Turquoise lakes, cascading waterfalls, and bearded vultures circling at eye level. The Écrins reveals itself valley by valley, col by col — and the first three stages set the tone. They took us from Le Monêtier-les-Bains to Vallouise, Refuge du Pré de la Chaumette, and Refuge de Vallonpierre.
For our 2022 trip to the Écrins, we chose to fly in and out of Lyon, France. Flight schedule changes resulted in us having an extra day to explore, which was wonderful. Lyon’s architecture, parks, and food made for a wonderful stay.
In August and September 2022, we visited the Écrins National Park, in the French Alps, for a 12-day hike, staying at refuges and in villages. We also enjoyed a few days in Lyon (an unexpected delight!) and a short stop in Grenoble.
In the years since, I’ve often described this trip as “the most fun I’ve had in the Alps and maybe the most fun I’ve had in the mountains.” We saw stunning, varied scenery, poked around interesting geology, and ate some amazing food.
On hut-to-hut hikes, we strive for a balance in our packing. We want pack light enough that we have energy for side trips and explorations; I (Sean) made this mistake when we walked the Rota Vicentina. We also want to carry enough that we aren’t committed to washing clothes every day and so that we sleep well.
This packing list is for hut-to-hut walks where we are staying in a combination of staffed, half-board mountain refuges (i.e., breakfast and dinner are included) and hotels.
The last four days of the Tour of the Bernina brought us back into Switzerland. There, we paralleled the train line to Alp Grüm (where we stayed in a hotel that is also a train station) and along Lago Bianco and Lej Nair. We spent our last two nights with spectacular glacier views, one a berghaus tied in with a ski area and the last at a classic Swiss hut.
The middle part of our Tour of the Bernina took us over Passo del Forno into Italy. We stayed at Rifugio Longoni and crossed through Vallone di Scerscen to stay at Rifugio Carate. From there, we backtracked to enjoy views at Rifugio Marinelli Bombardieri before taking in the stunning scenery around Fellaria Glacier. We spent a night at Rifugio Bignami before crossing back into Switzerland.
Our first three stages of the Tour of the Bernina were varied. We began with a short stage to Chamanna Coaz, followed by a long balcony walk that brought us to the town of Maloja. From Maloja, we ascended into the mountains, where we stayed at Fornohütte, perched high above Forno Glacier.
For the Tour of the Bernina, we flew into Zurich. The next day, we took a train to Oeschinensee for a day hike, returning to Zurich in the evening. The following morning, we dropped our luggage and took the Bernina Express train to Pontresina.
After hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc in 2018, we were eager to complete another long hut-to-hut circuit in the Alps. For this, we again prioritized fantastic scenery and comfortable huts. We also hoped to visit a quieter set of huts and trails than the Tour du Mont Blanc and to visit a different part of the Alps. After considering many routes, we decided on the Tour of the Bernina, circling the Piz Bernina massif on the Swiss-Italian border. We hiked our 90-mile route in 10 days.
There are many different approaches to packing for backpacking. Some people pack ultralight, others pack for maximal comfort in camp at the expense of carrying a lot on the trail. I think we’re somewhere in between: we like to be reasonably comfortable and not re-wear clothes too much, but we also like to pack light enough that we have energy for side trips.