Between mountaineering and hiking: a five-day trek on the Alpine via ferratas<\/p>\n
Pressed against the cliff face, on a very narrow ledge (a tiny path), we are held only by a cable to steel railings fixed to the rock face: the via ferratas. And there’s no question of giving in to vertigo: we still have to “down-climb” the bars sealed into the rock to reach the final big wall. This challenge won’t be overcome without crossing a final overhang before taking a crooked footbridge between two walls. Welcome to Rocher Jaune, a via ferrata located a fifteen-minute walk from the Diablerets refuge. <\/p>\n
Steep cliffs, challenging paths… for thrill-seekers.<\/p>\n
A small “3,000-meter peak,” but it will be our rooftop of the world. As Alan Deliz\u00e9e, our guide, aptly notes, “this one’s a real challenge!” It is indeed the most exposed stage of this unique hike, which alternates via ferratas (one per day) and steep mid-mountain paths. A mix of genres that allows everyone to try their hand at mountaineering without having to fear the dangers of altitude, while strolling through the green pastures of French-speaking Switzerland. The one that smells of the Milka cow from our childhood, delivered with breathtaking views of the omnipresent Lake Geneva. <\/p>\n
It is also Lake Geneva, against the backdrop of Mont Blanc, that offers us a magnificent view of the earth from the top of a metal ladder as we finish the Tour d’A\u00ef, opening our expedition. This first via ferrata will be our warm-up period before tackling the increasingly technical continuation of this highly formative journey. The proof: the Ch\u00e2teau-d’Ex via (the main difficulty of the next day) is perceived by our small group, athletic but new to climbing, <\/p>\n
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No need to be a climbing expert to tackle this splendid mountain hike<\/p>\n
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Thanks to Alan, we understood, among other things, that when a Swiss person talks about a “hut,” it’s at worst a three-star refuge…<\/p>\n
The Pierredar refuge, starting from the village of Les Diablerets, awaits us three hours later. Three hours of walking among intensely blue gentians set in a vastness greener than nature. The highlight of this perfectly bucolic spectacle: a giant, rocky cirque, pierced by waterfalls that make us play hopscotch across torrents while encountering sheep, cows with bells, and, miraculously, a chamois. That same evening, Claude, a former postman and current guardian of the refuge, serves us enormous plates of spaghetti bolognese, washed down with a small Swiss wine, as if to warm us up <\/p>\n
before the brutal drop in temperature. Because the next day, the scenery and temperature change. After swapping T-shirts for fleece, we forget the pastoral symphony played since Leysin to tackle a more austere score, that of Les Diablerets, all rock and ice. Here we are in the very private club of summer crampon wearers. <\/p>\n
This introductory approach to mountaineering will take place on the atypical Pierredar via ferrata, a route surrounded by rock faces pre-equipped with handrails.<\/p>\n
By alternating walking and climbing, we reach the Prapio glacier. The much-dreaded fifteen-minute crossing with ice axes is rather easy (it’s the flat, crevasse-free part). <\/p>\n
It gets more complicated on the opposite side of the glacier, where another “cabled” path begins, traced into the steep face. Our guide’s warning: “Steep and a bit of a pile of rocks.” An eminently wise piece of advice that the climber below will benefit from: avoid causing rockfalls, otherwise, your helmet will hurt. <\/p>\n
Another frozen waterfall, a delicate passage, then the reward is around the corner with a fabulous view overlooking the glacier we just crossed.<\/p>\n
The Diablerets glacier, invaded by snowboarders for a summer camp, is already in sight. The descent to the refuge still requires crampons: it’s done on a n\u00e9v\u00e9 (a mass of hard snow) but, above all, on cloud nine. <\/p>\n
In the space of a week, we did approach a few…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":26110,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-26106","recits","type-recits","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n