Paris - Mont Roc - Albert 1er

night-train from Paris to Montroc.
a few meters from the station to the cable. from the Alp goes a nice easy trail to Refuge Albert 1er.

we are early and talk to all the other hikers.
a few let us know that we are completly crazy and that what we want to do is way to dangerous.
Lee gets nervous, but finally we talk to a guide from Chamonix, who suggests that we carefully try.
thats what it is now...
we will try to follow the others, more experience mountaineers,
should we feel uneasy we'll turn around and stop all.

Col De Balme 2193m
Albert 1er 2702m

Albert 1er - La Foully

so here we go, the first time on the glacier...
we get the crampons and the cord out.
we follow the others, just to be shure...
after a while everybody takes direction Col du Tour,
but we decide to take the Col Superieure.

that is very step, but now we are alone. we follow the numerous tracks and get up to the col.
we pass on the plateau the Trient,really big and beautiful.
we pass Cabane de Trient on the way to Cabane d"Orny.
after a little break we decide not to take the cable downhill.
so we take the alternate route thru the valley Saleina.

that was a bad decision, the way is nice but vey steep and it doesnt want to stop.
we are completely exhausted when we arrive at Praz de Fort and take the bus
to La Fouly, where we find accimodation in the Hotel Edelweiss

Col Superieure 3288m to Praz de fort 1151m, that is quite a slope...

Albert 1er 2702m
Col Superieure du Tour 3288m
Praz de Fort 1151

La Foully - St.Bernhard

we take the cable, then we pass Feret high up on the slope and get up to the lac de Fenetres.
beautiful scenery and quit lot of people. the pass to Italy is nice.
we take an alternate route to the Hospize by going diretly left after the first slope down.
the hospice is nice, they still have some dogs, but just for the show.

La Fouly (top of cable) 1992m
Fenetre de Ferret 2698m
Hospice 2469m

St.Bernhard - Cabane de Chanrion

there is no bus in the early morning, so it takes some time to get to the lake de Mauvoisin.
bus to Orsieres, then train to Sembrancher and train to Le Chable.
here we get on the bus that takes us up to the dam of lake Mauvoisin.

there are two tracks around the lake, both start at the tunnel.
we take the left side up, first over the dam and then up to the lac and col de Tsofeiret.
nice and beautiful hike, we see quit a lot of Edelweiss.

we are a little late at the hut, they are already having dessert.
we meet a group of french hikers, from the CAF Grenoble.
they seem to be well experienced and we decide to follow them tomorrow.


Lac Mauvoisin 1976m
Cabane de Chanrion 2462m

Cabane Chanrion - Cabane des Vignettes

start at 5, we are following the group from Grenoble. they are a lot faster than us.
we were afraid because of the glacier, but finally it seems simple enough.
the cracks are visible, but we need the crampons on the ice.
basically it is just one long way up. on the glacier are some big crevasses, we keep the cord all the time.
one large snowfield and a steep slope at the end and we are there.
its full to the last place. people from all around the world. everybody hangs out in the sun.
its really nice here.

Cabane Chanrion 2462m
Cabane des Vignettes 3160m