Journey Through the Heart of Mont Blanc: From Ferret to Rifugio Elena
On the first day of our Tour de Mont Blanc walk, we enjoyed Alpine meadows and charming hamlets. Today, we hoped to venture into wilder terrain and cross the high mountain pass into Italy. Over breakfast at Hotel Col de Fenetre, we chatted with four American ladies on a self-guided tour. They had a pre-arranged holiday package, and we felt proud of organizing our trip independently and saving money.
The hamlet of Ferret was misty, but the hotel owner assured us the weather would clear and remain fine for the week. As we left, we saw a couple saddling their mule to carry their bags. I chatted with them and took a photo with the mule, wishing it could carry my bags too.
I briefly visited a small chapel near the hotel, which had a sign encouraging passersby to say an Ave Maria. We retraced our steps to the river we crossed the previous day, made a few wrong turns, but eventually found the TMB trail again.
We climbed a muddy path, and as promised, the mist cleared, and the sun came out. After an hour of steady walking, we could see the hamlet of Ferret below us. From our vantage point, we had a clear view down the valley, with the river and road snaking along the bottom, ending just beyond Ferret.
The sounds of civilization, like the rushing river and cars, drifted up from the valley. We heard cowbells and saw a herd of cows moving along the road like a line of black ants. Julia remarked that it didn’t seem like we had come very far.
At the concrete hut at Les Creuses, we paused for photos with a fantastic view down the valley. Despite being high above the valley and away from the road, the phone signal was good. Julia took the opportunity to book her hotel in Edinburgh for a business trip.
Next, we reached the Refuge at La Peule, a long low building with a couple of yurts at one end. I initially thought this marked the border into Italy, but it was further along the walk. The terrace in front of the Refuge was decorated with tubs of geraniums and flowers planted in walking boots.
Walkers were sitting under umbrellas, enjoying raclette and other toasted cheese dishes. We unloaded our rucksacks and had a glass of apple juice. After our break, we continued up the path above the Refuge and ate our lunch of bread, cheese, and salami on the hillside, watching a steady stream of walkers pass by.
The scenery became wilder, with scrub dotted with yellow and purple wildflowers. The path took us on a steady climb towards the highest point of our trek, the Grand Col Ferret at 2537M. The mountains on the opposite side of the valley became more jagged, with grey rock faces covered in shale and rivulets of snow lower down.
I had been walking in shorts and a vest in the sunshine, but as we climbed, the temperature dropped, and I put on my fleece and jacket. We passed pockets of snow just below the Col that hadn’t melted through the summer.
The Grand Col Ferret marks the border between Switzerland and Italy. Streams from these slopes feed the River Po, which flows into the Adriatic on the Italian side, and the Rhine on the Swiss side.
At the summit of the Grand Col Ferret, I walked along the ridge, now well wrapped up against the biting wind. Kestrels circled above, and the glaciers of Pre de Bar and Triolot seemed close enough to touch. Below the summit, it was more sheltered, and I found Julia meditating in the sunshine while I took more photos.
Near the trig point, I saw a man taking photos of a large orange inflatable elephant. He explained to a crowd of walkers that it was part of an artistic project where the elephant is photographed at various mountains and beauty spots around Europe. I had my photo taken with the elephant and took a few of the man and his dog for his album.
On the Italian side of the Col, we could see Rifugio Elena in the valley below. Although it looked close, it would take another hour or two to walk down to the refuge. The path down the mountain was braided, with rope mesh placed over muddy tracks to prevent erosion.
In the late afternoon, we reached the terrace of Rifugio Elena and immediately switched our greetings from “Bonjours” to “Buongiornos” and “Mercis” to “Pregos” and “Grazies.” We were shown to our en suite twin room, which felt luxurious after a long walk. We had a beer and sat down to dinner with two Dutch couples who shared their experiences of walking through deep snow on other parts of the Tour de Mont Blanc.
The Italian refuges are known for better food than the French ones. Our meal started with pasta, followed by pork with polenta and ratatouille, and ended with green apples and jam tart.
By 9 pm, we realized it was time for bed when the lady from the refuge started stacking stools on our table. We took the hint and turned in for the evening, ready for an early start the next morning to continue to Refuge Bonnati. Stay tuned for the next installment of my Tour de Mont Blanc diary.