Alpine Walks

	*Alpine Walks*

Pages on this site: The Maritime Alps and the Riviera Normandy/Brittany	Alpine Walks
Cherbourg to Aix En Provence: A two week tour through Brittany, the Loire, the Dordogne and Languedoc

Zermat - Schwarzee to Matterhorn Hutte (July 2001)

The walk starts at the cablecar station at Schwarzee (2500m) and ends at the Matterhorn Hutte (3280m), where climbers stay overnight before attempting the summit. It was a lot snowier than normal for the time of year when we did the walk.

A suspended metal walkway provides access to the ridge at Hirli, after which the walk to the base of the last climb is reasonably flat, but with a couple of snowy patches.

We did, however feel somewhat under equipped. Most people we passed were carrying ice axes and at this point we thought we we probably wouldn't be able to climb the ridge below the hut.

We decided to carry on across a largish snowfield at the base of the ridge.

We were under equipped - although there was a rope at certain points, it was slippery. Just before we reached the hut, we passed a small party of Japanese, roped together and being led down by two guides.

Still, it was well worth it. Once at the hut, we had time for a quick lunch of rosti (hash potatoes with cheese and onion), before heading back down. Staying at the up would have been basic, the outside wooden toilet block consisted of a set of very "long drop" cubicles - a few hundred metres.

Kate slipped a couple of times on the way down, her most spectacular being a long slide across the snow field at the base of the ridge.

Gorbio to St Agnes (December 2001)
Followed the GR51 to St Agnes and then up to the Castle above the town - about an hour and a half each way. A couple of hundred metres on road.

Castellar (December 2001): The Summit of Roc d'Ormea by the GR52.

Castellar is about 8 kms from Menton.
The first part of the walk up the unsealed road towards the church at St Bernard is pretty bland, but once on the GR52, it's much more attractive, passing through the remains of a village, together with ruined castle, then up to a forested saddle just below the summit. Great views to the coast and inland to the higher peaks from the summit, which is the highest in the area.

Eglise St-Cecile (January 2002): GR5 and GR 58.
Eglise St-Cecile is about 10 kms from Guillestre, off the D902. It's a fairly unspoilt village with a very small ski run behind it.
We were a bit pressed for time, but enjoyed this walk which took about two and a half hours. We followed the GR5 up the valley to Je Villard with good views of the peaks to the east. We then followed a path and and back above the village to the junction of the GR 58. Again, great views from this path to the south and, at its highest point back beyond Guillestre.

Faucon-de-Barcelonette (January 2002): The Refuge Belmont.

Walked up through pine forest to the start of the GR6 at the Refuge Belmont. Ascent of about 500 metres. Great views across the valley above Barcelonette.
The walk starts at the picnic ground near Bouzoulieres on the unsealed road above Faucon-de-Barcelonette. Although estremely cold in the valley (-20C), the walk was always in sunlight, with a little snow and ice.

Fouillouse (January 2002): The GR 5 towards the Col de Vallonnet and Col de Larche.

The village is reached via a turn off on the road from Barcelonnette to Guillestre at St-Paul.
Easy walk up from the village, about an hour and a half to the base of the col. Pleasant cafe/restaurant in the vllage, run by a friendly old couple. Most of the walk was in snow, occasionally over frozen streams.