Refuge du Parmelan

When October rolls around in the mountains I always get mixed feelings. I consider myself to be an optimist but when the air starts to get cool and the leaves wither and fall, a piece of me starts to mourn the loss of summer. Shortly after I face this thought, my excitement creeps in and I become hopeful as I start to think about the mountains that will soon be covered in a white blanket of snow.

View from the top of Annecy and part of the lake.

Ever since I realised this reoccurring, slightly morbid, habit I decided to change my thought process and make the most of the fall mountains! Working in the french school system makes this fairly easy, with a nice two week vacation nestled into a time of changing seasons and wardrobes. In October of 2018, my boyfriend and I decided to make the trek up to the Refuge du Parmelan, high above the beautiful town of Annecy, to appreciate the autumn mountains before we could make the most of the winter slopes.

Our journey started at the train station in Annecy. I was coming from Lyon, and him from Belgium, reuniting in the town where he lived when we first met. We walked through the streets of the old town, reminiscing on the "good ole days" and being glad the days are still just as good. We stopped by a market to grab some snacks for our hike and headed to the lake for a picnic with an old friend.

Fuelled by local cheese and "green beer" (read more about Savoie food here) we parted ways with our friend and started for the mountain. The Refuge can be seen from the lake, but from there it looks like a tiny block on top of a large mountain. Looking up at the refuge we realised that we didn't plan the day all too well. In order to make it to the refuge, where we were staying the night and planned to eat dinner, we had to arrive by 7 o'clock. It was already well past lunch time and the 15 km (9.5 mile) walk from the lake takes 5 hours, that is if you don't take any breaks on your 1550 meter (5080 feet) climb, easy right?

It may have been doable for my boyfriend, the trail runner that he is, but I don't quite have those capabilities, at least not yet. As we left the city center, we decided to ride the bus to the end of the line to win some time. We got off the bus and kept walking, and even with that maneuver we were still a bit behind schedule, and hadn't even started our ascent yet. We weren't going to risk missing dinner up at the refuge, so we found a good spot on the road to stick out our thumbs and "faire du stop" (hitchhike), sorry Mom.

Jasper sacrificed his arm for about 15 minutes and tried to catch us a ride with a big smile and non-threatening spirit. To no avail, we felt that we were wasting time and decided to spend a few more minutes and if nothing happens, continue on foot. I told him he could take a break and I would try my hand at it.

This wasn't my first time hitchhiking, but every time I do it I feel so strange. It is such an uncommon thing, and looked at as kinda sketchy in the States, so I always have to give myself a little pep talk before I throw my thumb out there for the world to see. One car zoomed by with no recognition of the huge effort I was giving, but the second car felt enough connection to pull over and ask where we were headed. I don't know if it was my bright blue windbreaker, or the natural beauty of my thumb, but we succeeded!!

The couple who picked us up were locals and knew exactly where the trail head was. They kindly went out of their way to drive us up a dirt road and dropped us off at the beginning of the trail. We thanked them kindly and started on the trail, up...up...up.

Made a friend on the way up.

We were finally on schedule to reach the refuge in time for dinner, even with a few photo breaks! At the base of the mountain the trees were still green and the fields were surprisingly lush and filled with cows grazing. As we continued to climb up the rocky sides of the mountain the trees changed with the altitude, and so did the temperature. When we were at the top of the tree line we looked down at the mix of yellow and green leaves across the changing mountain slopes.

After one last stretch we made it to an extraordinary plateau that provides a view of all of the surrounding mountains, which sit as a sort of entrance to the Alpes in my mind. From Annecy, you can't see all of the bigger mountains because they are hiding just behind the ones around the city. This means that in order to get the best views you have to climb to the top, and let me just say it's SO worth it!

The sun setting over the plateau and the refuge.

We arrived just as the sun was setting and we spotted the refuge along the plateau, illuminated by the setting sun. We were ready for a meal, so we headed straight to the office to check in. They gave us instructions on where to put our stuff and said we could take a little tour around the plateau before dinner. It was beautiful during sunset and so quiet, no sound from the city, instead just yourself, nature, and the sound of the the paragliders whisking by.

The building where we slept and ate.

The refuge is an outdoor lovers' dream. Built in 1883, it can only be accessed by the trails, no cars; there is, however, an elevator type system which transports food from the base of the mountain. They say that it hasn't changed much since its construction, but that only adds to the charm and authenticity of the experience. They have a few solar panels which provide them enough electricity for the

essentials. And for water, you have to just go "all natural" until you get back to the city for a shower. They do have dry toilets and a place to fill your water bottles.

It was time for dinner, and man were we ready. We sat down at a picnic table with four other people and dug in. It started with a soup that made you feel warm and cozy and ended with local sausage, rice, and bread. We got a chance to talk with the others at our table and take part in the refuge culture. We sat next to a really nice father/daughter team that make the hike once a year to the refuge. Jasper and

DINNER TIME!

I shared the story of how a Belgian and an American met in France, him doing most of the talking because my french wasn't up to par at the time.

We ate and we talked and then it was time for everyone to hit the sack, literally. Jasper and I decided to take one more walk before we went to bed, so we climbed the ladder up to the sleeping quarters to grab all the layers we could find. Because the refuge sits at 1825 meters (about 6000 feet), when the sun sets for the day, so do the warmer temperatures. We didn't last more than 30 minutes outside due to the cold and the wind, but we were happy in the end to have gone outside. From the plateau you can see the lights of Annecy far below. You also get a magnificent view of the stars, so it was easy to stay amazed.

City lights of Annecy.

We slept fairly well despite the persistent wind that blew most of the night. The refuge provided us with pillows and thick duvets blankets, so all we had to bring was a sleeping bag liner, we didn't even use our sleeping bags. The beds in the loft were lined up in a row all next to each other, so it was easy to wake up on time with all of the other hikers. We went outside for some fresh air before breakfast and when we exited the refuge we entered into a thick fog. It seemed like a dream at first, only able to see 20 feet in front of us.

Taking in the the fall colors.

We returned to the refuge for a filling breakfast of bread, cereal, milk, and coffee/hot chocolate. We chatted with the others and then packed our things. After we paid at the desk we had to come to terms that it was time to return to reality, but not before taking in all the beautiful views on the descent.

After returning to the city center of Annecy, around lunch, our hunger kicked back in and we decided to reward out bodies with a hot lunch. Before headed back to Belgium, Jasper had to get one more dose of some of the best mountain cheese melted on top of potatoes, creme, and lardons (little bacon pieces), also known as Tartiflette. We rested our feet and filled our bellies before parting ways at the train station.

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Helpful tips for your trip to the Refuge du Parmelan:

• Make sure to call in advance. If you are planning on sleeping or eating there you have to call ahead to see if they have enough beds and food.

• Website: https://refugeduparmelan.ffcam.fr/le-mot-du-gardien.html

• Map, always safe to bring a paper map, especially if you're new to the area.

• Bring a sleeping bag, or a liner, for a more comfortable and cozy sleep.

• LAYERS! No matter what time of year you hit the trail be prepared for the elements. Whether that means a rain jacket, wind breaker, hat, gloves, pants, etc. You can never go wrong with bringing extra layers.

• Don't forget some snacks for the trail and plenty of water!

Thanks for reading! Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any question or need help planning your next outdoor adventure!! À la prochaine! (Until next time!)