LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 32 Spring 2015 LOCALadk Magazine Stage 4 Courmayeur, Italy to Rifugio Bonatti, Italy Distance: 7 mi Trail time: 5 hrs Our hike on the fourth day began by climbing out of Courmayeur, following some well-marked roads past grand old homes with intricate entry gates and equally lovely gardens. The end of the paved road gave way to the familiar dirt trail, and we began our ascent up some serious switchbacks. We followed the trail toward Rifugio Bonatti as it meandered from forests to alpine meadows full of wildflowers, and on to some abandoned farms reminiscent of the old Alpine lifestyle. We arrived at Bonatti after one final steeper ascent; the entire place is an homage to acclaimed climber and mountaineer Walter Bonatti, with photos of his daring adventures plastering the walls. ~ Stage 5 Rifugio Bonatti, Italy to La Fouly, Switzerland Distance: 12 mi Trail time: 8 hrs The next day we faced the climb up to the Col Grand Ferret – a trail full of yet more switchbacks heading ever upward – marking the border between Italy and Switzerland. Crossing into Switzerland, the weather turned a little sour. As it turned out, our three-day tour of Switzerland was a mostly foggy affair, with a complement of rain. From Col Grand Ferret, the way toward La Fouly was a gradual descent, but definitely relentless. We made our way to the tiny town of Ferret, where we got our first true taste of traditional Swiss mountain homes and delicious Swiss heritage cheeses. ~ Stage 6 La Fouly, Switzerland to Champex, Switzerland Distance: 9 mi Trail time: 8 hrs Day six of our trek was a wet one! We donned our rain gear and walked the short distance from La Lechere (where we stayed) into La Fouly. The rain picked up and we contemplated taking a bus to Champex, but ultimately decided to trust our rain gear and continue on foot. We wandered through some small Swiss villages, past dark timbered barns, and observed a way of life that has been hardly touched by time. From the lush vegetable gardens to the public water troughs trickling with fresh mountain water, the towns radiate with an old- fashioned charm. As we wound our way up through some old-growth forest on the way to Champex, we discovered signposts describing the forest fungi, and a bunch of wooden animal carvings decorating the trail.

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