December 2013

The stage from Cabane de Prafleuri to Arolla is arguably the most beautiful stage of the entire walk from Chamonix to Zermatt. The day starts with a short climb up to the Col des Roux which opens into beautiful views over Lac des Dix and up the valley towards Mont Blanc de Cheilon. The morning light over the valley was incredible and Anne and I quickly fell behind the other groups as we took pictures.

The trail worked its way gradually down to about 100 feet or so above the level of the lake where we met up with the rest of our traveling buddies and traversed along a road to the lake’s south end. Marmot dotted rocks along the hillside, sunning themselves in the morning light. This area is also open pasture so we shared the path with a fair number of friendly cattle.

At the south end of the lake the trail climbs steeply away from the lake and up a valley that quickly turns into a glacial moraine. The remains of the old Cabane des Dix are passed some 15 minutes after leaving the road, which serve as a testament to how long mountain huts have been a part of the culture as well as a reminder of a time when the glaciers were larger and more prominent.

From the old hut, the path climbs steadily until it reaches a junction where the path forks. On the left the path leads directly to the col and on the right the path continues to climb up the moraine towards Cabane des Dix. We continued right in search of grand views up the valley over Mont Blanc de Cheilon and a peaceful lunch on the hut’s patio.

(photo by Anne Archambault)

Continuing up and along the moraine, views over the glacier opened up and we could easily see the other path crossing below the glacial snout, the path over the col, and the notch indicating the upcoming ladders at the Pas de Chèvres.

(photo by Anne Archambault)

I found the last section of the hike to Cabane des Dix to be deceiving because it involved a lot more climbing than I’d imagined. From the moraine, the path drops right across a small ravine and then climbs steadily around a blind corner that reveals another 200 feet or so of elevation gain to a ridge that marks the high point for the day. Upon gaining the ridge we got our first glimpse of Cabane des Dix as well as excellent views over Mont Blanc de Cheilon and associated glacier. Here I stopped to take a panorama while Anne continued on towards the hut and a well-deserved lunch.

After lunch our path took us down and across the glacier to the other side of the valley. Normally glacier crossings are only to be done with rope and proper equipment. However, this particular crossing is across firm ice and lacks the crevasses and snow bridges that typically mark dangerous conditions. A route is well established across the glacier and is marked by cairns and a decent foot path.

(photo by Anne Archambault)

After climbing a short distance up the moraine and away from the glacier, the trail traversed several hundred meters of scree to rejoin the original trail leading to the Col de Reidmatten. This in turn climbed another 150 feet or so before splitting off yet again and traversing over to the ladders at the Pas de Chèvres.

For Anne and myself, the ladders at the Pas de Chèvres were probably the highlight of the hike. The ladders climb almost vertically for about 30 feet, sidestep 4 feet, and then continue about another 15 feet before topping out at the pass. The climb up the ladders was surprisingly tiring, not helped by the fact that each of us was carrying a loaded pack.

(photo by Anne Archambault)

Rich, who had some climbing gear, was nice enough to climb up and tie himself in so he could take photos as we climbed.

Each of us, in turn, climbed up to the top with resultant cheers and high fives as we topped out and looked out over the glacier below. Once all at the top, we gathered for a group portrait while taking a short break and celebrating the final uphill portion of the day before the long downhill hike to Arolla.

The hike down to Arolla was generally well graded and traversed across open alpine terrain and ski slopes before heading down a steep set of switchbacks into the trees and finally into Arolla itself.

Since we didn’t have advance reservations, we stopped by the tourist office and inquired about hotels, pricing and availability. We settled on the Hotel de Mont Collon after the woman at the tourism office remarked about how nice and “romantic” the hotel was with all the “tapestries” it had. On hindsight, we might have been better served with another hotel since the Hotel de Mont Collon was more worn down than romantic and the rooms had a tired feel to them. The hotel was also located below town and hence below the next day’s trail head, which required us to hike back uphill to start our day.

(photo by Anne Archambault)

For dinner, we all decided to head back up into the heart of town where there were some limited dining options. We settled on a restaurant that had raclette on the menu, which was something that Anne and I had been excitedly waiting to eat. Raclette is a traditional Swiss dish that involves placing a wheel of raclette style cheese near a heating source, scraping that cheese off onto a plate, and then service with cooked potatoes and pickled pearl onions, gherkins, and sometimes meat slices.

We enthusiastically got some of our friends to try this cheese dish, which in this case was served by the hostess who would ferry plates back and forth to the heated cheese and with bread, potatoes, gherkins, and pickled pearl onions. The meal was exceptionally filling and I certainly went to bed knowing I wouldn’t be wanting for calories on the following day!

Note: While Arolla may seem like a large town from descriptions in the guide book, it does not have an ATM machine. You can withdraw money at the Tourism Office, but they will charge you an additional fee for the service. In fact, the next closest ATM machine is in Evolène down the valley several hours by foot and a detour from the path.

When travelling from Cabane du Mont Fort the hiker is faced with a couple different route options. The more direct route, and also the one that’s recommended when weather is uncooperative, goes via the Col de la Chaux. The longer and more scenic route traverses above the valley floor and provides wonderful views of the Combin massif before traversing across three passes on the way to Cabane de Prafleuri. Since the weather report was good we chose the longer and more scenic option along with the rest of our travelling companions (and the rest of the overnight residents of the hut).

The path from Mont Fort initially drops down a couple hundred feet before starting a slowly climbing traverse that gently levels out and continues all the way to Col Termin. This section of the hike was spectacular with wonderful views up and down the valley as well as across the valley to the Combin massif. The trail was crowded with hikers, all of whom were stopping frequently to take pictures of the wonderful scenery. Several sections of the trail had chain handholds, though I never felt like I needed them or was in any danger of falling.

We all reached Col Termin in good time and enjoyed a snack while basking in the warmth of the sun. To say it was all glorious would be an understatement.

The path from Col Termin to Col de Louvie follows a nice traverse up the valley before climbing steeply to the col. Based on the elevation profile in the book I’d prepared myself to drop all the way to the valley floor and then climb back to gain the col. Thankfully, this wasn’t the case at all as our elevation loss was limited to probably less than 100 feet. However, this section of the hike took longer than expected, partially due to the up and down and partially because the last part of the climb to the col was quite steep.

We all ate lunch at the col, by which time the sun was clouded over and the peaceful warmth we’d enjoyed at Col Termin was replaced with a brisk wind and a slight chill. Lunch was our staple of bread and cheese, with some potato chips and mixed nuts. It was refreshing and helped us recharge from the morning hike.

Looking out from the col the hike lead across the aptly named Grand Desert. This alpine valley is a wasteland left behind by a retreating glacier. It’s virtually devoid of life and could easily be a landscape from the moon. The path from the col leads steeply down towards the valley. On the way down, the guidebook suggests taking note of a very large painted trail marker on the other side of the valley to be used as a landmark. This is especially handy because the trail becomes much less distinct after crossing the small stream.

The glacier here is in full retreat, a small shadow of its once massive self. However, glacial outflow still forms small lakes and streams that add color and texture to the landscape and provide interesting patterns in the water.

From the stream crossing, the trail makes its way steadily uphill to the large painted rock where it veers left and gains elevation steeply to a rocky bench that looks back over the valley, glacier, and Col Louvie. The trail then levels out and traverses open and rocky terrain before bending slightly right towards another valley where the trail descends almost vertically about 200 feet before beginning the last and final climb to Col de Prafleuri.

Mentally, I wasn’t really prepared for this last little valley and we both begrudged the elevation we lost as we hopped down from rock to rock. The guide book doesn’t really describe these sorts of small vertical changes but they are important to prepare for mentally so you can understand how to reserve energy and optimism. Regardless, we pushed on and were soon making the climb to the final col before reaching our hut for the evening.

As we reached Col de Prafleuri, we found it to be rather crowded with the several groups who had set out that morning from Cabane du Mont Fort. This proved to be rather fortuitous since they pointed out a pair of ibex sitting on the hill no more than 100 yards away. I’d previously expected that I would be able to spot ibex rather easily, but these two blended in with the surrounding hillside so perfectly I would have never seen them unless they’d moved.

Anne and I recovered, snacked, and watched the ibex for some time before setting out for the final short leg to Cabane de Prafleuri, which we could see in the distance. The trail from the col was rather steep but uneventful. In truest form, the last short pitch to the hut involved a steep grunt of a hike that left us both winded but happy to have completed a long day.

Note: For Cabane de Prafleuri there are several things that would-be guests should be aware of. First, the showers only have limited hot water. Anne and I checked in and bolted for the showers as quickly as we could. However, we both had to wait 20 minutes to shower by which time the hot water was waning. Second, there’s limited power in the building unless you want to pay to turn on the outlet in your room. Resourceful individuals unplugged heaters in the bathroom and lobby to accommodate charging their phones. Finally, the water in the hut isn’t potable. This wasn’t a problem for us since we’d brought a Steripen, but others found it to be annoying that they had to purchase expensive water for the next day’s hike.

On paper the hike from Le Châble on the valley floor to Cabane du Mont Fort was the biggest day of the trip in terms of elevation gain. This starts the moment you step out the door of your hotel and progresses almost non-stop until you get to the cable car station at Les Ruinettes.

To ensure we made the best of the day and avoid the heat we got an early start. That kept us in the shade for most of the initial climb out of the valley. This also meant that we hiked alone almost the entire way, overlapping Martijn only briefly as he overtook us on the way up.

While the path was steep, it was also generally pleasant as it wound through several small villages and steeply wooded slopes. Shortly below Clambin we broke into the sun and the heat started to make its presence felt.

We stopped and grabbed water and a few bites at the junction at Clambin before continuing on up and past a small picnic area at Le Hattey and then onto a broad set of switchbacks that form a ski run in the winter. This section then diverted into the trees for the final stretch up to the Les Ruinettes cable car station.

Just above Clambin the hiker’s path parallels single track mountain bike paths. This area is a mountain biking paradise and some of the runs we saw looked like they were expert or better tracks with significant jumps and features. As we approached Les Ruinettes, we saw countless bikers flying down the dirt road and splitting off onto single tracks and I wished that we’d had some time to do some mountain biking ourselves. This area was also a prime area for paragliding and as we set up for lunch at the cable car station we watch as numerous paragliders launched and soared above the valley.

After lunch we continued along towards Mont Fort. At this point, the majority of our climb was complete and the path followed the course of a bisse gently over the alpine landscape with wonderful views of the valley below and Le Châble where we’d started earlier that morning. The rest of the hike to Cabane du Mont Fort was relatively easy with a steep and tiring section completing the day just below the hut itself.

At the hut, we met up with all our travelling companions. Clare and Paul had taken the cable car earlier that morning and had been at the hut for several hours. The rest of our crew, who had started shortly after us in the morning, had arrived within the previous hour (passing us while we ate). We sat our bags on the deck and relaxed, taking in the warmth of the sun and drinking beers to celebrate a hard but enjoyable day and the incredible views afforded from such a fine alpine hut.

Here we also first met Brian and Denise. Brian is an avid photographer as well (he’s got a great blog too), packing both a DSLR and a tripod on his pack. We’d met this first along the path near the Le Hattey hut but took the opportunity to get better acquainted at the hut.

I also took the extra time to try both some long exposure photography as well as some night photography of the hut.

Note: The huts are generally dorm style. At Mont Fort, rooms had 4 bunks and we shared with Kathy and Val. Showers here are coin operated, but there is plenty of hot water and you can stop the water flow (and the timer) to extend your shower while you lather up.

The day from Champex Lac to Le Châble is probably the easiest day of the route with mostly elevation loss as you descend to the valley. The only elevation gain comes at the end of the day as you make your way gently up to Le Châble. That said, it’s still a sufficiently long and tiring day and hikers shouldn’t mentally underestimate the walk.

Our entire crew had made previous arrangements to meet up with Rich in the morning at the far end of the lake so we all set out together, grabbed cash from the ATM machine, and set off to meet Rich who was patiently waiting in the crisp morning air.

We were surprised as we walked past the lake how the valley opened up to reveal a much better view than we had expected and showed just how high above the valley floor we actually were. We took in the awesome views and the warmth of the sun as we dropped down a grass covered two-track path leading towards Sembrancher at a healthy grade. This path opens at various places, providing nice views over bucolic farmland.

Along the way we ran into various pastures where cows rested and ate grass. Unlike their North American counterparts, these cows didn’t seem shy in the least. In fact, they were more than happy to walk up and engage with people. They even loved being petted!

We’d expected to eat in Sembrancher but our short foray into town didn’t turn up much in the way of small cafes, eateries, or ATM machines so we continued our walk out of town and towards Le Châble with only a small snack. From Sembrancher the trail to Le Châble leads out of town into farmland before veering right and climbing rather steeply up the side of the valley. This path then drops back down to the river and follows it closely on a shaded road before coming to a major street where you can make out the chapel spire in the center of Le Châble.

We’d called ahead the night before for accommodations, but our hotel had apparently over-booked so we were redirected to the Hotel Les Jietroz. We weren’t initially happy with the move, but our room turned out to be spacious, comfortable, quiet, and even had a four post bed!

Having made good time that morning, we had the better part of the afternoon to wander around town, take pictures, and catch up on washing clothing before meeting our friends for dinner.

Dinner itself was a boisterous affair. We talked loudly over beers and Anne even managed to convince several of our travelling companions to try beef tartare! All in all, we had a blast.

Note: The ATM in Le Châble is the last ATM we were able to access until we got to Zinal. If you’re planning on paying cash at the huts or hotels, please plan accordingly. We also took the opportunity to stock up on provisions since the next two days would be at huts, we purchased three days’ worth of lunch supplies.

Since we knew we had a big day ahead of us we got an early start. The first part of the path follows an old bisse waterway, which means the path has an almost level grade. The bisse is still there and at various places runs through elevated wooden channels.

We reached the Château du Glacier hut in good time and were soon gaining elevation over the valley in a steep but pleasant climb that opened spectacular views over the Trient glacier. Because we’d left early the trail was still in the shade until we’d gained over half our elevation for the day — a welcome relief from the heat.

We took a quick snack break at an old shack where Kathy, Val, Rich, and Martijn caught up to us and provided lively banter. It’s pretty hard to understate the views looking back into the valley and over the glacier. I took a lot of pictures as well as some panoramas to try and capture just how awesome the place is.

The final pitch to the Fenêtre goes up a rather rocky and unstable scree slope. We’d had rocks come down the hill at us from unaware hikers above and the loose rock makes the last pitch dodgy. As we finally crested out at the col, we found that we were anything but alone with as many as 40 people lunching and resting. It was far from the wilderness experience Anne recalled from her previous visit here while walking around Mont Blanc ten years before.

The path down to Arpette and Champex Lac was generally pleasant. The initial descent from the Fenêtre was again steep and scree filled, and was most likely an even worse ascent than what we’d done earlier. Otherwise, it was a nice path along the valley side overlooking remnant lateral moraines.

We stopped for beer at the small lodge in Arpette before continuing down to Champex Lac where we stayed for the night at the Pension en Plein Air. Kathy, Val, and Martijn stayed at the same hotel we did, and so we made plans with Rich (who was staying at the far end of the lake) to meet later for dinner. Anne and I cleaned up and then walked along the lake, taking in the last of the sunlight before it dipped behind the mountain, before heading back to a wonderful dinner with our new friends.

A couple notes here for would be travelers:

1) On the path from Arpette to Champex. According to the book “on coming to a bridge cross over, then go right on a footpath… Recross the stream and soon after bear left when the path forks.” The bridge is a road crossing with the footpath following the course of the river just on the opposite side. The left fork diverts down towards the steam, leaving what looks to be the more well-traveled path.

2) There is an ATM in Champex Lac.

It’s hard not to feel a little trepidation on the first day of a long, multi-day hike and the start of this day was no different. Anne had done part of this route previously as part of the TMB but I’d never been in this area of France before and had never visited Switzerland. We woke to a crisp but cloud free morning. The Gite served a filling breakfast and I helped myself to more than a single sitting knowing that there would be a lot of hiking ahead.

As we headed out of Argentière we grabbed some fresh bread and cheese for lunch. These shops open around 8am (some earlier) so it was perfect for us as we headed out of town. Our route for the day left from Argentière, crossed to the south side of the valley, and then made its way along a shady forested path up the valley to Le Tour, then climbed up and over the Col de Balme, and finally down into Trient. Along the way, we met many runners participating in the 300km La Petite Trotte à Léon. As each runner approached, we stepped aside and started clapping to help encourage them along their way.

Our path took us quickly to Le Tour, where we bypassed the gondola and started the long walk up to the Col de Balme. The path up to the Col de Balme isn’t a wilderness experience, you’re accompanied by either a gondola or lifts and flanked by mountain bike trails. But the scenery is impressive, lined on either sides by alpine valleys, mountain walls, and always the imposing massif of Mont Blanc behind.

Col de Balme sits on the border between France and Switzerland with a small hut that serves meals if you’re inclined. Anne and I had prepared cheese and bread for what would become a standard lunch and we made our own picnic on the side of the hut out of the wind.

From Col de Balme there were a couple options for descending to Trient/Col de la Forclaz. The direct route heads down the valley towards Trient, starting with a gentle descent followed by more radical switchbacks in the woods. The other path follows the contour of the mountain and, based on the description in the book, provides a relatively stunning overlook to the Trient glacier. Anne and I decided that we didn’t want the extra distance or elevation the more scenic path might provide knowing that we had a tough day up the Fenêtre d’Arpette. The guide book described the more scenic path as the steeper of the two, but I’m not sure how it could have been any steeper than what we hiked! We used our poles liberally and were glad when the path mercifully met the valley floor.

(photo by Anne Archambault)

While our lodging that night had been planned ahead for Trient, we changed our plans as we made our way down the path so that we would instead stay at the Hotel De La Forclaz. This turned out to be a great trade-off since we had no problems getting a room that night (we’d asked hikers on the way up how full the hotel was the night before), we lessened our elevation gain for the next day, and we cut out time for the next day’s hike as well. For would be trekkers, this is certainly the way to go.

(photo by Anne Archambault)

Our decision was rewarded that night with a room, a comfortable bed, and generous helpings of food. As it turned out, the decision to stay at the Hotel de la Forclaz was also fortuitous in that it allowed us to meet the people who would the next day become our steadfast hiking companions for the rest of the trip: Rich, Val, Kathy, and Martijn. There we also met Neil and Fiona who had teamed up with Rich, Val, Kathy, and Martijn and who we would hike with the next two days until they jumped ahead a day at Le Châble.

Note: There aren’t good lunch options available at Col De La Forclaz. There is a small market across the street that sells some cheese (as of Sept 2013) and cured meats. We “borrowed” some food (banana, bread, nutella) from the hotel breakfast to round out our lunch. Hence, it may be worthwhile to pick up two days’ worth of lunch supplies in Argentière.