Loop of the Cols of Barberine and Fenestral

Another visit to the French border. In the very narrow Vallée du Trient, between Martigny CH and Chamonix FR. I've visited this valley several times now and I'm still not done. Today we went from the Lac d'Emosson reservoir with two passes around the mountains "Bel Oiseau" and "Fontanabran". So I didn't lack in altitude, especially since both passes were quite steep. While I was still thinking at the first pass "Col de Fenestral" 2450m that the way is actually quite ok, I was taught better on the back side. Most of the descent was over and around boulders. So not a hiking trail in the usual sense, more of a search for the next markings 🤦🏻‍♂️. Often it also had ropes to descend safely over the slippery rock. Down in the valley at Alp Emaney (with Buvette) I had to take a short break and collect myself for the second part back over the other pass. I suspected evil when I looked at the surroundings. Shortly after the break I finally got over half the distance and the way up to the end of the valley was a good hiking trail. Arrived at the back of the valley basin, a look to the right at another, very long and steep pass, then a look to the left at my start, which is also steep, over a scree cone. That could only get better 🙄. Luckily I didn't see the whole course of the Col de Barberine. After this first scree and crossing a mountain stream, you were back on flat slabs of rock and grass mix for a short time. But then I saw 2 hikers far ahead in an even larger and steeper scree cone, up to the ridge - my way 🫣. Lots of loose material in the shale-like rock. i was upstairs Finally. Col de Barberine 2482m. Just as I was sweating like a pig shortly before 🤣 it was now rather uncomfortably cool on the ridge with the wind. So straight down towards Lac d'Emosson without a break. After just a few hundred meters I reached the turf, and with it some nice, non-slip hiking trails. With a volume of 225 million m3 of water, Lac d'Emosson is the second largest reservoir in Switzerland after Lac des Dix (Grande Dixence, 285 meter high dam wall/400 million m3). The 180m high arch dam keeps a secret that comes to light every spring when the water is low. The reservoir already has a dam wall from the 1920s. The SBB Barberine dam. As a result, the SBB also has water rights to the new dam wall, which even led to a shift in the national border (territory swap) in 1963 so that the wall would be located entirely on Swiss territory. In return, France has also received the right to use the facility. To get to Lac d'Emosson, you can either drive up to one of the large car parks, or you can take a combination of three mountain railways from the valley floor of "Le Châtelard" to the dam wall. The first stage with a funicular. With a gradient of up to 87%, this cable car is the steepest two-cabin cable car in the world. Then the second stage with a narrow-gauge railway with a view of Mont Blanc. And the last stage is the "Minifunic" funicular (maximum gradient 73%). That should actually be a long time as an experience for the day 😅. If that's not enough: At the dam wall there is a spectacular zip line for the daring or a dizzying climbing wall directly at the dam wall. This wall named "Dévers EMOSSiONel" is only suitable for experienced climbers, as the route has a difficulty level of 6B (bouldering grade) and due to its length it requires a lot of strength in the forearms. It is therefore strongly recommended that the pre-climber be at least grade 7A. Another attraction is the well-preserved footprints of 250 million year old archosaurs 🤔 above Lac du Vieux Emosson, which is about a 2.5-hour walk from Lac d'Emosson. But they have grown old, the dinosaurs 😅 🤷🏻‍♂️