible to spend a night here. We finished our walk here and returned home to the kids, tired but relaxed.
The walk we did is only one section of a walk called the 'tour de pays d'Allevard' (http://rando7laux.free.fr/tpa.htm). We hope, when the kids are older, to complete some of the other sections.