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Sunday 3 September - Cabane du Mont Fort to Cabane de Prafleuri
Up at 7 am - a long day ahead. Breakfast of coffee, bread and jam, then a decision as to the route. We are just about last away from the cabin at 8:20 (OTH Club left before 7 am).
We (I) finally choose the longer but more scenic route over Col Termin - the alternative over Col de la Chaux looks steep and less interesting, if shorter. We don't see anyone on the latter route, but many people are ahead on the Sentier des Chamois. It's a superb belvedere walk and we make fairly quick progress around the side of the mountain, soon losing views of the Mont Fort Hut and its attendant ski hardware in favour of extensive and less spoilt vistas across to Grand Combin and the huge Glacier de Corbassiere.
Shortly before Col Termin (10.10) the people ahead stopped. And so did we when we saw ibex grazing above and below the path. These are not shy creatures, and many photos were taken.
It was a lovely route on towards Col de Louvie. On the way we stopped for a brew on a grassy knoll overlooking Lac de Louvie, with what looked like an idyllic refuge / cabin at its outflow 11:10 to 11:40. The hut looks new and is not on my old 1970s map.
As we laze with mugs of tea (those who have stoves anyway) - there is increasing sunshine as blue sky sweeps across from the west.
It was overcast but warm, with the damp places overrun with yellow mountain saxifrage, and the ubiquitous field gentians adding clumps of purple.
We reach Col de Louvie at 12:35. It's cool, with snow, up
here at 2921 metres. Dave arrives first, then Hilde. After a twenty minute wait until 12:55 for
everyone to assemble, we decide to descend to just above the remains of the
On my last visit in 1984 we walked cross the glacier, but now it has receded and we viewed those ahead crossing below the snout and walking on up to a massive marker rock (a big rock painted red and white).
I led the way across here, over rough ground below the glacier. The fine weather meant no navigational difficulties, but if it had been low cloud I would have been needed here - others found it quite hard to follow the obvious markers which led (via a deep depression) eventually to Col de Prafleuri (2965 metres) 15:35 to 15:50.
The team is moving very slowly now and takes some time to reach this col and then descend to the new Cabane de Prafleuri (the old one is left empty and forlorn behind a massive boulder) by 16:50.
We are greeted by the OTH club, who have only been there for 30 minutes - they took an hour longer than us today. We enjoyed beers in the sun outside.
Approaching Cabane de Prafleuri
This was the only night I decided to skip showering (cold water) and t-shirt washing (not very sweaty), so it was a relaxing time before a good meal of soup - carrot salad, pork with olives and rice, and fruit salad. We were all together on a long bench for 9 people.
I slept well in the dortoir after Scrabble with Gaynor and a loud sing song from the OTHs and their like-minded (very boozy) Swiss French friends.
9:30 pm bedtime seemed early, but it was dark. Hilde went at 8:30 - knackered - others rustled until 10 pm, then again from 6 am.
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