Refuge – APASSION

Hike to Vogealle – At last!

robin.tarr — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 15:41:08 +0000

In terms of local refuge walks then the hike up to the Refuge de la Vogealle (1901m) was the last on our list. Starting from the stunningly beautiful Cirque de Fer a Cheval (955m) there are 2 route options to reach the upper alpine pastures; Either the longer more gradual climb via the Fond de la Combe which takes you along the river valley or, the far more direct route up the cliff face which, whilst exhilarating isn’t so good for those suffering from vertigo!

We decided on the direct route (which tested Rob’s nerve), but were consoled with a coffee stop at the lovely Buvette du Boret (1290m) which gave us time to take in the views across to the rock face of Tenneverge as well as the glaciers of Mont Ruan and Prazon.

From the Buvette the track climbs-up through the upper pastures before turning rocky as the track zig-zags across the remains of old rock falls. Approaching an altitude of 1900m the track flattened out into a grassy bowl, the home of the Refuge de la Vogealle (1901m).

Despite being a little peckish we pushed on the extra 20 minutes and 100m of ascent to reach the shores of the Lac de la Vogealle (2001m) for our lunch stop. Whilst the lake can often be empty by early August we found the water level still pretty high but with a chill breeze whipping around we refrained from testing the depth!

Relaxing in a deck-chair at the refuge on the return leg we sampled one of the all time great myrtille tarts (blueberry) which disappeared so quick I only managed to get a photo of the remnants! Yum!

Having ascended via the direct route, from the Buvette we took the longer (and less heart-attack inducing) route back to the valley. The views of the glacial valley from Le Bout du Monde at 1250m (The End of the World) are well worth the longer hike down as you pass by the multiple waterfalls stemming from the glaciers above.

Total trip time around 7 hours with about 6 hours of great hiking; Just wondering why we’d taken so long to get around to making the trip and already thinking about linking the route up with the longer hike that takes you beyond the lake, over the Col de Chambres (2338m) and down to the Refuge de Folly . . . just one problem . . . there is a tricky bit getting over the Col that might not sit well with Rob’s vertigo!!

Avoid the crowds – Try Snowshoeing!

robin.tarr — Wed, 12 Mar 2014 06:49:47 +0000

If you’re looking to try something new on a ski trip or you want to avoid the crowded pistes then why not try snow-shoeing! There are plenty of walks to chose from. Take a freshly filled baguette from the local bakery or enjoy a typical Savoyard lunch in one of the mountain refuges.

Last week we donned our snow-shoes and walked up to the Refuge de la Golèse at the Col de la Golèse. We picked a perfect blue sky day and were quickly delayering as we commenced our ascent. You are quickly rewarded with breath-taking views across the Grand Massif ski area, the Pointe de Sales and the Sixt-Passy National Park. We pretty much had the path to ourselves with the exception of the occasional person ski-touring!

Our first night in a refuge – Moëde Anterne

robin.tarr — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 07:24:07 +0000

The walk to the Col d’Anterne had come highly recommended and for added excitement it involved an overnight stay at a refuge – a first for Vicky and I, so we weren’t too sure what to expect!

For morale support, a little bit of ‘Dutch-courage’ and an excuse for some catch-up time we partnered up with friends Sam, Steve and their (almost) 2 year old son, Barney, for the over-night hike. We dropped 1 vehicle off at La Fardelay before driving up to the start of the walk at Le Lignon with the target of reaching the Refuge Alfred Wills for lunch.

The track follows a section of the GR5, a walk that stretches 1500km between the Netherlands and the Mediterranean and which passes through the heart of Samoëns in the Giffre Valley before heading through the Passy National Reserve and into Chamonix in the Arve Valley.

Whilst our ‘grande randonnee’ was only going to be a small sample of the route, the alpine section of the GR5 is considered to be one of the most beautiful and rewarding hikes in the world and with perfect blue sky forecast for our walk we were all in high-spirits and looking forward to some spectacular views.

The track from Le Lignon to Refuge Alfred Wills initially climbs 600m to Collet d’Anterne (1796m) from where you are rewarded with your first views of the snow capped peaks of the Mont Blanc range. After an extremely leisurely lunch at the refuge we continued to follow the GR5, climbing a further 350m, to reach the Lac d’Anterne at 2150m. The setting for the lake is truly stunning being flanked by the vertical 800m high wall of the Rochers des Fiz on one side and the ridge of the Fretes de Moëde on the other. As we relaxed on the shores of the lake, surrounded by the characteristic squeals of marmotte and the ringing of sheep and goat bells we really felt at one with nature – just a shame we had another col to climb before we could reward ourselves with a mountain fondue and a few bottles of beer . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . but what a col the Col d’Anterne turned out to be – at 2257m and just over 10km away from Mont Blanc we just stood, stared and smiled at the beauty of the truly breath-taking views of the peaks and glaciers of the Mont Blanc range.

After realising that we’d started to get cold and that dinner time wasn’t far away we headed down the ridge to our over-night stop at the Refuge Moëde Anterne from where we were able to watch the changing colours of the sunset reflecting off the snow whilst re-hydrating on a few bottles of Mont Blanc Beer and some rosé.

After almost missing breakfast as a result of a lie-in (only until 7.30am!) we packed-up our rucksacks and re-traced our steps back over the Col d’Anterne and past the lake before taking an alternative route back into the Giffre Valley. Leaving the route of the GR5 we headed up and over Le Petit Col d’Anterne (2038m) before dropping down into the stunningly beautiful Cirque des Fonts for a well deserved lunch at the Refuge des Fonts! Donning our packs for the last time we then headed back to our van at La Fardelay. A truly exceptional walk with magnificent scenery and one that we’ll certainly be doing again – hopefully with the accompaniment or Sam, Steve and Barney!