Day 14: Domhutte to Zermatt in pictures

I can't find the journal I kept on the trail so for now here are some pictures from our final day on the Haute Route.


The view from the Domhutte as the sun rose was amazing. We wouldn't have seen any of this if we had stayed at the Europahutte or descended the night before because of the thick fog in the valley. So it was well worth the trek!

These are the stairs leading to the part of the hut w/ the beds. I met an interesting guy up here who said he had fallen on a glacier the day before trying to summit Dom. He asked if I could look at where he fell to make sure he was okay, and then pulled down his pants and showed me his butt! Luckily Chris was there but I tried to not make a big deal of it and kept talking to him. Then he pulled out some ointment and asked if I was a nurse! Eek! Apparently the whole time we were talking he was rubbing it ALL OVER but I was determined to keep my eyes on his face and no lower. Crazy Europeans!

It wasn't as scary going down as it had been going up the night before.




We made it to Zermatt! I don't know if I've ever been more exhausted! :)

Day 13: Gasenreid to Domhutte!

The Domhutte

Chris’ stomach hurt this morning and he didn’t eat much. I was wondering if he’d even be able to hike but eventually he felt a little better. By now, our anger, or any frustration we felt about the difficult trail, was taken out on Kev – the author of our guide book. We’d already grown tired of making fun of his disdain for the ski industry. We dropped to the level of speculating why he uses the word Pennine so much and that he has wet dreams about the hamlet of Jungu. Today was the last straw, because he hardly mentions the trudge up to the Europaweg and uses the word “belvedere” to describe what I can only guess is the trail. So our insults were in full force when we could actually gasp out a few words because the first 2 hours of the hike were brutal!

There's a fine belvedere over there somewhere ....

I just might not make it!

We finally reached the fine belvedere and our moods improved with the expansive views. The day before, as looked across the valley to the slopes where the Europaweg lays, I wondered where on earth the trail could possibly be – the mountainsides were so steep and rocky. It turns out that those two words also accurately describe the Europaweg. Sometimes the going was very slow because of all of the boulders we had to pick our way through. The Weisshorn, meanwhile, continued to look like one of the most bad ass mountains I’ve ever seen and a huge glacier on one of its flanks began to come into view.

We finally reached the Europahut at 3:30, after leaving Gasenreid 7 hours earlier! We held out a small hope that they would have 2 magical openings so we could stop hiking and enjoy the afternoon. So, to say we were bothered by what we found would be an understatement! First, the hut was full because someone had rented it for a private party, and every single one of the people relaxing on the deck with a beer had been flown in by helicopter! When I heard this, I had to get Chris and I out of there ASAP because we began to think of many not-so-nice things we wanted to say to the people walking around in $50 United Colours of Bennington t-shirts. This greatly diminished the Swiss Alpine Club in my esteem. I guess I thought they harbored ideals of outdoorsmanship, but when someone offers you a load of cash to turn away all hikers for a night – the very clientele you were purportedly founded to serve – well, who can blame you for accepting, right?

Second, one of the hut hostesses kindly informed us that the Europaweg was closed between there and Zermatt. We would have to detour down to the valley floor and then do the heinous hike back up if we wished to take the famed Europaweg all the way. Yeah, right. Well, as upsetting as these two pieces of news were, I believe things worked out for the better. We began hiking to the Domhutte on the trail labeled “alpine route” on our map. It quickly went from steep to SCARY! The fixed cables, hand-holds, and ladders were usually on some pretty exposed rock. The beginning was the worst because were going along a ridge or nose of rock that began to make me very nervous. I was also anxious about the trip back down the next day. Going down always seems scarier than up, for whatever reason.

About an hour into the trail, we took a break and almost decided to turn around. But we kept going and eventually left the crazy death-defying jungle gym for a boulder field which was much easier to navigate. Still, you can’t imagine our relief when the hut appeared above us. I was so happy I cheered and gave Chris a kiss. He was too exhausted to celebrate with me. The hut is on a broad slope below one of Dom’s many ridges. It is right beside an impressive glacier spilling down the ledges of the mountain. But the most impressive part was the view! The tallest mountain around, Monta Rosa, was a huge mass dominating the upper left side of the valley. Part of the mountain is in Italy, so it’s not officially the tallest mountain in Switzerland. That distinction belongs to Dom. Directly across the valley was the Weisshorn. And between that peak and Monta Rosa was the royal queen of the Huate Route – the Matterhorn. Yes, I’ve finally seen it in it’s entirety. It is an impressive pyramid rising imposingly above the valley. That mountain is really fickle though, it is often covered in clouds. I think some of the other mountains around it don’t get the proper attention for their own individual badassness. In any case, the vista from the Domhutte is probably one of the best anywhere in the world and made the strenuous hike up well worth it.

Staying in the hut was a humbling experience. While the “alpine route” had challenged our nerves and bodies, most of the people in the hut were preparing for an epic 12+ hour climb to the top of Dom in the morning. I was very impressed and have never been around so many crazy, death-defying people!

A couple of views along the Europaweg

I was so relieved to make it to the hut!

Day 12: Gruben to Gasenreid

We got an early start because of an ominous sign in Gruben stating: “St. Nicklaus 6 hr 40 min.” and we were headed 1-2 hours past St. Nicklaus! We left the hotel at 7:45, bought some groceries at an extremely limited shop at the main hotel in town, and started straight up! The views were nice but we felt kind of rushed by the long day. We made it up the Augstbordpass by 11:00. Unfortunately I was exhausted at the top. This was probably when the cumulative fatigue of the past 11 days really caught up with me and never really left. We were relieved but somewhat sad to leave the top of our last pass.

Our lunch spot was an amazing perch looking up the valley of our final destination. I admit to feeling very tired – almost more sleepy than anything else. I finally pulled out of it by thinking about my office, of all things, and how in a couple of weeks I would kill to be back on that mountain side, enjoying the limitless views and sunshine. So just remembering to appreciate the moment boosted my spirits immensely, although the insistent downhill began to get to both of our knees!

In St. Nicklaus I decided to respect my own limitations and took the bus to Gasenreid. Chris, with his superhuman powers marched straight up the valley side to the very small village. By the time he got there, I had checked us in to the Alpin Rosi (we were the only guests!), showered, and bought lunches and snacks for the next two days (and wine, of course!). The gracious hotel owner cooked us a comfortingly delicious meal of beef stroganoff. It was about time we stop just walking by the cows and finally eat one! We were both completely beat after dinner and barely finished our bottle of wine. I slept soundly but Chris was restless and felt bad in the morning.

Our last pass

Switzerland's tallest mountain, Mt. Dom (14911 ft)

Our lunch spot

Nice hamlet of Jungen

A nice church w/ a beastly-looking glacier spilling off Mt Dom in Gasenreid.

Day 11: Zinal to Gruben

Today didn’t start out too well, except that breakfast was a smorgasbord of cheese, ham, chocolate granola, yogurt, and fruit. Then we realized that somebody (me) had made a slight scheduling error. If we continued to Cabane Bella Tolla as planned, we still had five days of hiking, but we need to be in Jena for my conference in five days. So we changed plans and decided to hike over the Forcletta directly to Gruben. We spent the next few hours making sure we would have a place to stay that night and the last night on the trail. Staying in the Europa hut and hiking the Europaweg were billed as the crowning pinnacle on this amazing hike, so we were upset to find out that the Europa hut was full Friday night. We looked at the map and decided to reserve beds at the Domhutte, on the slopes of Switzerland’s tallest mountain.

We finally left Zinal around 11 AM, a disappointingly late start since Gruben lay a solid 6 hours away. The trail out of Zinal was straight up but then leveled out to a very beautiful, nearly flat trail. The vista behind us (up valley) was impressive! On the other side of the Forcletta, we were treated to the visual wonders of the Turtmantall valley. The most impressive part was the Weisshorn, whose knife-edged summit was creating its own weather as snow blew off the ridge. The hike was beautiful and only gradually downhill until the end.

We walked through a sheep farm with some very cute, confused, and noisy inhabitants. At one point, the farmer lit a small fire. They all started bleating and ran toward him. Then just as the first sheep got to him they suddenly realized that you shouldn’t run into a fire, and the whole herd took a sharp right turn, bleating even more. They were very wary of us, too, but were cute even when they were running away baa-ing.

We had to stop for several pictures on the way down on account of the views. Once the trail started descending in earnest, we high-tailed it to Gruben in a record downhill time for the Harper’s. We made it to our hostel right about 7:00 – a long day!

On top of the Forcletta, we had decided it was time to eat/”cook” the food we bought in La Sage. So Chris poured macaroni into his nalgene to let them soften. Then in Gruben we combined the wet, mushy noodles with a can of diced tomatoes, tuna, and cheese. Holy crap, it was disgusting!! We both ate as much as we could but were gagging by the end and threw a bunch away. We took our cheap butts into the hotel restaurant and each had a beer. Chris had an enormous plate of fries and I had some delicious homemade pumpkin soup. I think it made up for the awful macaroni mixture and only cost about $16. Our beds were in the attic but were the only ones up there and the beds were amazingly comfortable.

Leaving Zinal, far below

Hiking up the Forcletta

The Weisshorn is my new favorite mountain.

Our hotel in Gruben, the Waldesruh

Day 10: Moiry to Zinal

Compared to yesterday, the views today were only okay. The best part of the day was finding a hotel by 2:30 and having all afternoon to unwind. It was so cold when we woke up! We broke camp and were on the trail in 30 minutes. We passed the Alpage again in time to see a cow herder taking the cows out for the day. It was a funny sight – this rough looking man yelling in a monotone voice, the cows spilling out of a barrack, blinking in the sun and slowly picking their way through the shit-strewn exit. Now that’s a slice of Switzerland not everyone gets to see!

We made it past the dam (“barrage”) of Lac Moiry after an hour, had breakfast, removed some layers, and were on our way again. The climb up Corne de Sorebois was supposed to take 1:50 but we got into a really nice rhythm and made it in 1:30. Woohoo! I guess 9 days of hiking is starting to pay off. Also, Chris was brought down to my pace because he carried all the food, to help give my knees a break. What a guy!

The hike down sucked, except for the views of the 4500 m tall Weisshorn (14,700 ft). It was definitely knee-jarring, and Chris took my sleeping bag to make sure mine weren’t completely destroyed. The other good thing about the descent was a playground near a lift station with an awesome zip line.

We spent the afternoon drinking coffee, browsing the grocery store and sports shops ($30 for a pair of hiking socks!?), searching for a mysterious sizzling cheesy dish (maybe Raclette?), making phone calls and writing post cards. We also ran into Mike and Jenny, it was good to see them! We splurged on dinner since last night was free. I accidentally ordered a plate of meat (“asainette Valainase”) that turned out to be delicious (bacon, salami, proscutto, and something else salty and amazing), and Chris got glorified macaroni and cheese. Mixed together, the two plates were phenomenal!

I'd been wishing for a zip line on every down hill.

The nice town of Zinal, which we had several hours to enjoy.

One plate of meat, coming right up!

Day 9: La Sage to Alpage du Moiry

I realized last night after reading a friend's blog about following her dreams, that I never finished posting about the Haute Route. I should probably be writing about Liberia but let's take this one country at a time ;)

Day 9
Hiking in the Alps rules! This was one of my favorite days. Amazing considering the day started with a slight hiccup. We left the gite fairly early and went to a grocery store. We bought all sorts of stuff to make dinner at the Chalet du Moiry. Then we called the Chalet and found out they were full … and there are no other options within a 1-1/2 hour walk! Well, we decided to just figure it out as we went and set off toward the Col de Torrent. It was a long hike up but the views were amazing. One of the most impressive sights was an icefield at the head of one of the 2 valleys below us. The largest peak emerging from all the snow and ice was Tete Blanche, which is in Italy. Even though the hiking was hard at times, all I needed was to take in the views and I would feel re-energized.

We spent an hour at the top enthralled by the vista. It was amazing how much of our journey we could see. There was Rosa Blanche (above the Grand Desert), the Grand Combin, the Pigne de Arolla, Aguilles Rouges, Mont Blanche de Chielon (above Cab. Dix), and Grand Dent! Whew! As we headed down toward the absurdly blue Lac Moiry, we decided we wanted to camp. The day was pristine and the mountains at the head of the valley were impressive and glacier-clad – the kind of thing you could look at for hours. We tried to find the owner of the alpage (which maybe means “ranch”?) but he wasn’t around, so we headed back up the trail and found a perfect campsite in between some of the small hills. It was heavenly!

We laid in the sun and read, and watched shadows creep across the glaciers. Can life get any better?? As the sun got lower we set up the tent and “feasted” on half of our lunch for the next day, plus a bottle of wine and a chocolate bar. It was a very cold night, though, and a frost set in and dusted our packs. Not the best night’s sleep but worth it for the views and tranquility of the evening!

PS This morning Chris’ pack weighed 35 lbs and mine weighed 30 lbs (pre-groceries). We had no coffee, and our heart rates were below 52 bpm each!

A view back up the valley on the way up the Col de Torrent. Arolla is up the valley on the right. Les Haudres is on the valley floor.

One of the best lunch spots of the trip.

Typical signage at trail junctions.

I wouldn't mind being back here right now!

Best camping spot ever! We spent the afternoon lounging in the grass and reading.

Day 8: Arolla to La Sage

We took our time leaving today and did some grocery shopping first. We also said goodbye to our British friends, who were taking a rest day in Arolla. Chris and I also split ways early on the trail – he took a more difficult route while I tried to salvage the cartilage in my knees by taking the lower trail. We’ve been having a great time traveling together, but it was a little nice to be on the trail alone for a bit. Solitude is a good thing from time to time.

After about 1-1/2 hours we met up at Lac Blue – more like a pond with very clear, blue water. Well, it was a little warm so I decided to jump in. Once my feet were in I realized I’d have to just dive in or give up because it was frigid! When I dove in, I really wondered if I would make it out – it was probably the coldest water I’ve ever been in! There were lots of people picnicking around the lake and I got some funny looks, including from Chris. Oh well, it was fun!

We then hiked down a lot to Les Haudres, where we had a delicious lunch of Switzerland’s version of a slim jim, bread, honey (from Les Haudres), nutella and plums. Very nice. From there it was just an hour to La Sage, where we are staying tonight. La Sage is tiny and I kind of wish we had just stayed in Les Haudres. Our hostel/gite is kind of dumpy but what else can I expect from an old village on the side of a mountain? I did some laundry, then Chris and I sat on the deck and took in the views and some beer/coffee. Dinner was a very pleasant surprise. Chris got lamb covered in an amazing soft cheese and I had a tasty sausage. Now we are hanging out in a common room with some French people. Oh yeah, there was a bit of communication error with our hostess. We asked for the menu and then waited 30 minutes before deciding that something had been lost in translation. At least that gave us plenty of time to get very hungry!

The silly American

A typical Valaisian home in Les Haudres

Our hostel in La Sage, the food was great

Day 7: Refuge les Ecoulies and Arrolla

We woke up to less than an inch of snow. Not a big deal but it was very pretty … and cold! The door to the bathroom, outside the refuge, was frozen shut! Today’s hike was very exciting, and we really enjoyed having the trail to ourselves most of the way. We left at 8:45 and walked along the Lac Dixence. We decided to hike by the Cabane de Dix and I’m glad we did. It’s in an amazing setting, surrounded by peaks and glaciers. It would be an awesome place to stay the night.

But we continued on and walked across a glacier! This was one of the highlights of the trip so far. We were on the glacier before we realized it. We both thought we were still on a lateral moraine, but looked down and realized the small rocks and dirt were actually frozen together. If you brushed the top layer of rocks aside you saw nothing but clear ice below! Once we got to the main glacier, it was obvious. Under the dusting of snow, it was just clear. Here and there little streams coursed down the ice and looked like them-park water slides (Chris even tried sliding down a little slope on the glacier). It was very beautiful. The streams were the clearest things you’ve ever seen. I got some water from one and it was refreshing, and also had an interesting mineral flavor. It was also interesting being at the edge of a glacier. You could see how the ice in contact with rocks would melt first, so if there were only very small rocks you’d see little spires of ice between them.

After probably about an hour, we left the glacier and headed up the Col de Chevres. I guess we left the trail because we ended up scrambling up some super-steep, sketchy stuff. It reminded me of some of our Alaska hiking. You can’t actually hike up the Col de Chevres – instead there are four 10-15 ft. ladders linked together scaling a steep cliff! I was very relieved and a little shaky at the top!

This was when we started to run into all the other hikers. It was a nice descent into Arolla. As we talked to people, we learned that our choice to not stay at the Cabane de Prafluerie was a good one. It was crowded and only had 2 bathrooms and no cooking facilities. No one sounded like they enjoyed it, plus the Col de Roux was very icy in the early morning.

We’ve learned that the Swiss seem to be super hikers. I think you have to be pretty hardcore to climb any of these mountains. This point was further driven home when we arrived in Arolla and a 25 km race was ending that went from 1800 m (5900 ft) to 3000 m (9800 ft) and back to 2000 m (6500 ft). The winner did it in 2:15! Arolla was nice but crowded, especially with the “trek” in town. Luckily we found a room and dinner from some folks selling food out of their garage. We had a refreshing beer with dinner and then polished off an entire bottle of wine! A Goron from Cab. de la Tsa – which actually is a cabin you can stay at perched above Arolla. The funniest part of the day was listening to all the drunk racers and festival-goers outside our hostel. They were singing in French along with an accordion – funny how drunk people sound the same in any language.

Cabane de Dix (get your mind out of the gutter, "dix" means ten in French!):

We were hoping to start the 2009 Georgia season right, oh well:

Glaciers and ice outside of Arolla:

Day 6: Cab. Mont Fort to Refuge Les Ecoulies

Today was a very difficult day in terms of mileage (~11 mi.) and terrain (4 cols), but we both felt great and had a very good day. The only bad thing about the day was the line of people on the trail, thanks to the added traffic from the tour group. We can go fast, but today we stopped so often for pictures or just enjoying the scenery that we were almost the last ones on the trail. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so why rush?

First we walked along the Sentier des Chamois, an almost even trail along the side of a mountain with spectacular views of the Grand Combin and the mountains we’d walked by days 2, 3, and 4. Every now and then we’d look around and realized, “Holy crap, we’re walking in the Swiss Alps!” ☺ We went over the Col Termin, then the much more difficult Col de Louvie. The wind was so fierce at the top that it knocked Chris over when he knelt to take a picture! It was flurrying, too, so we hurried on and had lunch overlooking the Grand Desert glacier.

The hike to the Col du Plafuerie was our favorite part of the day. Past the Grand Desert, we were on flat rocky ledges and passed by a picturesque tarn. The sun even came out, so we stopped to gaulk and have a couple of sips of wine. The wine led to all sorts of silliness heading up the Col (or maybe it was just our ebulence at the glory of the day). We imitated Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwin (cycling announcers) and referred to the hikers ahead of us as the breakaway that we were trying to reel in. Then Chris attacked … all hell broke loose! Once the climb kicked in we stopped talking though. We caught up to Mike and Jenny (the couple from Texas) and then waited on them at the top for high-fives and then headed on.


By now it was snowing/graupeling, and that continued on and off the rest of the evening. We made it to the Cabane Prafluerie around 5:00. It was packed. We stopped in for some hot drinks and chatted with Todd. I got hot chocolate and Chris got coffee and they both came in huge bowls! Yum! We somewhat reluctantly left the warmth of the Cabane for Col #4: Col de Roux. It didn’t take long and soon we were overlooking the Val d’Dixence, with a long man-made lake, steep slopes all around, and large glacier-clad mountains at the head of the valley.

We stopped for several pictures and then made our way to the Refuge des Ecoulies. We were the only ones there – a very welcome sight after the Cabane. We had some delicious cold ravioli with cheese, sauce, and 3-day old bread. Add some wine and great views, it was an excellent evening!

Hot chocolate served in a bowl. Score!















Sunshine on the other side of Col de Roux















Our cabin for the night

Day 5: Le Chable to Cabane du Mont Fort

Today we ascended 1600 m, or 5200 feet, kind of like climbing Long’s Peak! It was difficult yet enjoyable. The higher we got, the grander the views. Relative to the Swiss hiking times posted on signs here, Chris and I are faster uphill than down. I think we just get into a good rhythm and take less breaks going up. Stopping during a climb makes getting going again very difficult. So we just go. Today Chris set the pace and it was challenging but do-able for me. Unil the end, when we came around a ridge and saw the Cabane. It looked so close but was 45 minutes away! I was delirious with exhaustion, but also with the amazement at the views.

I like the cabane, it’s nicer than expected. We have a private room and things seem pretty clean. It’s 3-stories high and has strange horned human heads outside that howl when you walk by. Someone’s idea of art, my idea of creepy!

We are getting to know some of our fellow trekkers. Mike and Jenny are kind and maybe a little overwhelmed by the experience. Todd is a vet from Vermont/Albany (NY). We ate dinner with him tonight. Then there are four British guys in their late 50’s who impress us with their speed. We’ve also met a British couple and a Canadian couple. We were a little bummed to see a group of 10+ show up on a guided tour. The only plus is one of the guides, Dan, went to UGA and has lived in Italy for 15 years since graduating.

Well this hike has been very enjoyable so far. Some times it’s harder than I expected, but the views almost never disappoint and Chris and I are having fun. We came to the realization this morning that our legs will probably hurt the rest of the trip. But, on the plus, they will be made of steel by the time we reach Zermatt! ☺ Oh yeah, the espresso at Hotel la Poste was amazing!

The Cabane du Mont Fort, nestled among the peaks and gondolas

Incredible view from the cabin's deck

Day 4: Champex-Lac to Le Chable

According to Kev, today was “easy.” According to Chris, “It was steep and far down to the place.” The hike was mostly downhill, but that can be very rough on the legs. It started out fabulously. We hobbled to breakfast and then decided to go for a walk before checking out of the Club Alpin. The walk elevated our legs from very gimpy to slightly sore status. We watched old men fishing along the Lac and fog rolling in over the hills. We spoke with 3 people on their way out on the Tour du Mont Blanc, and one couple from Texas (Mike and Jenny) who are also doing the Haute Route. None of them went over the Fenetre the day before, which made us feel either special or dumb, or maybe just “youthfully” over-ambitious.

We left town about 10:15. The first half of the hike was great – overlooking a very pastoral valley with impressive mountains all around. We passed a handful of hamlets. Many of the homes in this region have their own garden, some of which Chris was drooling over.

If I could go back to this AM however, I would recommend taking the train between Sembrancher and Le Chable. Much of the walk was on a gravel road next to an extensive gravel pit, with lots of heavy machinery and a recycling/compost center. It was ugly, to be honest. One highlight, however, was when we realized the Tour de France had passed through this area in July. Apparently, there’s something called the “Livestrong bot”, which will paint messages on the raods of the TDF. The messages went on for a few hundred meters and made an impression on me. Here, thousands of miles from home, you see evidence of two things probably all people have in common. First is cancer – in some form we all know someone who had or has it. Second is the human spirit – the will to fight, the audacity to hope (sorry to steal the phrase), the remembrance of loved ones gone, the need to cheer for cyclists about to tackle climbs that seem just as crazy as beating cancer. It just made me feel, I don’t know, more connected to the humanity around us, and even to whatever it is that compels so many people to shoulder a pack and traipse through these jumbled mountains (I’ll let you know when I figure out what that is).

So enough philosophy. Le Chable is in an impressive setting, but unfortunately it’s cloudy so we can’t fully appreciate it. We spent the afternoon in an exhausting search for groceries, dinner, gifts, etc. But now we are enjoying our 80 degrees private room in Hotel la Poste. Also we are noticing our heart rates are unusually high. Mine was 86 bpm at breakfast. Maybe it was the 3 cups of coffee, because tonight it is down to 52.

Day 3: Side of mountain to Champex-Lac

Trient Glacier

Chris didn’t sleep well at our crooked campsite, and I woke up from time to time, too, with fears of marmots getting into our bags or geese flying over our heads (not sure why that was a concern but I woke Chris up a few times yelling at these fictitious creatures). But every time I woke up, I was enthralled by the scene around us. The horizon, or 270 degrees of it, was lined with jagged peaks, and the sky splashed with stars. Down below us, the peaceful village of Trient sparkled in the dark valley. So not sleeping well didn’t bother me too much.

When we woke up, some chamoix were wandering around the hillside next to us. These “acrobats of the hillside,” according to a children’s book we bought for Ashlyn, look like goats with warpaint, according to Chris. They looked like beefy pronghorn to me. Anyway, the closest one to us made eye contact when we started talking, and then ran away. Then all the others galloped off, as if the rocy hillside were nothing. They must have been very spooked because they kept running until they were far out of sight. But I felt like we were very fortunate to see so many of them (8-10), considering how skittish they are.

Anyway, we had seen the trail for the day the evening before, and it looked crazy. This ended up being a very difficult day, but I was glad we at least knew somewhat what to expect. We started hiking at 9:15 and hiked down, down, down. We had to take a break near the Chalet du Glacier at about 11 AM just to give our joints a break. Here’s an idea of the profile: we passed the Refuge les Grands at 2100 m, then down to the Chalet at 1500 m, and then back up to the Fenetre d’Arpette at 2660 m, and back down to Champex at 1460 m! My legs were so tired by the end that they ached.

The hike up the Fenetre (which means ‘window’ in French) was not so bad because we did a good job of pacing ourselves (AKA I was in front, and we stopped every 25-30 minutes). We arrived at about 2:10 and the view at the top was pretty amazing, as were the views of the Glacier de Trient all the way up. I’ve never been so close to such a huge glacier, it was impressive. It was also interesting to compare it to a picture in the book we are using. I don’t know when that was taken, but the glacier seems to have retreated quite a bit since then.

The only really bad part of the day was the water. There were plentiful streams to drink from on the way up but none for about 1-1/2 hours on the way down. It was hot and we were very very thirsty and growing more fatigued with every step. I was so happy to finally see a stream that I was ready to lap the water off the ground, if necessary.

We finally arrived at Champex-Lac at 6:15, just in time to check into a hotel (Club Alpin), rinse off, and sit down for a magnificent dinner. So all told we hiked for 8 hours 15 minutes. Kev (the author of our guide book) said it would take 6.5-7, oh well. We loved our hotel. For 70 francs (about $70), we got a 5-person room all to ourselves, a 4-course dinner, and breakfast (I had 3 cups of coffee ☺). Also Champex was nice, a beautiful setting but not over-developed.

The Refuge les Grands - a nice spot that we passed up in favor of camping last night.


Easy hiking on the western side of the Fenetre

Views along Lac Champex