Ascent: 4,605 ft
Descent: 0 ft
The day ended up being about five plus hours of hiking uphill, and then a bit longer on a plateau to reach the hut. All in all it wasn't too bad of a day and Michael was much more comfortable as his new pack was a huge improvement over what he was previously carrying. We lightened the day a bit by skipping a four-hour valley walk as we took a bus/train combination from Champex to Verbier.
The hut itself was basic but quite okay. It was less crowded than the previous hiker's dorm we stayed at in Trient as we had now branched away from the Tour du Mont Blanc route. From here onward the trail became far less crowded, with an average of eight or so people a day hiking the route. Also from here forward we began to meet and see people that we would see throughout the duration of the hike as everyone was traveling more or less the same route, although there are several variations to the Haute Route, and it is not uncommon for some people to skip shorter valley-walk sections to save a day or two off the total trip. This night we met a group of two Australians and a Canadian who were traveling with a guide from India - and we saw these folks repeatedly throughout the rest of the hike and even walked together with them on a few occasions.
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| Happy hiker! |
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| Cabane du Mont Fort which, of course, had great views. The following day's trail can be seen rising to the right. |
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| Hut food: Some combo of baked pasta and cheese - good hearty fare! |
Next Day: http://callihan-haute-route-2012.blogspot.com/p/july-20-cabane-du-mont-fort-to-cabane_22.html
