WHR day 5: La Sage to Cabane de Moiry

We set off at 8 o’clock knowing we had a big day, with 1680 metres of ascent overall. The first climb to Col de Tsaté was relentless… 1200 metres up in 6 kilometres!!

I had a few wobbles early on, thinking I wouldn’t make it, especially in the woods, where we seemed to be constantly clambering over rocks and tree roots, but after a while, I calmed down and settled into it, and soon we were out of the trees into open meadows.

We had a couple of stops to eat and drink, as we passed through tiny hamlets, surrounded by beautiful, but steep pastures.

There was a slight reprieve from the climb as we passed a small lake, then we were off uphill again. Towards the end, the path was very steep and rocky and we were breathing heavily. Finally, we reached the Col (2868 metres) with a cheer!

On the climb we only saw 4 other people. We were surprised that there were 6 lads at the col just in T-shirts and shorts with no other kit. When we chatted we found out that they were Dutch and had just arrived, never having been in the mountains before, and they were camping lower down.

The descent from the col was steep and on unstable rock, but we soon arrived at the lad’s campsite by another small lake. From there, we saw a big car park. John wasn’t impressed by this, but at least it explained how the lads had got there!

I had another wobble on the rough path down to the valley bottom, fed up of the difficult terrain. However, we could now see the Glacier de Moiry and our hut beside it, nearly 500m above us. The end was in sight!

After a short rest at a refreshment hut, enjoying the view of the lovely turquoise lakes, we set off on the final ascent. We hiked along an impressive moraine and then up a near vertical slope via a series of seemingly never ending switchbacks.

The hut gradually got nearer as we crossed a couple of snow fields. For the final section, we had to clamber over huge rocks. The beer was well-earned today! 😁

The mountain refuge is lovely, with a new modern building attached to the old, traditional stone Cabane. It’s right next to the amazing Moiry Glacier, which flows down into the valley. We’ve had hot showers and free fruit tea, and now we’re chatting to a Swiss couple while we wait for dinner.