Pilots who fly into the bowl of the Glacier Blanc may not be aware of a tiny isolated building, perched 3172m above sea-level on a promontory below the northern edge of the glacier's rim. The refuge des Ecrins is the more remote of the two on the glacier and is popular amongst Alpinists who use it as a starting point for a number of climbs around the Barre. This picture was taken during a normal June afternoon and shows the transit of dozens of walkers who have undertaken (or are about to undertake) the four and half hour walk between the refuge and the parking area at the Pré de Madame Carle, just below the tip of the glacier.