Tag Archives: refuge

Alps, France, Hut-to-hut walks, September

Tour of the Écrins Stages 11-12: Les Terrasses, La Grave, Refuge de l’Alpe de Villar d’Arène, and back to Le Monêtier-les-Bains

The final stages of our GR54 hike delivered some of the most memorable moments of the entire traverse. On Stage 11, we descended from Les Terrasses through La Grave and followed the Romanche river to Refuge de l’Alpe de Villar d’Arène. Further forays brought us deep into a glaciated valleys. Stage 12 climbed to Col d’Arsine and then followed Le Petit Tobuc — a milky blue stream — all the way down to Le Monêtier-les-Bains, where our trip began. A day in Grenoble rounded out the journey before returning to Lyon.

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Alps, France, Hut-to-hut walks, September

Tour of the Écrins Stages 8-10: Refuge de la Muzelle, Mizoën, and Les Terrasses

The northeastern portion of the GR54 loops around the Écrins massif through spectacular alpine terrain — past petrifying fountains and glacial lakes, over cols, and along milky blue streams fed by the glaciers above. These three stages cover the heart of that arc: the climb to Col de la Muzelle, a lesser-traveled variant bypassing Briançon and Les Deux Alpes, and a crossing of the Plateau d’Emparis with La Meije filling the horizon.

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Alps, August, France, Hut-to-hut walks, September

Tour of the Écrins Stages 1-3: Vallouise, Refuge du Pré de la Chaumette, and Refuge Vallonpierre

The first three days of our Tour of the Écrins would take us to Vallouise, Refuge du Pré de la Chaumette, and Refuge Vallonpierre.

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Alps, August, France, Hut-to-hut walks, September

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.

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Gear, Hut-to-hut walks

What’s in our packs: Hut-to-Hut Hikes

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.

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Alps, Hut-to-hut walks, Italy, September, Switzerland

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.

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Alps, Hut-to-hut walks, September, 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.

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Alps, France, Hut-to-hut walks, July, Multi-day walks

Tour du Mont Blanc Days 9-10: Tête Nord des Fours, Lacs Jovet, Les Contamines, Col du Tricot, and back to Les Houches

After a rainy couple of days, we were fortunate to wake up to a beautiful clear morning at Refuge de La Croix du Bonhomme. We took advantage of that with side trips to Tête Nord des Fours and Lacs Jovet on our way to Les Contamines. From there, we returned to our origin in Les Houches via Refuge de Miage and Col du Tricot to complete our Tour du Mont Blanc.

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Alps, France, Hut-to-hut walks, Italy, July, Multi-day walks

Tour du Mont Blanc Days 6-8: Mont de La Saxe, Courmayeur, Rifugio Elisabetta, and Croix du Bonhomme

From Rifugio Bonatti, we followed a variant of the TMB over Mont de la Saxe and then down into Courmayeur. We hiked back up out of Courmayeur on a stormy morning, reaching Rifugio Elisabetta under broken clouds. Clouds and rain obscured the views for our hike from Elisabetta to Croix du Bonhomme.

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Alps, Hut-to-hut walks, Italy, July, Switzerland

Tour du Mont Blanc Days 3-5: Champex, La Fouly and the Swiss Val Ferret, Col du Grand Ferret and the Italian Val Ferret

Days 3-5 of our Tour du Mont Blanc hike. From Trient, we followed the Bovine route to the lakeside town of Champex. The next day, we walked an interpretive mushroom trail and through the Swiss Val Ferret to La Fouly. From La Fouly, we crossed the Grand Col de Ferret and followed the Italian Val Ferret to Rifugio Bonatti. Continue reading →