HAUTE ROUTE_2013
DAY 6: CABANE DE PRAFLEURI (9593 FT) TO AROLLA (6581 FT)
(Stage 7; via Col des Roux, 9199 ft; Pas de Chevres, 9367 ft)
We woke up around 6am. Fan got probably less than 2 hours of sleep and, for the second time on the trip, he (privately) entertained thoughts of bailing on the next stage and instead taking a bus to Arolla. After all, that’s what Bruce, Christine, and the three British hikers planned to do. Jan and Nagas would continue along the main route, over Col des Roux, along Lac des Dix, and stay at Cabane de Dix, but they did not plan to set out until later in the morning. So we were on our own to start the day.
After breakfast (the usual) at Cabane de Prafleuri, we set out at 7:45am. The morning started the same way as yesterday, sunny and cool, with icy tracks on a steep ascent up the northwest face of Col des Roux. We were pleasantly surprised to find the ascent less challenging than we had expected. But that did not soften the blow to our egos when we were passed first by an elderly hiker and then a young female in cut-off jean shorts and a t-shirt with no hiking poles.
The southeast facing descent from the pass was free of snow and non-technical for a change. From the top of Col des Roux (9199 ft) we had a tremendous view of the 5km-long Lac des Dix (7756 ft) and could even see Col de Riedmatten and Pas de Chevres (9367 ft) in the distance beyond the southern tip of the lake. We stopped at Refuge La Barma for a quick break and snack, saw countless marmots nearby, and then continued along the west side of the Lac des Dix on a very flat and wide trail for a long stretch. We passed Jan and Nagas, saw an ibex, had great views of Mont Blanc de Cheilon, and eventually reached the southern tip of Lac des Dix around noon and stopped for lunch on a grassy bluff. The weather was perfect, sunny, warm, and breezy. In addition to the usual ham & cheese sandwiches, we also ate apples, olives, chocolates, and gingerbread.
We hiked farther south into the valley of Glacier du Cheilon than suggested by Kev Reynold’s guidebook and our topo maps before finding a sturdy metal bridge to cross east over the rapid glacial flows. (Near the top of the ridge to the west, close to Cabane des Dix, we saw several hikers glissading down a steep snow slope. It looked fun. Next time, we told ourselves.) The trail blazes were abundant and clearly looked new, so this was probably a recent rerouting of the trail due to rock slides. The approach to Pas de Chevres was mostly scree, boulder fields, and some snow, but none of it was very difficult. However, the last 15 minutes of the approach to the base of the ladders at Pas de Chevres involved some steep scrambling on very loose scree and boulders. (This short section rivaled the scariest moments from Day 5. In hindsight, we may have been slightly off route.) There are three near-vertical ladders bolted onto the side of the cliff at Pas de Chevres. Climbing the ladders was exposed of course but otherwise fun and uneventful. The descent down the east face of Pas de Chevres was non-technical and snow-free.
We arrived at the small town of Arolla around 5:30pm and checked into Hotel du Glacier. We were given a large double room with full bathroom, and a large balcony with a great view of Glacier du Mt. Collon. We did some laundry and relaxed on the balcony a bit with a beer and a Rivella. Dinner was served on the terrace of Hotel du Glacier, with two friendly horses grazing next to our table. The food was delicious: chilled tomato stuffed with diced zucchini and carrots and topped with a soft boiled egg; chicken breast with tomato sauce, steamed veggies, and rice; fresh apricot tart with whipped cream; and a hot Ovolmaltine. The three British hikers happened to walk by the terrace during dinner, so we said hi and chatted a bit. The hotel staff kindly called ahead to make a reservation for us at Hotel de La Sage for tomorrow night. We relaxed some more in our room and went to bed around 9:30-10pm.
10 miles, 9.75 hours.