Refuge Bonatti to La Fouly

10 September Refuge Bonatti, Italy (2025 meters or 6644 feet) to La Fouly, Switzerland (1600 meters or 5250 feet) : 20.95 km

After leaving the refuge, we climbed for a while and then the trail headed downward into the valley. Then it climbed steeply from the valley floor continuing to Refuge Elena where we stopped for a break.

Here we had good coffee with a great view. Refuge Elena faces a beautiful glacier across the valley and the moraine walls look like a construction company is working there.

Then we climbed steeply more and more like 2 hours to reach Grand Col du Ferret. (It seems you can always see people on the trail far above you.) Crossing the Grand Col du Ferret (2584 meters or 8478 feet) we passed from Italy into Switzerland.

From the Col it was a fairly gentle descent for an hour or so and we arrived to another refuge and a dairy farm, Alpage de La Peule where we had coffee and snacks.

From there it was a long decent towards La Fouly, on a mixture of paths, tracks and roads. (One road sign showing traffic bumps had been modified for a good laugh.)

In Switzerland everything is much more costly. On top of that they love to allow you to pay in Euros at par – 10% gain for them and they just laugh about it as they know they have a captive audience.

As we reached the hotel the evening thunderstorm started. Hotel Edelweiss was good, food was really good. (http://albergo-edelweiss.it/en/) Our room at the hotel  was OK – Russ had to duck going through the door but it was “only” 100 euros per night per person with half board.