Pete's Blog - Week 4(a)
The highlights of our chilly stay at the Refuge du Col de la Leisse ( 2487m ) were an enjoyable accordeon gig by the young waitress and an inquisitive marmot getting stuck under a door! We were in good spirits as we descended and watched some young marmots playing by their burrow. A very cold rain shower soon meant we had to don our waterproofs for the rest of the day. After the Pont de Croe-Vie ( 2099m ), an amazing old stone bridge over a deep gorge, we had a stiff climb up to the Refuge du Col de la Vanoise
( 2517m ) - very large ( 156 places ) but very cosy despite the cold weather.
We spent our rest day here doing a damp, foggy tour of the Aiguille de la Vanoise of which the highlight was the Lac des Vaches, which has a causeway running right through the middle of it. As we ate our supper that night the snow started to fall in earnest and we woke the next day to freezing deep snow and fog. We had planned a high level route through the Vanoise but decided to descend to Pralognan at 1418m and follow a low level route until the weather improved. Cont - 4b