A Short Tour of the Vanoise – Wednesday 29 August 2007 - Day 4 – Refuge de l'Arpont to Refuge du Col de la Vanoise

Here’s Martin’s diary record for Stage 4:

Wednesday 29 August 2007

After a showery night in a crowded dortoir - remarkably quiet though, despite 20-30 people in the dorm - we breakfast at leisure and wait for a shower to finish before setting off at 8.40.

Sue above Termignon

Soon ibex are spotted and an eagle soars overhead.

Above: A family of ibex
Below: A typical stream crossing

Richard and Jenny before the rain

It's lovely mountain scenery as we move away from the main valley. A heavy shower brings the waterproofs into serious action, and we soon pause at an Airmens' Memorial.

After this a brew stop is welcome and views are excellent as valley and higher clouds melt away.

At noon we leave the GR5 path and take a five day shortcut from Stage 4 to Stage 9 in Kev Reynolds' 1996 guidebook.

Spectacular glacial scenery, with clouds gradually lifting. Ptarmigan (summer plumage), dipper, wheatears, snow finches, all seen today. Plus Alpine Choughs outside the Vanoise refuge.

We enjoy lunch during this rocky traverse, before rain rejoins us for the rest of our day's walk.

Before our turn up the final valley to Col de la Vanoise, the valley below reveals a metalled road, tractor, fields, agriculture. Quite a surprise.

The map reveals a high road from Termignon - out of our view.

We head on up the route described on P79 of our edition of Kev's book, up a very pleasant valley despite the rain, arriving at 2.15 at Refuge du Col de la Vanoise. It has a warm room, if looking rather like a pre-fab block from the 1970's, and we are soon installed in a dormitory for twelve people. At least, again, we have the bottom bunks.

Hot chocolates and fine views, as the rain eases, herald a leisurely afternoon.

Martin

GR55 signs at Col Vanoise

Later:

Andrew discovers a rather fat marmot, who probably lives near the refuge and is very tame. Sue and Jenny then spot several (fat) marmots ambling outside. The weather becomes better, with good views all around. Dinner this evening is....

soup! V nice actually, with a tinge of curry flavour. Main course is chicken, creamed potatoes and bread, followed by very tasty cheese and then fruit salad. The wine flows as usual and Sue, Martin and Richard play Uno - Richard wins - then we are joined by Matthias, one of a party of German walkers. Andrew and Jenny read, write, and generally find excuses to avoid playing Uno.

Jenny

[Stats: 8.45 to 2.15 = 5.5 hours including 1.10 stops = 4 hours 20 mins walking, 14.0 km with 570 metres ascent.]

(Anquet: 14 km, 902 m ascent)

A Short Tour of the Vanoise – Tuesday 28 August 2007 - Day 3 – Refuge du Plan Sec to Refuge de l'Arpont

Here’s Sue’s diary record for Stage 3:

Tuesday 28 August 2007

A warm, sunny morning. Breakfasted on sugar puffs/cornflakes, and bread and jam, with plenty of tea/coffee.

Morning yoga

The start was downhill until we joined a wide, contouring path, high above the valley, dotted with pines.

Spotted marmots enjoying the warm sun. The views changed as we rounded the hillside. The path was well graded, making light of the climbing.

We regroup at the sight of two large white dogs standing sentinel in front of us. Signs had warned of these. We continued uneventfully, finding the large flock of sheep that was being guarded. Four of these dogs herded the sheep on the hillside, providing protection from wolves.

Jenny's Friend guards His Flock

Our morning coffee/tea break was at the top of a small hill with views to the Doron gorge, the valley, and to our continuing route over scree slopes.

Brew stop at La Loza

Cloud was heavier now - the forecast was for rain today. The cooler air makes for pleasant walking. The trail undulates, with lots of folk coming the other way. A few spots of rain fall and we decide to lunch at around 12.30, finding a pleasant spot next to the Bonne nuit stream. Here, our three 'picnics' are shared out and enjoyed.

The path veers away from the populated valley, and I eat a few handfuls of sparse bilberries en route to abandoned farm buildings at Le Mont.

The 'Combe d'Enfer' gives us views of our destination - the Refuge de l'Arpont, and we cross an area of waterfalls, crags and roaring streams - no ibex or 'bouquetin' to be seen - just several small parties out for an afternoon walk.

Final stream before l'Arpont

More spots hasten the last stage to the refuge - arrival 2.45pm.*

But the weather was good enough for a drink outside before we adjourned to the refuge.

Showers, hot drinks, etc. Watch very fat marmots on nearby rocks - pairs cavorting together. As it's cool, we occupy the dining room, doing Soduko, reading, diary writing, and trying to stay warm.

Dinner is welcome - pea and ham soup is an instant warmer. Pork (surprise!) with pineapple and pasta, a cheese course, then pears for dessert. No lettuce! All are warmer now. The sky has cleared and the surrounding mountains appear closer as a result.

Sue

* Martin and Sue seem to have changed their name to 'Van Field', which provokes some interest among the Dutch party sitting at our table. (This is the refuge's interpretation of our surname - we soon clarify the we are not Dutch - but from Manchester.)

Jenny

St John's Wort, puffballs, etc today. Also a stove incident. I mis-threaded it onto the gas cylinder. The whole lot caught fire and the igniter melted. Nobody else noticed! The stove still seems to work, but I'm not sure about the seal with the canister. It may now leak.

Tonight Sue resumed her winning ways at Uno.

Martin

[Stats: 8.45 to 2.45 including 1.5 hours stops = 4.5 hours walking today, 18.0 km with 715 metres ascent, compared with Kev's estimate of 5.5 to 6 hours + 486m ascent.]

(Anquet: 16 km, 1472 m ascent)

Vanoise flowers identified on this trip

Bilberry
Alpine Birdsfoot Trefoil
Bittersweet
Mountain Clover
Common Cow Wheat
Meadow Cranesbill
Autumn Crocus
Common Eyebright
Field Gentian
Golden Rod
Grass of Parnassus
Harebell
Mountain Houseleek (pictured below)
Knapweed
Alpine Lady's Mantle
Pansy
Puffballs
Raspberry
Mountain St John's Wort
Biting Stonecrop
Reddish Stonecrop
Strawberry
Alpine Willowherb|
Mountain Willowherb
Rosebay Willowherb
Yarrow
and many more

Easter Monday 2 April 2018 – A Little Ray of Sunshine (aka Around Rivington)

JJ and I braved the elements to drive to the outskirts of Bolton, a test for JJ’s winter tyres, and join 16 others on an East Lancs LDWA walk advertised by Norman as ‘A Little Ray of Sunshine’.

Rain in Timperley turned to snow as we approached the environs of Winter Hill, and by the time we arrived at the 9 o’clock start the planned walk over snow clad Winter Hill had been abandoned in favour of an easier circuit to White Coppice and back. Wimps!

Actually, given that Norman is nigh on 80 and there were other elderly participants, the decision may well have saved the local mountain rescue folks a call out as the planned descent route from Winter Hill is notoriously steep and slippery.

So we took a gentle route past Ormston’s Farm.

A suitable spot for a group photo was found. Despite dire warnings regarding the weather, it was only slightly inclement, the worst of the rain coming after we had set off back home.

It was however rather damp underfoot. Some of those wearing trail shoes got rather cold and wet feet.

Small waterfalls were encountered.

Whilst the Camellia in our Cheshire garden is in full bloom, spring seems some way off in Lancashire.

A random point above Anglezarke Reservoir was chosen for a five minute elevenses break. Well done Norman – it was spot on 11 0’clock.

Suitably refreshed with coffee and cake, for some the pain of stream crossings became more like a jolly splodge.

The familiar environs of White Coppice were reached well before noon, after we’d passed the aqueduct draining water from Anglezarke Moor.

Despite Norman’s earlier promise, the café was shut, so we made do with lunch on some benches under the cricket pavilion.

In a week or two folk in deck chairs under a hot sun will be watching athletes all clad in white testing the sound of leather on willow just here.

Nearby, after we’d departed from our lunch break, we noticed that a few daffodils have sprouted next to a small reservoir.

LDWA walks are judged by their length. Summits rarely feature. So it was something of a surprise to arrive at a summit – Healey Nab, an outlier of Winter Hill – 208 metres tall. Wow!

The walk progressed in fine weather past Anglezarke Reservoir then alongside Upper Rivington Reservoir.

I thought they were speeding towards one of the cafés in Rivington, but it was not to be – Norman carefully avoided the fleshpots, in favour of a visit to the remains of 'The Castle', an incomplete scaled down replica of Liverpool Castle, intended as a ruin. Another five minute break was declared, but most of us were bereft of provisions and only sustained by Hilary’s generous hand out of a variety of sweets.

The congregation was enthralled by Norman’s stories of his youthful exploits on escapades like crossing the weir at Whalley and the stepping stones at Jumbles. Happy Days!

All good things come to an end, and after more pleasant paths on the edge of Horwich’s housing estates we reached our outward route for the last few minutes back to the start of the walk, and a drive home in driving rain. Thanks to JJ for the lift.

Here’s our route – about 25 km with 500 metres of ascent, taking us six and a quarter hours including breaks.

Thanks to Norman for leading this walk in excellent company. It was good to be back with the LDWA crowd after a long break. Hope to see you again soon…

A Short Tour of the Vanoise – Monday 27 August 2007 - Day 2 – Refuge d'Orgère to Refuge du Plan Sec

Here’s Martin’s diary record for Stage 2:

Monday 27 August 2007

Up at 7.15 (apart from mid night escapades) and after a good breakfast we leave the refuge at 8.30 on Stage 2 of Kev Reynolds' Vanoise route. Soon down to the start of yesterday's nature trail, and then into woods high above Modane for a gradual 400 metre ascent above the valley, where cars trundle like toys below and a helicopter wheels overhead.

It's a hot day, but it's some time before we emerge from the cooler environs of the trees, having risen from 1880 to 2270 metres. We enjoy a welcome break - 10.00-15, with superb views south, before continuing to reach Col du Barbier at 10.50, where we enjoyed a 40 minute brew stop in the heat.

We got good views of the Aussois Valley.

From here we had superb views of La Dent Parrachée (3697m). This mountain created some cloud today - the only local cloud.

As we headed along the superb belvedere path and descended to the head of two lakes, both Richard and Andrew began to flag in the heat. To their rescue came the Refuge La Fournache.

We sat inside ("for the heat") and enjoyed ham salads and an omelette, with some (sheep's?) goat's cheese yogurt. 1.30 to 2.30.

From here a short 30 minute stroll led to Refuge du Plan Sec.

A place converted into a refuge from three farm buildings. All very tasteful. We soon get installed, showered, and the washing dries quickly in the sun. My crocs have a mishap, as a strap staple goes missing. I have to improvise with one of Jenny's hairgrips* (*yes, I have brought enough to spare!!! - Jenny). And, what with sitting in the sun, chatting to an English teacher from Paris, and watching a sad pair of lads fumble their way off the hill, whilst an assortment of others come and go, the four hours to dinner soon pass.

Pre dinner: 1664

Dinner:
Asparagus ('mountain vegetable') soup with croutons
Pork fillet in sauce with garlic potatoes and ratatouille
Lettuce
Ice cream (vienneta) + fruit cake and cream
1.5 litres red wine

• Quite a few people seen today, even a couple of English on GR5, but only about 20 staying at the refuge
• Marmots seen today - fat ones - kept popping into holes
• Birds of prey near Plan Sec
• Unfriendly guardian at Fournache
• Nice at Plan Sec
• Good streams at head of valley
• Interesting shower with unstable temperatures (esp for whingeing Martin)

Full moon lights the way to the toilets.

Martin

[Stats: 8.30 to 3.00 including 2 hours stops = 4.5 hours, 11.0 km, 700 metres ascent.]

(Anquet: 13 km, 1200 m ascent)

Saturday 31 March 2018 – Wythenshawe parkrun number 332, and A Marathon Fundraising

Whilst Sue and Jeanette chatted their way around the 5km course, walking it in a shade under 40 minutes, Paul blasted round in 22.30 (those were the days – I used to be able to do that!), and I struggled home in a bit over 25 minutes. If I could keep that pace up I’d do next Sunday’s marathon in under 4 hours. But I couldn’t keep it up for another one km, let alone 37!

The results are here.

That’s my last timed run before the Manchester Marathon on 8 April. I’m hoping to enjoy that event, but it’ll be extremely hard work for a good five hours.

I’m using this marathon as my annual fundraising effort for the Levana School Partnership – a small charity that supports two township schools in Cape Town. My JustGiving page is here. All contributions, however small, are very much appreciated. The money goes a long way when spent in South Africa, and it does make a difference for a lot of children.