8/20 Refuge de la Lessie to Pralognan

I slept restlessly and finally had to get up to the WC located in a separate building downhill. I didn't want to wake the place up and forgot the flashlight so almost went over edge getting around- finally, shivering, got back inside but never really back to sleep. No rain overnight despite the cloud drama but there seemed less haze. The clanging bells of sheep moving across the hillside then eventually to the refuge probably woke anyone up who wasn't already. We had a quick bite , said our goodbyes and moved out heading down the valley with the sun to our backs. A long easy descent along the gushing glacial stream combined with the hues of the morning sun on the hillsides made the hour and a half a dreamlike walk. That ended at a junction where the GR crosses the stream and makes a vertical ascend switch backing up out of the valley . I felt strong and didn't need my poles much and we only paused a couple time briefly to catch our breath and gained the 1100 feet in about 30 minutes. We the sat down by and old military bunker and ate some fruit, aired our feet and soaked in the views.
The GR the turns up a valley climbing gently and the stream here spreads out into ponds a first with cotton grass . Very scenic at the pace slows. Climbing a bit small lake appears then another which was deep blue green and spectacular - superlatives once again failing. Two of the ladies from the previous evening caught up to us and we traded photo shots before leaving them to their lunch at the lake. We climbed a bit more and the Refuge Col du Vanoise appeared there we went for our lunch- sandwich materials we'd packed supplemented by cold drinks and blueberry tartes from the refuge cafe. we then headed down toward our destination passing beneath now the south west side of Mt Grand Casse and another hanging glacier above , a beautiful blue outflow lake below, green hillside, wildflowers, and the camera clicking away. A steep descent leads to Lac de Vaches and a classic steppingstone path across the shallow lake and a stunning look back. I'd seen this view in photos before and of course nothing is quite like being the. Still and hour and a half to descend - the total descent is 3600 ft! Our feet burned. The views continue going down passing waterfalls gushing down from high glaciers and the hillsides become lush green with all the moisture. We passed another private refuge at la Barmettes which looked excellent but we had an urge to find a laundromat after a week out. So down more loosing the views into the trees. At a parking area Les Fontanelles with still 1000 ft to descend we walked up to a bus stop as a shuttle drove up. I asked and 4€ and 10 minutes later we were down with no guilt or regrets. We cleaned up and went straight to the laundry.