The Cabane d'Orny

Dwight Peck's personal website

Summer 2003 -- Champex-lac and nearby hikes

The Cabane d'Orny

From the village of Champex (1466m), one takes the télésiege or chairlift up to Grands Plans (2188m) under the peak of La Breya, and thus get off to a brisk start.

You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.

From the top of the télésiége near Champex, La Breya (2188m), one catches one's breath and gazes in fascination at the path winding upward and westward high up on the side of the Combe d'Orny. 27 June 2003.

A few years ago (i.e., thirty-odd years ago), the narrator and la Mère de Marlowe walked from the village with gear up into the Combe d'Orny, up the Torrent du Darbellary down to the left, and camped at about 2320m under the ridge called Sex Vollux, and spent the evening watching a chamois mom and dad training their children how to jump from crag to crag across the cliffs. And the next day walked on up past the Cabane d'Orny (2831m) and the Cabane Trient (3170m) to the Pointe d'Orny (3270m).

27 June 2003, Kristin in a little hanging valley at about 2400m

Approaching the Glacier d'Orny (in sandals, which left the feet breathe)

Hiker with the Aiguilles d'Arpette behind and up to the left

A brief pause

The Glacier d'Orny, with the Cabane d'Orny perched up on the right shoulder above the moraine.

A headlong dash to reach the Cabane, passing other hikers more heavily laden

Still receding and with its snow cover mostly melted off, the glacier looks a little like a featherless chicken.

Hiker not far from the Cabane, and lunch

The Cabane d'Orny at 2826m, with either the Aiguille d'Orny (3150m) or the Pointe d'Orny (3270m) above to the left. (The Pointe d'Orny is the highest place the narrator has walked to in Europe.)

Gazing back down at the way just come, from the Cabane's front porch, as it were. Note the hiking trail along the moraine in the centre.

Looking farther up the glacier from the Cabane d'Orny. The Cabane de Trient (3170m) is hidden just behind that rocky point on the right side of the flat glacier skyline -- from there the Trient Glacier, or what's left of it, still cascades down the far side towards Forclaz, as may be seen here.

Hiker Kristin checking out the Cabane's menu, probably the first person ever to have arrived at this front door in sandals.

Hiker and iron ibex. (With a nice sauce . . . )

The narrator ready to settle down for some lunch.

Oh, a lovely lunch, that was. Now it's time to start for home. Goodbye, Iron Ibex. It's a long way back down for our dinner in Champex by the lake.

"Catch a ride, buddy?"

Goodbye, whoever you are out there on the glacier.

Soon it will be time for dinner. We must not be late!

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