Last night’s stay at the Praflaurie hut was super crowded with about 70 hikers. Amazing considering how virtually remote it was and how far it is to get there from Verbier. Actually there were two routes and we took the more scenic and exposed route which afforded the rare opportunity to see both Chamois and Ibex in the wild. I’ll have to do some photoshop cropping to get them to show up in the photos before I can prove our proximity.
Our room was a double bunk bed with a Russian couple below with whom we never spoke a word but exchanged some smiles. Other rooms had 12 and (we heard) as many as 16 bunks. Dinner is served family style, with soup then salad and then a goulash with mashed potatoes. Surprisingly there was plenty and even seconds and thirds. Construction of the hut was reasonably new but they only provide 2 pay showers and two toilets for that many bunks. Needless to say it was quite interesting to see the line coming away from the bathroom.
Weather has still been wonderful but stormy weather is forecast. We are about three valleys over from the Mont Blanc massif and can only see the backside when we summit a pass. Another interesting fact about the hikers is that they have solidified into mostly English speaking variety. The French contingent has mostly turned at the Tour du Mont Blanc trail and now it’s almost all English on the tracks. The real interesting group is from Seattle with an 81 year old couple and their sons and families, 11 in total. Of course there are several versions of American tours on the route and they vary from supported luggage and lunches to the guided versions.
Today’s route featured a Hobson’s choice of 70′ vertical ladders or a long loose gravel climb over the adjacent Summit, followed by a 1000 meter descent in to the town of Arolla with it’s three hotels and single ski lift. The small town square was filled on my arrival with another trail runner’s finish line. Seems to be quite popular, this ultra trail running around here. The field must have been easily 4-500 runners in all categories.
