Tour du Mont Blanc Day 4

We woke to an alarm set at 5, by the person in tent next to us and lay listening to a full 45 minutes of loud shuffling, scrunching and muttering as the tents next to us packed up loudly and relentlessly. Eventually we joined in and probably loudly and relentlessly pissed off the people still trying to sleep too.

We departed at 6.20 and skipped the bakery just opening (I know, mental). I love walking through towns in the early hours, it feels naughty. We passed the lake and began a steep descent into the valley through lovely piney woods. Delightful little wood carvings of chipmunks and mushrooms had been carved into fallen trees along the trail, we saw piped springs of fresh water with well manicured flower beds around the outside every few kilometres.

Soon we snuck through the most idyllic sleepy town of Arlaches and stood in awe at their beautifully stacked wood piles. We breakfasted by a spring before beginning a small ascent and the start of our utterly stunning gently undulating day. It was picture perfect, postcard perfect.

Switzerland, I’ve decided is really, really nice and outrageously expensive. But rather than buy anything I think I could just settle for staring at their houses all day. Or sitting in an idyllic meadow, or learning to stack wood that should never be unstacked for it is too perfect.

We stopped in La Fouly and purchased another small resupply of fresh bread, cheese, tomatoes, bars and baby food pouches (fruity ones). We then had the best coffee we’ve had all trail in the restaurant above. It was €100, but better than the utter poop we’ve had since.

After hiking on a few kilometres we lunched in that idyllic meadow by the river and absolutely didn’t allow enough digestion time before moving off up a big fat hill. A beautiful big fat hill, with a stitch.

Before long we arrived at Alpage de la Peule, a working cow farm and also a refuge on the side of the mountain. The lady behind a counter was the stroppiest we’d encountered yet. And once again I felt a little sick handing over €30 to set up a tent we’d usually pitch for free. However, there was beer here. And showers. We did both of those things and made some new friends hiking the opposite direction.

We were the only hikers of the 8 or so that were camping that had paid for dinner in the refuge, we were told it was at 6pm. We were sat next to each other, banished to the very back of the room, a couple of empty tables away from the elite who were staying in the hut, and were made to watch while they all ate their first course of the best looking salad we’d seen all trail. When Snakes went to see if we’d been forgotten she was aggressively told we (campers) don’t get salad. Instead we were offered a plate of what can only be described as ‘yellow’ as our main, but served after those staying in the hut had finished their vitamin filled salad starter.

Around a quarter of the way through this extremely challenging meal, Snakes exclaimed she was “likely to get gout”, if she ate any more. I can’t say it wasn’t tasty, possibly two blocks of chese melted on toast that Snakes thought was an extreme way to hide stale bread; Some chopped up tomatoes on top and a gherkin, with two pickled onions as garnish. If the hill didn’t give the unlucky hiker a heart attack, dinner certainly would.

After dinner a lady came and asked to sit with us. We chatted for a couple of hours and only just as we were parting for bed, (separately) did I think to ask her name. Its these fleeting meetings that I particularly enjoy.

Champex to Alpage de la Peule 6.20am to 14.40pm. 21km 1213 up 630