Monday 1st Septrember: Slightly cloudy and misty morning, sunny afternoon 2°C to 10°C
Zinal to Cabane du Moiry: 24.0k: 8.30am to 5.45pm: 9hrs 15mins
Accommodation: Cabane du Moiry
6am and washing to pack
It snowed last night
Bread from the boulangerie
Painfully I chuck away 400g of books
A fairy wonderland of snow
I'm taking the jeep track
Alps, snow, meadows and cows
Must stop to look at the view
The view from anywhere today
First morning tea with magical view of snow on alps across valley
Cable car is free but it's not going
The mist rolls in
Coffee at Corne du Sorebois
Corne du Sorebois at 2894 metres
The other side of the mountain and this is what you see - Lac du Moiry
An ad for Hagloff's rainjacket
Lunch at Lac du Moiry
Wild fowers along edge of dam
Icy blue Lac du Moiry and dam wall
One and a half hours to go
So close to the Glacier du Moiry
It's a long way up
Views on climb to Cabane du Moiry
Cabane du Moiry 2885 metres
At Cabane du Moiry 2885 metres
Can you beat this view
Alps and snow wherever you look
Dining Room with magnificent view over the Glacier du Moiry
Dinner menu at Cabane du Moiry
A bit sunburnt but all's good
Moon over Glacier du Moiry - by Ian
What a stunning day! It snowed last night so there's fresh powder snow on top of the Alps. A total ascent of 1800 metres, 1200 metres to the Corne du Sorebois, down 700 metres to Lac du Moiry then up 600 metres to the stunning Cabane du Moiry, perched at 2,800 metres next to the Glacier du Moiry.
We're awake at 6am, and it's pitch black. I heard it rain last night, so we're thinking it might be miserable today. Our washing is mostly dry. A shower, then breakfast at 7am. It's really nice – muesli, yoghurt and really fresh bread with meats cheeses and jams. We leave at 8am and see that while it rained in the valley, it snowed on the Alps and is a picture wonderland. We stop at the boulangerie for fresh bread. Then I chuck away some of my guide books. They're on e-book on my computer but I had about half a kilo of hard copy. And yesterday my neck and shoulders were so achy and tired I have to do something.
We've decided to take the jeep route. But the Hotel kindly offered us free passes to the chair lift to the Corne du Sorebois. It was a tempting, but after chucking my books I'm ready to climb. It's picturesque postcard stuff as we walk up the jeep track with stunning views. We have the first of two morning teas stop near the chair lift start and see a sign - FREE - but they're not running yet - so waiting would have been a waste of time. The views are magic but it’s 2°C and freezing as we enjoy a hot coffee.
The mist rolls in as we climb and we arrive at the Corne du Sorebois at 2895 metres and shelter behind the cable car hut for our second morning tea. Wandering down from to the Col , the brilliant icy blue Lac du Moiry appears. The mist has cleared and it's sunny but still cold. Ian put son his new Hagloff's Rain jacket. At 2.30pm, after 2 hrs, we’re at the lake's edge and have lunch of fresh bread, meat cheese and tomatoes. We've still 2 and a half hours to get to Cabane du Moiry but it's so nice by the lake, we dawdle. It’s 3k around the lake's edge and the wild flowers, late in the season, are the best we've seen.
At the end of the lake is a sign to Cabane du Moiry. It's sunny but cold. We strip off our jackets prepared for a 600 metre climb up the moraine - a collection of rubble brought down by the glacier. It's hard work and we're sweating. At 5.45pm, we arrive to at Cabane du Moiry at 2885 metres with stunning views over the glacier less than 10 metres away. Dumping our shoes in the shoe room, we're soon in the dining room overlooking the glacier - it's so warm in the western sun.
We're in a 4 person room with Francesca and Antony from the UK - they're doing Chamonix to Zermatt the reverse to us. The coin operated showers cost 5 Swiss Francs each but they're hot and last 5 minutes. Dinner is at 6.30pm. in warm dining room facing the western sun, with stunning views overlooking the Glacier du Moiry. I blog and chat to Tony and Francesca before dinner. They told us a tale about the Refuge at the Col de Balme. We have been past it on our three trips around Mont Blanc and every time we hear an amusing tale. The lady who runs the refuge has been seen to come out with a broom, chasing away people who picnic at her tables without buying anything - hence the name the Witch of the Balme. Five years ago we met an American who told us she came into his room when he was asleep and she kicked him out to another partly full dorm, as she didn't want him in a room to himself. Francesca and Tony told us on one of their trips through the area they found notes from self-guided Tour Group with suggestions to avoid the Col de Balme refuge as it was a bit weird. Bad news travels fast!
Good news travels fast too and everyone knows of the Cabane du Moiry. We were not disappointed with its stunning views and lovely meal of onion soup, sausages, rice, beans and boiled peppers, then delicious cake with chocolate melts. Most people stay chatting til 10pm. The 2 boys next to us are climbing the mountain behind the Cabane tomorrow. Visitors to the Cabane are either through walkers or mountain climbers equipped with ropes, crampons and ice axes who stay a few days to climb everything in sight.