 DAYS FIVE & SIX – July 7 & 8 Enjoyed half day off on Day five and strolled around Courmayeur, then hopped on a bus along Val Ferret before jumping back on the trail, which included epic view and some very sketchy snow bridges on the way to Rifugio Elena. Crossed into Switzerland on Day 6 on the Grand Col Ferret at 2,537 meters above sea level and enjoyed a great night’s sleep in the attic at Hotel du Col du Fenetre. DAY FIVE A lot of hikers will take a day off on Courmayeur to rest as the last four can be quite strenuous. But, despite having reserved our accommodation in April, we couldn’t find a way to book a rest day. Instead, we opted to take the morning off and enjoy the town. We wandered around, picked up supplies, and enjoyed a yummy croissant and a really good coffee. I wasn’t feeling 100% (icky tummy troubles) and decided that the best option for me was to skip the steep ascent out of town and take a bus part way. We spoke to several other hikers who chose the bus option as well. It was 3 euros and worth it if you need to give your tired legs and back a bit of a break. Although, in retrospect I wish I had hiked that part of the trail because apparently it’s quite spectacular and the views of the Planpincieux Glacier are incredible. This is the glacier that is breaking away and that has forced officials to close the road along the Val du Ferret (the road we took on the bus) and evacuate the area. This road was incredibly busy with day trippers and other folks enjoying the outdoors. To give you an indication of how popular this area is we encountered several traffic jams on the narrow two lane road because there were so many cars and people trying to get around. We hopped back on the trail by the Val Ferret Hotel. It was a nice short 300 meter ascent up to the Rifugio Elena. This was one section of trail that you want to turn around and look back. The views of Val Ferret are quite stunning. Also half way up there’s his huge boulder, which makes for a handy makeshift seat. Bonus. Turn back again and you’ll see this – the valley, the trail and a glacier stream: You’ll recall I mentioned something about sketchy snow bridges. Things were melting fast and furiously – you could tell by the thunderous sound of the rushing water. Even within the last few days, it was clear that they were becoming more granular as snow melts and turns to icy bits, that and scary holes in the bridge were appearing, which was making the sound of the rushing water even louder. There’s no way of knowing how thick a snow bridge is and that’s the scary part. Oh and if you slip, there’s nothing to catch you.  Our accommodation for the night was the purposely built Rifugio Elena. Two things stand out about this refuge. One: the toilets. They are not real toilets, or at least the kind North Americans are use to. Rifugio Elena’s are the kind that require you to squat. And squatting requires quad power and if you’re been hiking for days, your quads are more sore than powerful so let’s just say, using the toilet was somewhere between a battle of wills and a comedy of errors. Two: the accommodation is huge dormitories. It was actually really well set up. Every bunk had its own hooks for hanging things and a shelf to put things on and a wall between each. But, the one unpredictable thing about sharing a dorm is the other people sharing it with you. In our case, there was a rather large group of Italian cyclists. They really fancied parading around in their little underwear! Apparently they didn’t get the book on dorm etiquette. Tip: Always have earplugs with you! It’s the only way to get a good night’s sleep when sharing a dorm.  DAY SIX By now getting ready in the morning was routine. Get dressed while still in your bunk and then get ready. Bags packed and then up for breakfast. Out the door and right away we started the 500 meter ascent up to the Grand Col Ferret.  I find it hard to capture a steep ascent in a photo. But this one shows where Rifufio Elena is (arrow) and how far up we had hiked. Great perspective. And this was only halfway to the Col! I almost feel out of breath looking at this photo:  A lot of huffing and puffing later, we made it to the Swiss border! These stone markers are all the indicate the border. It’s all rather unceremonious. And cold. It was very cold on the Col.  The landscape seemed to dramatically change as we took our first steps in Switzerland. It was all kinds of wonderful. Big open space kind of wonderful. And all kinds of my favourite don’t-look-down cliffs high trails. And all kinds of green.    We began to pass hikers heading south who shared some delightful information with us. There was a cafe up ahead and it sold milkshakes! (I did not have a milkshake but they did have beer!) Which also meant they most likely had a toilet. Spoiler: they did. A totally normal toilet. Our view while enjoying those milkshakes and beers:  Day 7While we enjoyed our refreshing break we chatting with three men from Israel. It turns out we were on the same schedule from now but they camped whereas we stayed indoors.
It wasn’t far to go from there to our accommodation for the night – just about an hour’s walk along a quiet road. Even with the steep ascent at the start of the day, it was a really nice day. Not too long and that was fine by us. We had a late lunch in the outdoor garden of our hotel before settling into our attic room with private bath (oh the luxury!) at the Hotel Col de la Fenetre. Day six done. Next: Day 7 Go back: Day 4
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