Thanks guys for your comments!
Let's keep going... DAY 10 - LANDRY to VAL CLARET
DAY 10 - With some uncertainty in my mind I began the day. How much snow there might be in the high altitude Vanoise National Park and where to stay then for the night... this would be a long day anyway.
DAY 10 - Looking back. I crossed here an over knee-high stream, which was not supposed to be crossed because of the strength of it. But I didn't see the warnings much further downstream. It was okay but I had to be very careful.
DAY 10 - And forward. Entering the famous Vanoise National Park where one is not allowed to camp at all.
DAY 10 - Again it began to look quite snowy over there.
DAY 10 - Fantastic lunch spot.
DAY 10 - Wild scenery of the Vanoise National Park
DAY 10 - As I hiked further I finally reached the refuge Col du Palet, but my fears were right and there was no way to camp next to it.
DAY 10 - As the day was still quite young I decided to keep moving and not to overnight at the refuge.
DAY 10 - Impressive mountain scenery
DAY 10 - Until I saw the "not belonging here" ski resort of Val Claret. I had read that some people had camped down there under the ski lifts or something, but finally I decided to book a hotel room.
DAY 11 - VAL CLARET to PRALOGNAN
DAY 11 - I stayed the night at the hotel which was very absurd experience after so many days on trail. When standing at thet "golden" reception, I realized how much I smelled. So I enjoyed the shower, bubble path and a great buffet dinner before falling asleep under clean sheets. It was hard to leave early the next morning but after a while I was very happy to be walking again.
DAY 11 - I left the hotel at 5:30 as I had to cover some 30km. Again there was no one else on the move at that time and I had all the mountains just for myself.
DAY 11 - I reached the next refuge around 9am, just when other walkers had finished their breakfast and were ready for the day.
DAY 11 - This stubborn bouquetin refused to move so I had to climb and detour a bit. He had found his perfect lunch spot..
DAY 11 - And I found mine...
DAY 11 - Stormy afternoon clouds started to gather so I better kept going.
DAY 11 - Still a long descent to the village of Pralognan.
DAY 11 - The trail went through an interesting lake.
DAY 11 - Evening light at the Pralognan campsite. Feeling strong after the first PIZZA! I had been dreaming of it every day but finally it took until this far before I got one. Two tough but beautiful days done in the Vanoise National Park and one more to go before reaching easier parts of the GR5. (should not be snow anymore and more options to camp). I was excited because I would reach soon the halfway point too!
DAY 12 - PRALOGNAN to MODANE/FOURNEAUX
DAY 12 - The next morning there was up only me and the cows.
DAY 12 - Looking back to where I came from.
DAY 12 - Clouds started to build up behind the highest pass of the route. Here I had some orienteering problem as I wasn't excactly sure which would be the right one.
DAY 12 - But I found it and this was the view to the other side.
DAY 12 - But no time to linger as the storm clouds were gathering and I was in high altitude.
DAY 12 - After a quick descent I was out from the snow and the Vanoise National Park. And after a long way down to Modane I finally reached the end of stage 3/6!!!
MORE COMING SOON...