Glacier du Miage.  After making our way through the Glacier du Miage, it was time for the steep climb up the Aiguilles Grises to the Refuge Gonella.  Here is a pic of Griffin with the length of the Glacier du Miage behind him.

Climbing the Aiguilles Grises.  The path of the Aiguilles Grises was extremely steep and required some class 4 climbing up steep rock faces.  Luckily, most of the tough sections had chains or steel ladders built into the rock to allow easier access to the Refuge above.

Refuge Gonella.  Standing at 3,074m (10,082 ft.), the Refuge Gonella is an amazing structure.  It is built into the side of the mountain, overlooking the amazing Glacier du Dome.  The "hut" consists of two large buildings.  The lower grey building is a communal sleeping area and the higher orange building houses a small kitchen and communal eating area.  The flat area to the left of the lower building is a helicopter pad.  Click here for more information on the Refuge.

View from the Refuge.  Surrounded by mountains, the Refuge provides spectacular views.

Massive Overhang.  This incredible overhang can be seen from the helicopter pad of the Refuge.

Glacier du Dome.  The Glacier du Dome as seen from the Refuge.  This huge glacier is constantly moving - during our stay, we could hear the ice cracking and the occasional rock falls every few minutes.

Our stay at the Refuge Gonella only lasted a few hours - just enough to rest, eat and sleep a little.  We arrived at the Refuge at about 4pm.  Dinner was served at 6pm and we slept as well as we could until midnight.