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A walk through the Vanoise ..Landry to Modane on the GR55..


We arrived on an afternoon train to Landry in wet weather. All a bit gloomy when we sought out a place to pitch our tent and where the soggy ground conditions told us that a fair amount of rain had fallen recently.
We were about to follow the GR55 route that can be followed through to Modane and where there would be trains coming through the tunnel from Italy.....ideal for us to get back to Geneva for our return on the Easy Jet service to Edinburgh.  The GR55 can be used as a more direct route as part of the GR5 trail that links Lac Leman to the Mediterranean.
The following morning with rain still falling we  decided to head up to a camping site Le Lanchettes, close to the Refuge at Rosuel, and wait for a change in the conditions. After a couple of days the clouds parted and revealed the white covering of the terrain to where we would be walking.

                                    A peep into the hills above Rosuel refuge
                                 Heading up towards the refuge d'Entre-le-Lac.
                              Up above the refuge following a good path and hoping for some coffee and a cake                               perhaps at Refuge du Col du Palet.
                                 Many of these quite friendly rodents whose call seems birdlike.
                                Snow field above Refuge Palet after a warm up and coffee.
After a night drying out near the vast ski area we headed up to the Col de la Leisse on a good path.
La Grande Motte in the image descending from col de la Leisse.
     Refuge de la Leisse below.
                               Many fine wee alpine plants beside the path as we headed down the valley.
                                                                Purple Saxifrage?




                                                          Small amount of Edelweiss.

                                                              The Marmot footbridge.

                                                                 A young Bouquetin

CAF Refuge Felix Faure du Col de la Vanoise....fine place for lunch and has self catering as an option. Recently built as a replacement for the old version.
                                               Not much showing of La Grande Casse.
                                                                  Lac des Vaches.
Les Barmettes refuge with Aiguille de la Vanoise, Pointe de Valmont, pointe des Volnets and La Grande Casse.
                                               Camping in Pralongnan-la-Vanoise.


           Some refuge is perhaps going to be overloaded when nightfalls.
Many cows in this area providing milk for the Beaufort cheese also giant gentians in the picture.
                                                        Heading up to Peclet Polset.
                                               Pointe de l'Observatoire
                                                      Cimes des Planettes

                                                  Pointe de l'Echelle
                                                            The usual Gentian.
 Peclet Polset refuge with Roc des Eaux Noires behind.
                            

     Up to the last high point for us...the Col du Chaviere at nearly 2,800 metres.


A huddle of sheep?

A cushion of Moss Campion

The old fortress above Modane.
                                      Some wee rock plants close to the fort.

Control of the Narrow Valley below in past times.


Trains and vehicles to and from Italy through two tunnels.

                                           The Sanctuaire Notre Dame du Charmaix.


                                         After a couple of days in the Municipal camping in
                                        Modane we were ready to reach the train coming through
                                        the tunnel from Italy bound for Aix-les-Bains.

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