Bricola - Glacier des Manzettes

This small side valley of Val de Ferpècle offers magnificent views over the glaciers of Mont Miné, Ferpècle and on the Dent Blanche mountain.

Summary

Length: 13,9km
Height difference: 970m
Duration: 5h
Difficulty: T2 - Mountain hike (last part T5 - Sophisticated alpine trail)
Starting point: Past the village of Ferpècle in the last hairpin you can find some parking space. If you leave early you'll have some place. 
Directions: Bricola - Cabane de Rossier untill altitude of 2700m

Route

After you survived the trip to this desolate place (it's only a small road that leads to this place), we go further along the asphalt road that leads to a dam. Before the dam, take the trail on your left which indicates Bricola and Cabane Rossier/Dent Blanche. The path is at first flat before it turns up the mountain and you'll climb towards Bricola and the first panoramic viewpoint. Bricola can be easely spotted with the glaciers in the background which makes the views really magnificent and worthwhile. You'll also get a great view over the Glacier du Mont Miné with waterfalls and crumbling glacier ice. Keep following the trail untill you reach Bricola, a great place to hang out and enjoy the great view. Above the Alpage de Bricola the trail goes further up and is now relatively flat and wide, you can advance easely up until 2620m altitude. If you look down here some great views over the glaciers beneath can be spotted. For the average hiker this marks the end of the trail, the more experienced hiker can advance a bit further, the trail goes up along a morene. The path gets less visible and you'll have to look out for red poles, stonemen and some red paint. Because of the rapid melting of the glaciers, the trail changes each year and if the painting wasn't updated it vanishes into nothing.More big rocks and stones have to be crossed and eventually you'll notice your on the glacier. But this is the end for the more experienced hiker, only alpinists can advance towards the hut. The trail is now a sophisticated Alpine trail with many dangers. The rapid melting of the glacier makes it a volatile area with ice bridges that need to be crossed and many many loose rocks. It is tempting to go just up to the glacier lake but do not take any risks! Why did we came this far? To see this amazing view over the Dent Blanche and the surrounding glaciers, really worthwhile. Now find your way back through the rocks to find the normal trail again and start your descent to Ferpècle.