Alpage de la Peule

Alpage de la Peule Experience

Photos & Write Up Contributed by: Therese Drapeau

A sight for sore legs, Alpage de La Peule sits on the mountainside above the town of Ferret.  It is accessible by a winding, uphill farm road and rewards the hiker with expansive views of the valley and surrounding mountain peaks. 

The unassuming lengthy farmhouse nestles into the mountainside, so that all the windows face southward, interspersed with exterior doors that lead into the dorm, the restrooms, the main entrance, and the dining hall.  There are tables and chairs outside to relax on sunny days.   A large tented outdoor boot area is provided to store shoes and poles just to the right of the main entrance.

Upon arrival, guests are shown to their beds and asked about the pique-nique lunch for the next day. We ordered 1 for 11 Euro; it came with a ham and cheese sandwich, kiwi and banana, peanuts and 2 other packaged snacks.  Bunk beds are spaced apart nicely, with a few partitioning walls, allowing a sense of privacy in the one long dormitory.  Electrical plugs are few and far between here, but there is a central USB charging area located in the dining hall with space for all.

There are two shower stalls and two toilettes to be accessed via an outside door, about 15 yards from the dorms.  Hot water is available and free, with water pressure a bit more hit –or –miss.  Showers are available in the evenings.  The bathroom, disheveled in the evening, was cleaned overnight and restocked with soap and toilette paper for us in the morning.  With two toilettes and sinks for all the guests, it’s a great idea to time your visits before the breakfast rush.

Dinner was simple and delicious and hardy: fresh salad, a hot croquet of ham and cheese broiled over homemade bread, and the best fruit salad I ever had for dessert.  Breakfast was buffet style homemade yogurt, cereal, bread, butter and jams.  On our cold morning, we were not rushed out and allowed to stay in the dining area until the weather turned nicer, which was a kind gesture from our hosts.

La Peule was one of my favorites; it offers a change of pace from the hotels.  Only a few km from the Grand Col Ferret, it can make a lovely stopover for lunch as well.  The host family at La Peule is a hard working crew, feeding and housing trekkers while managing the farm as well.  Their woodstove in the dining room was a welcomed sight on our stormy evening and used liberally.  This is a cash only establishment, with the Euro widely accepted.