Tag Archives: rifugio

What’s in our packs: Hut-to-Hut Hikes

On hut-to-hut hikes, we strive for a balance in our packing. We want pack light enough that we have energy for side trips and explorations; I (Sean) made this mistake when we walked the Rota Vicentina. We also want to carry enough that we aren’t committed to washing clothes every day and so that we sleep well.

This packing list is for hut-to-hut walks where we are staying in a combination of staffed, half-board mountain refuges (i.e., breakfast and dinner are included) and hotels.

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Alps, Hut-to-hut walks, Italy, September, Switzerland

Tour of the Bernina – Stages 7-10: Alp Grüm, Berghaus Diavolezza, Boval Hut, and Pontresina

The last four days of the Tour of the Bernina brought us back into Switzerland. There, we paralleled the train line to Alp Grüm (where we stayed in a hotel that is also a train station) and along Lago Bianco and Lej Nair. We spent our last two nights with spectacular glacier views, one a berghaus tied in with a ski area and the last at a classic Swiss hut.

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Alps, Hut-to-hut walks, Italy, September, Switzerland

Tour of the Bernina – Stages 4-6: Fornohütte, Rifugios Longoni, Carate Brianza, and Bignami

The middle part of our Tour of the Bernina took us over Passo del Forno into Italy. We stayed at Rifugio Longoni and crossed through Vallone di Scerscen to stay at Rifugio Carate. From there, we backtracked to enjoy views at Rifugio Marinelli Bombardieri before taking in the stunning scenery around Fellaria Glacier. We spent a night at Rifugio Bignami before crossing back into Switzerland.

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Alps, France, Hut-to-hut walks, July, Multi-day walks

Tour du Mont Blanc Days 9-10: Tête Nord des Fours, Lacs Jovet, Les Contamines, Col du Tricot, and back to Les Houches

After a rainy couple of days, we were fortunate to wake up to a beautiful clear morning at Refuge de La Croix du Bonhomme. We took advantage of that with side trips to Tête Nord des Fours and Lacs Jovet on our way to Les Contamines. From there, we returned to our origin in Les Houches via Refuge de Miage and Col du Tricot to complete our Tour du Mont Blanc.

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Alps, France, Hut-to-hut walks, Italy, July, Multi-day walks

Tour du Mont Blanc Days 6-8: Mont de La Saxe, Courmayeur, Rifugio Elisabetta, and Croix du Bonhomme

From Rifugio Bonatti, we followed a variant of the TMB over Mont de la Saxe and then down into Courmayeur. We hiked back up out of Courmayeur on a stormy morning, reaching Rifugio Elisabetta under broken clouds. Clouds and rain obscured the views for our hike from Elisabetta to Croix du Bonhomme.

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Alps, Hut-to-hut walks, Italy, July, Switzerland

Tour du Mont Blanc Days 3-5: Champex, La Fouly and the Swiss Val Ferret, Col du Grand Ferret and the Italian Val Ferret

Days 3-5 of our Tour du Mont Blanc hike. From Trient, we followed the Bovine route to the lakeside town of Champex. The next day, we walked an interpretive mushroom trail and through the Swiss Val Ferret to La Fouly. From La Fouly, we crossed the Grand Col de Ferret and followed the Italian Val Ferret to Rifugio Bonatti. Continue reading →

Alps, France, Hut-to-hut walks, Italy, July, June, Multi-day walks, Switzerland

Planning the Tour du Mont Blanc

We recently returned from a fantastic ten-day hike of the Tour du Mont Blanc through France, Switzerland, and Italy. We’ll eventually add detailed posts about the actual hike, but we want to share some notes on planning the trip and logistics with our trip fresh in our minds.

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Hut-to-hut walks, June, Spain

Picos de Europa part 1: Three-day hike to Vega de Urriellu and Collado Jermoso

The Central Massif of the Picos de Europa contains a mix of steep-sided canyons and ravines, green pastures, limestone peaks, and rocky, barren landscapes. To start our hiking in the Picos de Europa, we went for a three-day, two-night tour of the Central Massif. From Fuente Dé, we hiked to Refugio de Urriellu below the spectacular Naranjo de Bulnes, then to Refugio Collado Jermoso, and finally back to Fuente Dé. Despite encountering thunderstorms, rain, and snow, we loved the spectacular scenery.

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Day Hiking, Europe, Hut-to-hut walks, July, June, Spain

Picos de Europa: Overview

In June and July 2017, we spent a week hiking in Spain’s spectacular Picos de Europa. The jagged limestone peaks, verdant green pastures, delicious food, and a pleasant stop in Bilbao made for a fantastic trip.

Read below for our notes on planning a trip, getting around, and where to stay, or jump right into our description of the trip:

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Alps, Day Hiking, Hut-to-hut walks, Italy, June

The Dolomites Part 1: Cortina d’Ampezzo

In June 2016, we visited the Dolomites. This post covers our drive up to Cortina d’Ampezzo, and the hikes from there. We enjoyed three fantastic hikes in the Cortina area. During that time, we hiked a loop around Passo di Falzarego, to Lago di Sorapiss, and a loop at Tre Cime di Lavaredo. We also enjoyed a night and spectacular sunrise at the Lagazuoi rifugio.

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