One man’s yuck is another man’s treasure

I noted in my brief Haute Route update a few days ago that we did a ‘Yucky’ hike on Tuesday from cabane Louvie to cabane Prafleuri, but more than one person who did this hike has since told me they really liked it. So while I won’t profess to have liked it, I will concede that it was very unique and that many people may find it interesting. This is one of the most remote stages of the tour, with a trail that is consistently rugged, rocky, high and often exposed. The Grand Desert, once a famous glacier crossing, but no longer a glacier crossing due to the continuing recession of the glacier, looked like a moonscape. One part of the trail was termed a ‘cruel but necessary stepdown’ and some of our poor WA/AK friends did it twice when they got separated from each other… BAH!

The Cabane de Prafleuri was in a barren valley, an area used as a quarry in the 1950’s for gravel for the nearby Dixence dam, so not the prettiest setting, and the food and service were among the poorest we have had, but a room swap with the WA/AK group resulted in the unexpected bonus of a private room for us for the night, which was much appreciated.

Early morning look-back at lac Louvie

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Flower field by lac Louvie
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cabane Louvie recedes in the background (a speck on the far side of the lake) with Grand Combin brilliant above
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Are we on the moon?
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Glacier de Prafleuri
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The Grand Desert
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cabane de Prafleuri in the distance
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cabane de Prafleuri
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