La fouly, Switzerland

The next day there was lots of cloud around, but we had arranged a rest day, and went exploring .... around to La Fouly (parallel to the Grand St. Bernard valley).

Here we gazed up the Ar pitetta valley and looked at the end of the Grand Lui variation route.

Then wandered a little towards the end of the valley... the wind was really fierce and we soon beat a hasty retreat

Looking back from the col de Forclaz at the cloud over Verbier.

That was it really  .. we checked up on the weather, and it was all bad news ..  more cloud, strong winds and poor days.

The next day we headed back over the col de Forclaz and just kept driving back to the channel .. despite the ending we had some really good days this trip.

Arolla, Switzerland

The prospect of another long day and loads of warnings in the books about avalanches... especially along the side of the Dix reservoir. Luckily the sky had been clear overnight and we had a good frost.

We had given the col a good looking over as we passed the day before so we knew it was not too much of a problem ... just very icy at this stage of the day.

As we hit the sun on the col we could feel the heat coming through and we started to warm up.

On the other side we could see where we needed to end up, and also the distances involved.

The descent contours around the right hand side keeping as high as possible. and curves around one of the valleys

Coming around the part above the huts of La Barma ... this involved side-stepping up wards for around 30m height gain .. trying to stay as high as possible.

Back towards the barrage .... note the level of the water .. about 100m lower than normal.


Keeping high also involved the odd grassy patch as well ... it did break up the poleing.

As we got to the end of the lake, it became clear that to get up to the pas du chat , we would need to drop down to the water level and then work back up again.

So now the traversing section is over, and we needed to climb up to get to the upper glacier that feeds the lac du Dixance.

Going up the Pas du Chat .... not even at the normal water level. Struggling up we focused on the col.

Reaching the col on the end of the glacier du Cheilon, we could see some ominous clouds building up.

The next section worked its way upwards slowly through the moraine, following the motorway like track, to start with.

Then once we could see the ladders on the pas de chevre (above the snow under the notch), we cut over the glacier to the other side







Approaching the ladders...



Now on them







At the top, stepping gently on the hard packed snow careful not to slip..


Looking back the way we had come



Before departing down the other side for the ski slopes.

We followed the ski trails down to almost the village, where we eventually ran out of snow.

From here we had to walk the final zigzags on the road.

Until we ended up in the village. From our previous visits we knew where the bis would arrive, we just had to wait until it arrived. the sign on the Post office says it all about this sleepy town as we wait for the bus.

We caught the bus down to Sierre, then the train to Martigny, then changed for the one to Chable (below Verbier) and back to the van.

Loading everything into the van we cut back to Bourg St. Pierre, and the same gite as we had used a few days before - Auberge les Charmettes. We stayed in the same dortoir, and were well looked after in the restaurant.

Rosablanche, Switzerland

So the first 1000m climb of this trip .. a long way and 2 cols and a peak to take in.

We were up with the others doing the same thing as us, and were among the first out of the hut, with the sun just peaking over the tops and shining on the Trient peaks.

We initially followed the piste back up the way ewe had descended yesterday to the point where it turned up to the col des Gentianes.

From here we would work up the valley base, and then zigzag to the top. Still in shadow, it helped to keep us cool on the 500m climb. The snow was very icy and we debated the ski crampons.

At the top we got our first real look at the principle summit of Rosablanche - the high one to the right, and also how far away it was from here.

Now the sun was blaseing away, and we took the skins off, and dropped down the other side, the surface was still very hard and icy, and we had to avoid the large chunks of debris.

Before long we were contouring around the bottom, working around to the base of the next climb. a gentle descent from here, working around the ribs.

Here we can see the route up the other side...  follows the contours around to right then left.

Second step done, now to rehydrate ready for the next step - climb up the glacier on the north side of Rosablanche.

Nearing the second col - col de Moming, the snow was getting a little wet and slippy in the sun .. similar to this morning but the other end of the scale.

Looking back to the top of Mont Fort .. the glacier was much flatter than the previous section and we look around to the next section.

... traversing around to the Prafleuri glacier and up the snow slope to the top.

The final section started with a slow increase in steepness before we were zigzaging the steep summit cone.

Then the top .... You do not realise the sculpture up close.. only from down the slope.

Time to take some panoramas.

Now we just had to ski down the glacier to the hut ....  OK, but the snow was getting heavier, and the packs were digging in and , and, and...

We were initially confused by all the tracks, until we worked out that this is a prime heliskiing drop zone ...  most were made by the lazy skiers. We had to try and avoid the badly cut areas , and keep tot he fresher areas.

... the hut is down there some where hiding behind the moraine
Col des Roux to the right is for tomorrow.

The final slope down to the hut, where we collapsed thankfully on the veranda ..  a long way, but a fantastic summit.

Where we had come form

Mont Fort, Switzerland

We woke up to a fine day....  the skies were clear and we had booked into the Mont Fort hut for the night to come, and also to the Prafleury hut ... there was an element of confusion about this ... we did not feel able to get all the way to the Dix hut, and the books were mixed as to whether the hut was open or closed...  the boards at the guides offices showed it open. All was now set to take this section of the haute route.

We took today as both a rest day and an approach day. we spent the morning exploring up the Durance valley as far as the road would let us, before stopping for an early lunch and preparation for the jouney.

I also took the opportunity to whip out the bagpipes and give the local wild life a couple of tunes.

It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful the pipes sound in the mountains and you get all the sub harmonies rattling around with the echoes. Not sure if the avalanches were caused by my playing or not.

Back into the van and off to Chable .. the town at the bottom of the lift system with a huge car park. The initial plan was to park around the corner, but this did not seem sensible as it was home to a large group of travellers, so we paid up and put the van in the middle of the carpark.

Riding all the lifts to the col des Gentianes .. the very top was open, but with only a mogul field to descend and us with heavy packs we opted out, and cut down the piste back towards La Chaux.  We had ridden the lift above the hut so had been afforded a good look at the route.

We could have walked up tot eh hut at La Chaux, but the lift ticket cost was no difference, and it did give us a good look at the first col on the route - col de la Choux - and the approach we would do in the dark tomorrow (all being well).

The piste was soft and heavy ...  we had probably left it too late in the day, and should have been here a couple of hours earlier, but had not taken the south facing slopes into account.

Gradually we could see the hut take form down the valley, on the piste. At this point it just looked like any mountain restaurant. The route followed the track contouring around right to the hut - if you get the correct turn off, otherwise it would be a climb back up.

At the hut we joined the skiers on the sun terrace, and played the game of trying to identify who would be on the same route as us tomorrow.

The hut did not open for business until the lifts closed, so we settled down to wait, taking in the brilliant position, and the warm weather.

The Lift complex below the hut at La Choux

On the other side of the valley we could see the descent from the Trient hut to the Champex valley, that we had completed the year before. ..  Down behind ridge in the top centre, and over the col into the valley right of centre, and back left and down.

As the sun went down the crowds left and the hut opened. We were allocated our room, but declined the shower - the first hut I had been at that offered a shower!