Saturday July 29, 2017

Cabane de Moiry to Cabane Bella Tola

Miles: 17.8

Elevation: +5,003 ft/ 3,769 ft

Total miles: 51.02 miles

The alarm went off at 5:10 am. We tried to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake our roommates but that attempt didn’t last long as Laurie failed to stifle her laughter as Andy looked high and low for his boxers.

Laurie continued to laugh harder and harder – it was one of those moments when you know you shouldn’t be laughing and that almost makes you laugh more. Eventually Laurie controlled herself enough to remind Andy they were hanging on the bunk bed ladder.

This always happens. When Laurie puts something away or reorganizes, Andy doesn’t know where to find anything. Sometimes it’s frustrating, other times it’s funny. 

We enjoyed breakfast while waiting for the sun to rise and light up the trail. With full bellies and a pink sky, we hit the trail at 6:15am.

It was refreshing to be walking in the morning air, watching the sun kiss the tops of the surrounding mountains and glaciers.

We carefully made our way down the slick rocks, taking a high traversing trail around the Lac de Moiry. Near the dam the trail widened to a disused road and we were met by a bunch of cows. 

Some stared at us as we walked past, others walked toward us. Not sure if they were curious or defensive we talked to them with our poles on guard in case they charged.

Eventually we had a clear, grass covered path ahead. Shortly after, a small trail branched off the road and we switchbacked our way up toward the Col de Sorebois. The cloud cover kept us cool but the uphill was unrelenting and we were both drenched in sweat after less than 5 minutes. 

Andy distracted himself by looking for ibex and chamois and eventually saw two groups of chamois. They are graceful animals that from afar look similar to ibex but have much smaller horns and are slightly smaller in stature. 

At the col, we paused for a moment to take in the views before heading down toward Zinal. This side of the pass was covered in ski lifts. Andy, who has only skied once in his life, wants to come back here some winter to ski with views of the Glacier de Vinal.

At Sorebois we opted to take the gondola down to Zinal. It was a long descent and taking motorized transport saved our knees and a lot of time. It was a win/win!

Once in Zinal we walked 100 meters to a public water fountain. It is wonderful how each town, even the small ones, have potable water running for everyone to enjoy.

We wandered through the streets of Zinal following the yellow markers and whenever in doubt we walked uphill.

Eventually we found the path that wound up and up through the forest. The trails and routes in this country put other trails to shame when it comes to steepness. 

“I feel silly for complaining about how steep the trail was at times in Washington State and Northern Yosemite. These trails make the PCT seem like a piece of cake” Andy commented while wiping sweat from his brow.

The mountains and glaciers above Zinal provided a nice backdrop when glimpsed through the trees.

Mercifully the trail leveled out 5 minutes later and we traversed the green hill sides for miles. The mountains ahead and behind us were absolutely beautiful. 

We were attempting to outrun an incoming storm on our longest hiking day yet but couldn’t help stopping and gazing at the jaw dropping scenery.

“They say this trail will make you want to hike walking backwards; I now know what they mean” Laurie commented. 

With dark storm clouds closing in, we picked up our pace and for the first time this trip beat the projected times from point to point.

We were on a mission. But then it all went wrong. Cabane de Bella Tola is not very well marked. It’s not on any of the signs except one, much closer to its actual location. So we followed the directions from our guidebook but ended up climbing a steep road only to backtrack after asking a few locals who responded with facial expressions indicating that we were way off.

Andy was annoyed, tired and ready to be done. But he kept walking. Laurie tried to stay upbeat and focus on the positive which was that it wasn’t raining yet, although the sky was getting darker and darker. 

Eventually we came across the one sign that mentioned our cabane for the night. It pointed in the direction of a road which forked 10 seconds later. We choose the high road because everything seems to be located uphill. Unfortunately this road dead-ended at a ski lift.

Damn!

We quickly made a plan and walked through grass and rocks to connect with the lower road. By now the dark clouds were overhead and we could feel raindrops. Thankfully this time we were on the right trail and made it to the hut 30 minutes later.

“The trails are really well marked and easy to follow until they aren’t” Laurie said unbuckling the straps of her backpack. 

We were happy to finally be “home” but the last hour of wandering was a bitter end to a delightful day of hiking.

Laurie ate an apple on the deck of the cabane, choosing to cool off outside before we checked in. 

With our body temperatures stable and feeling calm and happy to be done for the day, we walked in.

The rain began about 20 minutes after we arrived. It was nice to hear it pitter patter on the roof of the cabane rather than the hoods of our raincoats.

While giving us a tour, a staff member informed us that the showers were free. Most cabanes charge 5 Swiss Francs for this privilege.

Even better was when he showed us to our empty dorm room. As it turned out, no one else joined us in this room so we had it all to ourselves.

After a lasagna dinner we retired to our room to find that we had free wifi too! It just kept getting better and better.

While the dorm wasn’t as clean as we’d like, the free amenities more than made up for this.

We attempted to watch the sunset but Laurie was too tired to stand and wait. She went upstairs to go to sleep while Andy stayed to watch the show, which once again, did not dissapoint.

By 930 Andy returned to the room to find Laurie half asleep reading the guidebook. We snuggled for less than a minute and Laurie was fast asleep. Andy blogged for about 15 minutes until his eyes too became very heavy.

Tonight we are grateful for friendly locals and a cheesy dinner.

Friday July 28, 2017

Arolla – Cabane de Moiry

Miles: 8.39

Elevation: +6,032 / -1,596 ft

Total miles: 33.22 miles

When we get to the top of a summit or pass we often joke about wanting a bat suit or hanglider for the descent. This time we had a bus!

Given our time constraints, when planning our Haute Route hike we combined some shorter days making for long, but what we felt to be doable, days. 

Now that we are here and have experienced how unknown trail conditions like boulder fields greatly slow us down, we were a little skeptical about being able to achieve today what we had originally planned.

The Haute Route is similar to off trail hiking, you go a lot slower than you would on a bonafide trail.

Initially we were going to hike from Arolla to La Sage and then to Cabane de Moiry. For most, this is done in 2 days but a combined 9.5 hours of total hiking seemed doable. 

Over the last 3 days we have been tracking our timing with that on the signs. We have consistently been 1 – 2 hours slower. Our potential 9.5 hour day would could likely be a 12 hour day depending on conditions, and with dinner at 6:30pm we didn’t think we could swing it. 

Although the weather was decent (cloudy wth patches of sunshine) we wanted to be able to take our time and enjoy ourselves. Particularly since this may be the only day with decent views as rain is in the forecast again starting tomorrow.

So… we cheated. Actually, Laurie thinks we cheated. Andy feels we made a smart decision. 

We took the bus from Arolla to Les Hauderes. This 20 minute bus ride saved us at least 2 hours of hiking. Because most of that section’s hike would have been downhill, it made the bus ride seem even more worthwhile.

We were the only people on the bus and the driver recognized Andy from the day before when he had stopped the bus to clarify the pickup time and cost. He waved as he slowed the bus to let us embark.

We wandered through the narrow streets of Les Hauderes following yellow blazes and signs with a hiker on them. The trail wound between wooden chalets with brightly colored flowers in flower boxes outside each window.

Once near the outskirts of town the trail led us straight up the green hillside. We had been warned that the trails were steep but it always different to be told something and experience it yourself. 

We continued to climb up the grassy slope filled with wildflowers, next to a babbling brook. There were many cow patties but we didn’t see any cows. The trail was steep and the air quite humid but we appreciated having a dirt trail to follow. 

We also love to climb, which is why we went to Les Hauderes rather than La Sage. 

The incline leveled off a few times as we passed very small alpine villages, but soonafter it was business as usual. In the main towns many of the older structures have been remodeled but the further we got the more rustic the buildings became, many of which had stone roofs.

We were hiking along, huffing and puffing, both in our own heads, when all of a sudden…”Blueberries!” squealed Laurie with delight.

This was a wonderful surprise for Laurie. There, along the trail were little blueberry bushes. We stopped to fill our palms and then our stomachs before continuing on. “I knew we should have brought out Talenti containers!” Laurie exclaimed to Andy.

We crested the top of the first hill only to see a continuation of the grassy slopes, but this time we could see the Col in the distance. We could barely make out the outline of a signpost on the horizon, but it was there. We like seeing where we’re going and how much more effort it will involve to get there.

The view behind us was breathtaking. Multiple snow capped mountains and glaciers. “Man, this never gets old” stated a grinning Andy.

We stopped for a little break to enjoy the view and air out our sweaty feet. We were making good time and were in no rush.

Once refreshed, we completed the remaining climb up to the Col de Tsaté. The trail was well marked and we climbed from the grass lined trail to one consisting of shale. Unlike other Cols this one had a trail leading up and over. Most Cols prior have been rocky and we followed blazes to get to them, so it was nice to hike up to a Col on a trail.

In total we climbed up 4500 feet from the valley floor to the top of the Col. Some may consider this suffering but we both enjoy a good physical challenge. And the feeling of our hearts pounding in our chests never gets old. Our sweat soaked shirt and pants leaves much to be desired but it is a small price to pay.

Once at the Col de Tsaté we ate an apple and took some pictures, saying goodbye to the mountains and glaciers around the valley of Arolla and excited to see what lay ahead.

As we descended the views kept improving. The turquoise Lac de Moiry glistened in the sun and the Glacier de Moiry grew in stature. The Cabane de Moiry – our home for the night – stood prominently on a hill next to the glacier. It seemed to good to be true. Like something you’d find in a Bond movie.

But there it was, waiting for us to hike up to it and enjoy its views.

We wound our way back down through wildflower ladden meadows toward the lac. Here lay a parking lot and a LOT of day hikers. 

Once at the bottom we began our final 1500 foot ascent to the Cabane. The beginning of the climb was gradual but the last 500 feet felt like a vertical wall. This was made more challenging by the frequent stops to let descending day hikers pass. 

At 3:45 we finally reached the Cabane. And for Laurie this place felt very fancy. It was renovated in 2010 and still feels new. The dining hall has floor to ceiling windows overlooking the glacier. We ate a snack and took in the views.

There were at least 80 people staying here tonight. We ate another delicious 4 course meal while conversing with a couple who live outside Zurich but spent some years living in Vancouver. 

It was fun to trade travel tales and be tempted by all the wonderful outdoor opportunities in Switzerland and Europe in general.

They recommended we try the more technical blue and white route to Zinal (as compared to the red and white one we had been following). This is typically the mountaineers route but there was no snow so crampons and ice axes were not needed. 

We were tempted by the added adventure but once we admitted to having trail runners- Markus- the husband, changed his mind saying it may not be safe. He was right. The loose shale on the descent would have been quite the challenge, especially since Andy’s shoes have over 500 miles on them. Next time!

We watched an amazing sunset before settling into our dorm beds around 9:30. But right before the glaciers lit up in a golden color, an ibex came to visit. It was 10 feet away from us, just grazing without a care in the world.

Today was another beautiful day and we will try to get some sleep before an even longer day tomorrow. Our alarms are set for 5:10am for our longest day yet!

Tonight we are grateful for surprise blueberries and seriously cool cabanes.


Thursday July 27, 2017

Cabane de Prafleuri to Arolla

Mile: 11.69 mi

Elevation gain / loss: +2,330 ft / -4,438 ft

Total miles: 24.83

We slept surprisingly well for being packed like sardines in the dorm. We were strategic in our choice of pads which ended up playing to our favor with an empty pad on either side of us.

The day before, upon paying for our accommodations we had to choose a breakfast time – 6, 6:30 or 7 am. The dorm had to be empty by 7:30 so we opted for a 6:30 breakfast. After hearing the weather forecast we entertained the idea of delaying breakfast to wait out the morning rain and clouds but at 7:30 they had cleared out the dining hall as well.

The people who maintain the huts work incredibly hard to accomdate the 20 – 50 hikers they feed and house each night. 

We will admit we were a little disappointed in the lack of hospitality of this hut. Granted we have only been to 2 but the schedule seemed a little strict and detracted from the “homey” feel.

By 7:45 we joined the mass of hikers making their way up the trail to Col Des Roux. It was a short 30 minute hike up to the pass. At the top we were treated to more gray clouds and the long Lac Des Dix. 


We were both grateful to see a trail winding its way down the grassy hillside. “A trail! A real trail!” exclaimed Andy with delight. 

It occurred to Laurie that our hike is aptly named the “Haute Route” as thus far it has been more of a route than a trail. 

We glided down the trail, admiring the waterfalls pouring into the lake below and the wildflowers that lined the trail. While the clouds continued to obscure the views, the flowers and small plants got much more of our attention and appreciation.

We stopped by the Refuge De La Gentiane La Barma which is an old cheese dairy and cow farm turned refuge. Hikers can stay here but must be self suffient as there is no food or bedding available.

It was another 45 min walk to the end of the lake. We passed grazing cows on the hillsides and many on the road. The sound of their jingling cow bells filled the air providing what Andy referred to as the soundtrack of the Swiss Alps.

From here we began our climb toward Col de Riedmatten. It started out steeply as many small, deep and narrow paths wound their way up the green hillside. We made our way slowly and steadily up toward the glacial moraine of Chelion glacier. We stopped a few times to make sure we were on the correct track since there were trails below us and nobody in sight.

Eventually  we reached the junction for the Cabane Des Dix. Here we verged off to the left and crossed a glacier melt river cascading down through the gorge.

We picked our way across fields of shale, medium sized boulders and trail. We walked to the base of the Chelion glacier and took a lengthy break in hopes that Mont Blanc de Chelion would fully emerge from the clouds. It didn’t. So after 20 minutes we set off again.

The trail came to a few more junctions before climbing steeply towards the Col. Here again, there was no trail but a boulder field with red and white painted blazes marking the route. Luckily there was no snow to contend with so the going was easier and faster.

This portion of the trail is a ‘choose your adventure’ type of scenario. One can continue to scramble up loose rocks and boulders toward the Col de Riedmatten or climb a series of 4 ladders to Pas de Chevres.

We opted for the ladders. Laurie admitted to being scared on the second ladder and Andy understood why when he got there. When climbing up the first ladder you can’t see below you. But you can on the second one, and it’s a loooong way down.

It is amazing how powerful our brains are. It almost seems that you can do whatever you put your mind to, even scaring yourself silly even though you’re perfectly safe.

Once we reached the top of the 4th ladder, we took a few steps and our jaws dropped. 

We had views! 

Of mountains!!

The Matterhorn and many others were in view, including a few glaciers. Finally, our hard work had payed off.

Yes, hiking and physically challenging ourselves is a reward in and of itself but we do hike for the views too. It’s an excellent reward and a great motivator. Hiking day after day in inclement weather knowing what we are not seeing can be demoralizing, especially if the trail is challenging.

But right now, in this place and time, we had sunshine and views of grand mountains. 

We climbed even higher off trail and found a nice place to just stare at our new horizon and snack.

After about 30 minutes we set off yet again down the trail – and yes, on this side of the mountain we had a nice, soft 18 foot wide dirt path to walk on. Lovely!

At a junction we chose to take the road down to town to save our knees but sonnafter the road ended and we were reunited with the trail. As we predicted the trail got steeper as it switchbacked into town, descending at least 1,500 feet to Arolla.

As we descended, we distracted ourselves with conversation and views of Pigne d’Arolla mountain and Tsijiore Nouve glacier. We also realized that we were descending into trees. We haven’t hiked among trees since we picked up the trail outside Verbier!

Once in the cute town of Arolla we caught up with an English couple we’ve shared dinner with the last 2 nights. They are leaving the trail today and it was nice to say goodbye. 

Laurie noticed a shop selling ice cream and lit up like a beam. We walked through town, Laurie happily licking her ice cream and both of us admiring all the brightly colored flower boxes on the balconies of all the rooms of the hotels.

After two more miles of descending the trail paralleling the road we made it the Hotel De La Tza, our home for the night.

It was 3:53pm and we were told that we couldn’t check in until 4pm. “Very Swiss of them” Andy mumbled with a smile, only half irritated. Truth be told he had to poo and didn’t want to wait.

Once we checked in, Andy made a beeline for the bathroom. We then showered, our first in 3 days. 

We worked on the blog and before we knew it, it was time for dinner. Unfortunately something we ate didn’t agree with Andy’s stomach. He went to bed around 8pm and almost immediately fell asleep. 

Laurie blogged and spoke with her mom until she too felt her eyes closing. It didn’t take long to fall asleep in our comfy beds.

Tonight we are grateful for hot showers and sunny mountain vistas.