GIN Walk 8 August 2025

Crozet to lunch at the Refuge de la Loge and back

This walk of some 8kms and height difference of 240m was more challenging than most GIN walks and took place on a Friday since the télécabines from Crozet do not operate on Wednesdays, our normal walk day. Even before we started, requests were made to include some wives who are members of the IWCN, but us being Gentlemen considered their club should be the ILCN. Despite the warning of “more challenging”, fifteen people signed up but to be fair several of those were also of the Hiking Group who were attracted by the lunch chez Franck and Kathy at la Loge. Franck himself was a bit taken aback by the numbers coming as it is principally only he and his wife who run the place. The logistics were further complicated by one person meeting up at La Catheline and another directly at la Loge following his early morning start from Crozet (620m) for a walk (trek, hike?) via the Crêt de la Neige (1720m), no doubt to give him an appetite. 

So, thirteen of us and two dogs (Mike Muller and Nessie, Robert O’Riordan, Mervyn Powell, Richard Saynor, Rudolf Staehelin, Peter Taylor and Kobie, Wouter van Ginneken, Ralph and Pat Wares, Mark Warren, Mark and Lynda Watts and Bill Westermeyer) took the télécabines up to La Fierney (1300m). 

There are several trails to the Catheline, none signposted. Apparently signage isn’t allowed in summer but is in winter, for reasons I don’t understand. One of the trails is a pleasant hike up to the Crêt de la Neige, another is extremely steep, another follows the ski track and another, the one we took, is mostly on jeep tracks to the Catheline with a steady slope upwards for about two kilometres following the contours of the mountains up to the table d’orientation at the Col de Crozet (1485m).

We made good time to the Catheline (1445m), where we picked up Gary Vannatter, and onto la Loge (1436m) where Nathan Finkelstein was waiting. 

In view of our numbers, Franck wanted us earlier rather than later over the lunch period. In the event we were there around midday and had two tables suitably protected from the sun by parasols, and beers and other cool drinks were rapidly consumed and reordered. A recent recruit to GIN was a bit confused as to who was Mervyn so everyone on that table called themselves and him Mervyn. Meanwhile, the real Mervyn was on the neighbouring table. It is difficult to give a resumé of the various conversations given there were two table and the GIN secrets act (anything embarrassing or slanderous said in GIN stays in GIN). However, discussions about where one member drank his first Leffe took us to the Roi d’Espagne in Brussels and onto the Duchy of Burgundy.

On a more sombre note, we drank to two former GIN members, John Webb and Barry Amstrong, who have recently passed away. John sent an email back in March after reading a blog – “Many thanks for keeping me in the loop even though I cannot participate. A great reminder of lovely times with a great bunch of fellows.” That about sums up our objective.

There was the usual choice of food produced meticulously by Franck and served by Kathy; Laos, who had welcomed us, kept watch with Kobie on any other walkers in the vicinity; and following the tartes aux myrtilles and coffee, Franck produced fifteen glasses of genepi to set us on our way.

La Loge is indeed a refuge not like any others I know. You take them on their terms, which are great, and enjoy. And we did.

We all left together for our return journey, leaving Gary, who generously offered to take up to three people back with him but had no takers, at la Catheline and onto La Fierney by the same route.