LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk Spring 2015 LOCALadk Magazine 29 offered views of the valley from which we had come and a vast stretch of impressive valleys in the other direction. With lakes nestled in the hearts of the valleys and a few small alpine homes and farms scattered on the hillsides, the isolated but majestic nature of alpine living became evident. Small rustic lodge-like buildings, called refuges, are definitely the most popular lodging option along the trail. As we realized on our first night, refuge living is a true adventure and we quickly learned the etiquette: storing our hikers and poles in the designated room, taking unbelievably fast showers so that everyone would get some hot water. The refuge offered both large dorm rooms and private individual rooms. We stayed in one of the large dorms since they were more cost effective, and despite a few loud snorers waking us up in the middle of the night, we generally slept very well and felt incredibly refreshed. ~ Stage 2 Col de la Croix du Bonhomme, France to Rifugio Elisabetta, Italy Distance: 12 mi Trail time: 10 hrs We awoke to a sunny morning – cool too start, with a few clouds hanging on to the mountain tops. After mentally preparing ourselves for a long second day on the trail, we left the refuge and made our way across some remaining snow fields. We followed the trail up to Tête Nord des Fours, a summit that offered incredible vistas of Mont Blanc and the surrounding mountains. The long descent from the Col du Fours followed ridges of uplifted bedrock, cutting across streams flowing from recent snow melt, and down into the valley to a tiny village called Ville-des-Glaciers. The next leg of the hike consisted of switchback upon switchback up to the Col de Seigne, which marks the border between France and Italy. From the border, we continued on the trail down into Val Veny, looking forward to reaching Rifugio Elisabetta. Elisabetta has quite the location, nestled high on a hill and beneath some breath-taking glaciers with cascading waterfalls. ~ Stage 3 Rifugio Elisabetta, Italy to Courmayeur, Italy Distance: 11 mi (we only hiked ~3 of the miles) Trail time: 2 hrs Taking one last photo in front of Glacier de la Lee Blanche, we began our winding descent down from Elisabetta. Following a wide road, we made our way past the mirrored Lac Combal that was reflecting the surrounding snow-capped peaks, to Lasaille. While waiting for our bus in Lasaille, we enjoyed some authentic Italian lattes on the deck of a quaint café. The bus took us into the resort town of Courmayeur, where we spent the rest of the day wandering around the narrow cobbled streets filled with history- rich hotels, delicious smelling boulangeries, and eateries boasting 12 or more flavors of gelato.

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