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.
Category Archives: By Region
Our trips by geographic region
Tour of the Écrins Overview & Planning
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.
Tour of the Bernina – Stages 7-10: Alp Grüm, Berghaus Diavolezza, Boval Hut, and Pontresina
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.
Tour of the Bernina – Stages 4-6: Fornohütte, Rifugios Longoni, Carate Brianza, and Bignami
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.
Tour of the Bernina – Stages 1-3: Pontresina, Chamanna Coaz, Maloja, and Fornohütte
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.
Tour of the Bernina – Prelude: Arrival in Zurich, Oeschinensee, and transit to Pontresina
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.
Tour of the Bernina
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.
Exploring the Green River in the Wind River Range
On our 2020 and 2021 trips to the Wind River Range, we explored the central and southern ends of the range. For 2022, we decided to visit the northern end of the range. On this trip, we entered at the Green River Lakes trailhead and spent five stunning days on the trail.
The view over the Green River Lakes to Square Top is, for many, one of the four iconic views of the Wind River Range, along with Titcomb Basin, Island Lake and Mount Fremont, and Cirque of the Towers. Less obvious from those photos, though is that not far past the lakes, the trail reaches spectacular meadows and then climbs to a high country of equally magnificent alpine lakes.
Devil’s Dome Loop, North Cascades
In August 2022, we backpacked a new part of the North Cascades for us: the Devil’s Dome Loop on the western edge of the Pasayten Wilderness. We hiked the route clockwise, from the East Bank Trailhead, taking four days and three nights.
This was a stunning loop that took us to parts of the North Cascades we had not visited. We enjoyed excellent weather and beautiful views.
Our total distance, including a side trip, was about 41 miles, and 10,800′ of elevation gain. Trail conditions made the route more difficult than the stats would imply.
Middle Fork Valley, Wind River Range
For our second trip to the Wind River Range, we did a four-day, three-night backpacking loop through the Middle Fork Valley. This took us to Middle Fork Lake, Bewmark Lake, Lee Lake, Lake Donna, and Pronghorn Peak. This route offered stunning landscapes and solitude.