Thanks Paul.

Well, this is the first day of a nine day trek around the dizzy heights of the Vanoise, a large and largely wild region in the French Alps. I’m here with my nephew Daniel, who came to the Himalayas with me two years ago. We met up on a train in Sheffield and flew from Birmingham Airport to Geneva, two days ago.

Dan had left his car at Geneva airport and drove us up to Bourg Saint Maurice where he lives. With a well stocked fridge.

Yesterday we drove up to Val d‘Isere and stayed in a hotel locally for an early start this morning. And here we are!!!!

There are some difficult climbs and very exposed footpaths on our route and the weather could not be better for magnificent views and our personal safety. It’s great. However, we had a brilliant side of beef last night and drank a lot of wine so we were feeling a bit jaded. And the track was long and steep in places.

The local cattle didn’t struggle with the slope.

We were climbing up to over 9,000 feet today and as we got higher it did feel a bit harsher on our chests. It was difficult to determine whether this was due to oxygen deficiency or last night’s cap.

Looking back that track snaked down.

And the last thousand feet were a bitter struggle against slope and loose rocks, scattered by millennia of ice and snow assaults on the bedrock. Danny almost disappeared with his perfect camouflage.

It was harsh I have to admit. Our rucksacks, loaded with clothes, sleeping bags, food and water, were pushing up towards the high teens of kilos. But eventually we made it to the top of the pass at 9,550 feet (Col de la Rocheure) leading over to the Rocheure valley.

And the views were a magnificent reward for our efforts.

We were heading for an unstaffed Refuge, being a safe house for trekkers and climbers with camping gaz hobs, a cooking pan and usually a toilet. Basic but better equipped than Scottish bothies, which are largely walls with a roof. We didn’t know what to expect at the Refuge de la Femma. But the journey down was stunning. This is wilderness.

Finally we saw the Refuge down in the valley.

And a group of students and teaching staff from Grenoble University were hogging the dormitory accommodation.

We cooked some of our carried food but couldn’t achieve an early night as the students were busy studenting in the kitchen diner. I couldn’t sleep in the claustrophobic range of bunk beds so I waited for the kids to go to bed and slept on the floor in the kitchen.

Needs must.

Night night.