Starting the trail
The start of the trail is at La Gouille, a few kilometers from Arolla. We took the car from our campsite in Arolla (the highest campsite in Europe) to get to the starting point. We parked our car on the big parking lot at La Gouille and started the climb directly from the parking. The first part of the trail to the Lac Bleu is extremely touristy. We left early to avoid the crowds.
The climb is particularly steep to the Lac Bleu but quite short. We took the time to linger on the shores of this lake whose saturation seems to have been photoshopped.
The crossing
We passed the Lac Bleu and continued to climb for a few kilometers before the trail gently descended following the shape of the cliff. Some parts of the trail were very rough and we often had to carry the little Rio whose legs were too short to overcome all the obstacles. That's why we classified this trail as medium.
The trail is much less crowded than the climb to Blue Lake, we did not meet anyone for several kilometers. The trail is often very narrow, so it is important to stick to the wall, especially when you meet other people coming from the opposite direction.
During the crossing, we crossed several torrents, which sometimes, strayed out of their bed. We regularly stop to fill our water bottles and give Rio a drink.
Arolla and la Chotte
When we arrived in Arolla, we passed the village and took the road that went up to La Chotte. The campsite had recommended us this small restaurant not far from the center of the village of Arolla. After a 10-15 minute walk, we arrived at La Chotte, which was a simple hut with a large terrace. The view was however breathtaking and offered an amazing panorama of almost 360°. We stopped for a snack before returning to the car at La Gouille. After thinking about it, it is better to park the car in Arolla directly and then take a bus to La Gouille to make the trail more pleasant. We had to run on the side of the road that led to the Gouille parking for several kilometers.
Trail Information
Start and end of the trail (Google map): La Gouille
Kilometers: 4.5 km
Elevation: 513m
Time: 2h00
Difficulty: Medium (T2)
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