Loop for Rifugio Bonatti

BEAUTIFUL hike starting from Planpicieux and arriving at the Bonatti refuge, making a small loop around the refuge for the return.
You start from the large Planpicieux parking lot (be careful, it fills up quickly!) and walk along the entire valley to Lavechey. The route is a gentle uphill false flat that runs alongside majestic mountains and the stream. The landscape is stunning but the walk, done once, becomes, if one can say, "boring" since it is a long "transfer" between car and trail (however, it is absolutely worth doing once in summer and winter! The effect is completely different, beautiful in both cases)
You take the 28/A trail that eventually leads us to the Bonatti refuge. I preferred to do the loop clockwise because the trail from Bonatti back to the valley is much steeper and rougher. I prefer a longer climb but a "softer" one. You start on a single track inside the forest, steep and rugged, until you reach wide open grassy areas that are less steep. Here the view is spectacular. It feels like standing on a balcony admiring the panorama. You cross a bridge over a stream / torrent then pass the ruins of Giué Desot. Finally, you arrive at Bonatti where you can take a break. The refuge is large, well-equipped, and has everything you need. You can eat inside or outside. I passed through during COVID-19 times, so inside dining was only possible by reservation on previous days, with all the current legal restrictions. You continue to the valley following the trail, thus completing the loop. The trail is very steep and rough. The downhill parts eventually get very tiring. From the valley, this trail is the "direct route" to Bonatti. Once in the valley, you shift to "D" and return to the parking with a long gentle descent, of course surrounded by the beauty of Val Ferret.

Overall, it is a nice and not very demanding tour, but you do need training or else it will be tough. Stunning landscapes, variety in the panorama but nothing extraordinary.

A must do!

Downside: in summer, when the valley is open, it is too busy with cars. It seems like people want to reach the refuge by car passing through the trails...!