The glacier that is gone
Trip Start
Jul 16, 2011
1
16
36
Trip End
Sep 03, 2011
Refuge du Fond des Fours, Rhône-Alpes, France
Thursday, August 4, 2011
No Ibex this time, no more animals this morning. Therefore, whenever we get to Plan des Eaux, all the boys and Fussy gather around Pierre to watch the Glacier de Vallonnet. The game is to name the summits and the ridges which we can see on the map. There are several theories to point out l'Albaron, the remarkable peak in the area, so we cannot simply agree on this. The most supported idea is the one presented by Ambroise. This boy is only 15 years old (Petit Poulet 10 years ago), however his confidence makes a difference and I am not sure whether this is thanks to his youth or rather flows from his inner defiance which he always has had as I remember. Anyway, Shaggy is the winner!
Meanwhile the flat path with almost no descent turns into the local road, the scenery is slowly changing. It reminds of the Moon or Atacama desert, in fact this is Ancien Glacier de Jave, the ice is gone but its moraines are clearly visible. On this border grows sparse flower, Edelweiss, it is found on almost 2600 ALMS.
Soon we arrive to the Col des Fours (2976 ALMS). Time to eat something and to relax, to contemplate the clear view. In this point one can observe Swiss Alps as well as Massif du Mont Blanc, which is majestically covered with clouds. I just get the message from my good friend who is right now climbing the highest summit in Alps. They have to wait another days as the weather is unfavorable. These are the inscrutable mountains, being only 40-50 km away I can enjoy perfect aura, and everywhere around up to the horizon line the sky is clear except from the mystic Mont Blanc..
The sweet laziness is completed with an interesting tutoring with knowledge of Iran. Surprisingly, this is Pierre who is giving the lecture :-) On our sides there are two interesting points: Pointe des Fours (3072 ALMS) and Pelaou Blanc (3195 ALMS). One team heads towards the first one and the other one towards the second one. Of course I am climbing Pelaou together with Clement, Thomas and Pierre.. I do not know why I usually choose to run after boys. My dad used to say that I should not do this, that the boys should run after me. Well, I guess I was never obeying daughter, I just wanted to be me. And moreover, I knew that I could get more out of being different. After few days of the mountain trial, an initial Miss polonaise became Reine de la montagne. That feeds my vanity, it is true, but in the base I know it is well earned.
After completing our challenge, we walk down 700 meters to Plan des Fours. Magda has problem with her knee, she can walk, but cannot force it more. We arrive to the hut the last so that do not have much time before the dinner. The choice is simple: either shower, either beer. I take quick cold shower and I take a beer (Polish organisation:-)) just in time to join the discussion about the variant for tomorrow and.. the next year prospects. One of them are Tatra mountains. I try to imagine of how to arrange the hut-to-hut trek for 20 French who are used to alpine standards and probably would expect bears to run Polish or Slovak refuges :-)
We hope not to have polenta for dinner, but there it is!
