Auberge de Salanfe - Cabane du Vieux Emosson

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely climb above Lac de Salanfe in the clouds and rain; it's a change and it's good to get the cape out a bit! First Elnaney pass in the wind and mist. The next valley is impressive too, with a fine descent and a dry climb immediately afterwards. We end up crossing a raging torrent below the pass with overhanging snow and shifting rocks... A tricky section with all the rain and very wet boots (thanks for the waterproof socks!). We reach the pass after a passage through the névés and around thirty ibex clumped together in the rocks.
A nice descent to the lake, where we meet a herd of cows, including Marguerite, who tries to make nice with us. A tedious passage on the road (watch your feet!) and then through a tunnel. Back at the Emosson dam, it feels like the end of the trek. Our feet are pretty sore now after the road. We decide to return to Couteray in the evening rather than go back via the Vieux Emosson dam refuge as we'd already done most of this route on the first day. It was a fine end to the hike along the balcony path and goodbye to the valley!
Thank you for posting this trek, which is difficult all in all, but which also leaves room for flat stretches and doesn't just go up and down as it sometimes does in the Italian Alps. In any case, we really enjoyed the scenery and the fact that it wasn't too crowded!

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