Le Chable to Mont Fort Day 4

I stayed in Champex last night on the 3rd floor of the Hotel Du Glacier. The room was a bit dated, I had the window open with a slight cool breeze coming in all night. I slept like a baby. A crisp and clear mountain lake across the road was the morning greeting out my window when I awoke. The air is so clean and brisk but somehow warm and comforting. Each hotel I stay in on the Route has half board which is dinner and breakfast. A few of the hotels take a great pride in offering meals that rival some of the finest restaurant's I have been to. Everything was fantastic here and I keep saying that "I could stay here for week". Champex is basically a French town and as I hike though the route the towns change from French to Swiss and the language to German. Those 2 years of French are starting to payoff! Magnifique! Ok well actually they are not...and I just stick to Bonjour, Merci and nod my head or smile.

Today is a long walk to La Chable, then a hike or lift to Verbier Ski Resort. The hike is about 7000 ft. up and steep. The next few days are going to be very demanding also. This is a point where you have to make a choice to do the long hike or take it a bit easier with a lift. My Partner was not going to be able to make the climb with a broken hand but is staying at Mont Fort tonight with me. The following day he will take the lift down, 2 trains and a bus to get to Arolla, then meet me in a few days. We took the lift and had an easier day but I still got a good hike in.

At the top it is a short 45 minute hike to Mont Fort so we decided to have fondue at the Le Dahu restaurant higher up on the mountain. https://www.ledahu.ch/ I feel like Rick Steve's in one of his shows enjoying the European delights. The views all around are amazing from here and the food is unbelievable. The fondue is pipping hot with a rustic peasant bread that is so soft with a rustic crispy crust. It was nice to have a bit of a break today but I am really ready for a hike! All I see are peaks to be summited all around me. As for the ski Resort Verbier (which I have never skied) looks like a place I could ski for a year and never explore the whole resort, it is massive. Mental note I have to come back and ski here!

After an amazing lunch we started out on the hike to the Cabane du Mont Fort where I have a double room reserved. Most of the accommodations up on the mountains are dorm rooms but tonight I have a small private room.

We hiked up the col a bit and around to the Cabane. In about an hour we made it and checked in. Beautiful views any direction you look and a quaint Cabane with a restaurant, accommodations, showers etc. On this day one of the showers and two of the bathrooms were our of order. You purchase a coin from the bar that gives you as much water as you need for 2 minutes. The timer does stop when you turn the water off so you really can get clean. There were not too many people staying tonight so it worked out. When you arrive at any of the refuges you will take off your shoes in a mud room and put on a pair of complimentary crocks shoes. It keeps the place clean. I was staying in a small room on the thrid floor and on my way up to the room I noticed they had a large poster picture of different resorts and Arapaho Basin Colorado was prominently displayed. Colorado has representation! Oh yeah the basin is legit.

I organized my things and it was only 430 pm. I decided to hike up to the peak of the tram before dinner to see the mountain. The peak was shrouded in cloudy fog and it was getting colder perfect temperature for hiking. There is a road going to the peak so I headed up and reached the peak as the tram closed. I am mesmerized by the ski runs I see and can't stop imagining where I would place a track or which steep section I would drop into. I spent about 1/2 hour at the top then headed back down for dinner. A quick fun hike to end the day.

Dinner at Mont Fort was salad, spaghetti and bread. I will just say it was filling. I ordered a lunch for the morning and enjoyed the cozy cabin chatting with new found friends. The table across from us was a group of Americans who met through a meetup hiking group and were climbing part of the Haute Route. We chatted with them and talked about hiking with them to the next Cabane. I was alone hiking the next 8 days so I asked to join them. Good conversation then to bed for a start at 7:30am.

I was feeling relaxed now comfortable with the terrain, time zone and in my element. Each day I feel my legs getting stronger and my lungs are at a point that I can run at higher altitudes and I sustain. I am still overweight and working on sliming down but I carry myself well. I climb into bed and sleep fast this night. The next few days are going to be long and challenging.

By Matthew Tepoorten