The cornflakes were gone by Col Termin at 2648 meters and 1hr and 40 minutes away. Today's hiking was some of the best I have ever experienced. Around every turn was a new view of the Alps. The trail traversed and undulated from the hut to Col Termin. Absolutely Type I fun.
By noon or lunch time we reached our second pass, Col Louvie at 2921 meters. We are now high up. The landscape has changed from grassy alpine tundra to rocky glaciated terminus much like a moonscape. The Swiss guides must have had some extra trail marking paint monies in their budget and our path was unmistakable across the glaciated cirques. The sun was intense and we found a clear stream coming out of the glacier to pump some water and refill our bladders.
We finally reached Col De Plafleur at 2965 meters. Down below in the middle of the basin we could see our hut for the night, Cabane de Prfleuri.
This hut sits below the Prafleuri glacier in what appears to have been a gravel pit or mining operation. There are several old building foundations still in existence. During the 1950's the Swiss built a hydro electric project which required a constant supply of gravel for cement. The Prefleur basin was chosen and for 8 years workers crushed and mined gravel there. The product traveled by conveyer belt 1600 meters through a tunnel in the mountain to the next valley to build the Grande Dixence dam.
The original mountain hut was the sole remaining dorm used by the workers. The view was not like that of Mont Fort, but the history and ingenuity of the Swiss was very fascinating.
This hut is privately owned and the operation is quite different than the previous night. I now have a fine appreciation for the overworked CAS hut warden.
We were assigned a room for all eight to sleep side by side on mattresses with unwashed sheets and quilts. And we had it good. Our other friends had to share common sleeping dorms with 20 of their closets friends they just met. The hut was full and all 60 guests shared an open single water closet. There was no room for modesty. A previous lightening strike claimed electrical power to the sleeping rooms and the hot water heater and the two shower stalls were closed. Our last shower was in Le Châble and it would be another 16km of hiking the next day before we found another.
Dinner was scheduled at 6:30 and we ate hardily. Prior to supper, we had time to pump water from a pipe that came from the glacier. The hut claimed their water was not potable and offered their bottled water for a price.
After dinner we retired to our dormitory wishing Troy and Michelle a happy anniversary. They will have to wait to celebrate.
Sleep was hard to come by: Maybe it was because we were in tight quarters getting to know each other better, or the card game and smoking occurring below our window, or just maybe it was the thought of tomorrow's ladders.........
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