• For about two hours in the morning, we hiked along a gentle, pleasant trail that traversed the slopes above the Lac de Roselend, an artificial lake created by the construction of a dam in the late 1950s (the village that was submerged by the lake was called Roselend). We were dazzled by the bright turquoise water of the lake.
• Then the trail began to climb! First in the woods, beside a stream; then up a steep, rocky route to the Col du Bresson (2469 m.).
• We hiked down from the Col de Bresson to the Refuge de la Balme (2069 m.; the second refuge with this name in three days, but this one is Tarentaise). We arrived at the refuge relatively early (3:30), but felt (especially in our feet) that we had had a full day of hiking.
* * *
Departure from the Gîte d'Alpage de Plan-Mya:
Mont Blanc loomed behind us as we hiked southwest into the Beaufortain area.
Yesterday evening, these cattle provided the milk that we had for breakfast this morning.
A mobile milking station, with a pensive cow:
Views of Lake Roselend (our two shadows appear in one of the photos):
Three chamois, running across the field below us, are visible in this photo.
This section of the trail was really easy!
Our trail descended slightly from here and then began to climb up the slopes to the left. The dramatic Pierra Menta rises on the distant horizon.
Our trail climbed to the waterfall seen in the distance in this photo.
Looking back at our trail and Lac Roselend:
Here, the trail climbs toward the craggy mountains in the background. Somewhere up there is a pass...
The climb through steep, rocky terrain toward the Col du Bresson would have been a good setting for Frodo and Sam's trek into Mordor...
The crag looming above us here is called, appropriately, Tête du Lion.
Approaching the Col du Bresson, at last:
Col du Bresson:
The new Refuge de Presset is an impressive sight. (Carroll recalls staying at the old refuge in 1994. It was a simple cabin then. There wasn't even room for backpacks in the refuge; they had to be stowed under the refuge.) It is difficult to get a place in the new refuge. We tried last week to reserve two places for tonight, but there were none available.
Descent from the Col du Bresson:
The Refuge de la Balme Tarentaise. This refuge was renovated and expanded a few years ago. (We recall eating lunch here, in a smaller, simpler building, in 1989.) It's a comfortable refuge, with more space in the dortoirs than is customary. The gardiens are hospitable, and the dinner was good.
I'm upgrading this hike two notches now that I see it includes a swimming pool! After God worked seven days, his first act in his off time was to go for a swim. That, unfortunately, was not written in stone, but in water!
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