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The out-house at Turia

Trekking in the Vanoise, September 2008

A few days hiking from one mountain hut to the next, and back. Camping is not allowed in the park, but I carried all my gear anyway, just in case a hut was locked or full.
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Day 1: Le Planay to Refuge de Turia

you should see an image here Knapweed was in full bloom on the lower slopes.
you should see an image here First glimpse of Mont Blanc.
you should see an image here Close-up on Mont Blanc.
you should see an image here Some company on the trail.
you should see an image here Sandwort - reminded me of home!
you should see an image here A babbling brook - for comparison with later torrents.
you should see an image here Close-up on a campanula.
you should see an image here Rockfall! That "cloud" is dust kicked up by falling rocks.
you should see an image here Background: Mont Blanc. Foreground: lichen.
you should see an image here View from the Refuge de Turia.
you should see an image here The refuge, with water trough in front.
you should see an image here View easterly - that must be Rochers de Pierre Pointe in the center.
you should see an image here I think this is the Crete de Doume'.
you should see an image here More northerly view - that could be Bec Rouge with the big rockslide.

Day Two: Refuge de Turia to Refuge de la Martin and Glacier de la Martin

you should see an image here A herd of chamois grazing outside the refuge in the morning.
you should see an image here I've been spotted!
you should see an image here This is a male - the horns are more curved than for females.
you should see an image here Close-up on an adolescent male and a youngster.
you should see an image here This always happens...
you should see an image here Not a bad view from the out-house...
you should see an image here Another shot of the out-house at Refuge de Turia.
you should see an image here View of Mont Turia from the Refuge de Turia.
you should see an image here Aiguille Rouge.
you should see an image here A marmot surveys his domain.
you should see an image here Same marmot after spotting me: trying to hide.
you should see an image here Mountain-ash along the trail. The trail drops down quite a bit to avoid some cliffs.
you should see an image here Narrow gully across the valley. Aiguille de la Grande Sassiere in the distance.
you should see an image here Some of the slopes I'd been traversing.
you should see an image here Helicopter over the valley of the Isere.
you should see an image here Crossing a mountain stream.
you should see an image here Marmot.
you should see an image here Approaching the Glacier de la Martin. On my map, dated 1998, ice comes down to where I am standing.
you should see an image here Closer view of the glacier.
you should see an image here A flower growing in the terminal moraine.
you should see an image here Glacier de L'inverneau, a "hanging glacier".
you should see an image here Close-up on the Glacier de la Martin
you should see an image here Another close-up of the glacier.
you should see an image here Seracs on the Glacier de la Martin.
you should see an image here The "toe" of the glacier.
you should see an image here More seracs.
you should see an image here From near the glacier, looking north to the shepherd's hut called Le Carrolley.
you should see an image here I think this is Aiguille de la Sassiere.
you should see an image here Pointe du Lavachet.
you should see an image here Refuge de la Martin.
you should see an image here Clouds over Pointe du Lavachet and the Lac du Chevril.
you should see an image here Grazing cows and a view toward Rocher du Marais.
you should see an image here Bad weather moving in.
you should see an image here Dark clouds over Pointe du Lavachet and the Lac du Chevril.
you should see an image here Alpine plants.
you should see an image here Clouds lifting in the evening.

Day Three: Refuge de la Martin to Refuge de Turia

you should see an image here Pointe du Lavachet in morning light
you should see an image here Snow on the higher peaks across the valey.
you should see an image here View as I head north along the trail.
you should see an image here The bridge over the Ruisseau de la Savinaz.
you should see an image here Attempting to peer down the canyon from the trail.
you should see an image here View into the canyon from the bridge.
you should see an image here View upstream from the bridge.
you should see an image here Close-up of the waterfall in the Ruisseau de la Savinaz.
you should see an image here Another marmot.
you should see an image here Clouds in the valley below.
you should see an image here Clouds over La Gurraz.
you should see an image here Low clouds, high clouds, and a view.
you should see an image here The low clouds are spreading, and the high clouds are descending.
you should see an image here At least cloudy days are good for photographing flowers.
you should see an image here No more views...
you should see an image here Flower along the trail
you should see an image here Climbing up above the first cloud layer.
you should see an image here Rochers de Pierre Pointe rising above the clouds.
you should see an image here Clouds filling the valley southward. Rocher de la Davie at left, Pointe du Lavachet at right.
you should see an image here More clouds - I think this is looking toward Col du Lac Noir.
you should see an image here Back at the Refuge de Turia: a ridge of Mont de la Gurraz in the rain.
you should see an image here This fox was running away before I spotted him.
you should see an image here Chasing after the fox: looking back at the refuge almost lost in fog.
you should see an image here The fox must have gone left; I went right and found these chamois.
you should see an image here Guess they saw me too...
you should see an image here After a while they came closer again, including this baby.
you should see an image here Clouds lingering after a rainstorm (snow higher up)
you should see an image here Snow starts at 2800 meters...
you should see an image here Refuge de la Turia from the south.
you should see an image here Sunlight on the Tete du Rutor.
you should see an image here Clouds pouring over the Arete du Tachuy.
you should see an image here Clouds just above the refuge.
you should see an image here More clouds and the ridge from Mont Charvet to Pointe du Grand.
you should see an image here Clouds and Tete du Rutor.
you should see an image here Clouds below Bec Rouge.
you should see an image here I think this is Monte Berrio.
you should see an image here Overview: Bec Rouge to Petit Assaly.
you should see an image here Mont Turia still in the clouds.
you should see an image here Clouds finally lifting
you should see an image here Play of sunlight on the Crete de Doume'
you should see an image here One more view from near the Refuge de Turia.

Day four: Refuge de Turia to Le Planay

you should see an image here Cloud shadows on Aiguille Rouge.
you should see an image here Here you can also see the shadow of the Refuge.
you should see an image here Looking up to new snow on Mont Turia.
you should see an image here A view toward Becca du Lac and the Assalys.
you should see an image here View of Aiguille de la Grande Sassiere.
you should see an image here View toward the western end of the Massif du Mont Blanc.
you should see an image here Some lichen beside the trail.
you should see an image here "WARNING: all flower-picking is forbidden"
you should see an image here Clouds on Mont Blanc.
you should see an image here I think that's Aiguille des Glaciers at left.
you should see an image here close-up on the aiguille.
you should see an image here Thistle by the trail.
you should see an image here Mont Blanc under a lenticular cloud.
you should see an image here Looking back at the Refuge de Turia and the Aiguille de la Grande Sassiere.
you should see an image here More overnight snow on Pierre Pointe.
you should see an image here One more view of Bec Rouge.
you should see an image here One more view of Becca du Lac.
you should see an image here I forget the name of this plant...
you should see an image here This plant I simply don't recognize.
you should see an image here Looking up at snow blowing off Mont Turia as I descend through a knapweed meadow.
you should see an image here Butterfly on the trail.
you should see an image here Same butterfly, wings open.
you should see an image here Another butterfly.
you should see an image here Butterfly taking in the sun.
you should see an image here Grasshopper.
you should see an image here Last view of Mont Turia before entering the woods.
you should see an image here Flowers with a fly.
you should see an image here Flower close-up.
you should see an image here Where there are flowers, there will be butterflies...
you should see an image here Such as this one.
you should see an image here Same one, from closer.
you should see an image here Close-up on a different butterfly.
you should see an image here Bright-orange butterfly.
you should see an image here Same butterfly again.
you should see an image here Blue butterfly.
you should see an image here Same again.
you should see an image here One more...
you should see an image here Oops, I meant two more.
you should see an image here Another blue specimen.
you should see an image here Interspecies encounter.
you should see an image here To the victor goes the nectar.
you should see an image here Another shot of this orange butterfly.
you should see an image here Green is a good color for camouflage.
you should see an image here Butterfly close-up
you should see an image here White butterfly - it's a "sulfur".
you should see an image here Sulfur butterfly again.
you should see an image here Green sulfur butterfly.
you should see an image here Fritillary.
you should see an image here Autumn Crocus near the trailhead.