Trient to Champex Day 3
I stayed at the Grande Ourse in Trient last night. It is a step up from a dormitory. The rooms are nice, private with shared showers and facilities down the hall. Even though the place was full of trekkers it was not crowded. Food was just ok here but beyond that I had a comfortable stay. When you hike for 13 to 15 miles a day and have large ascent and descent you are tired enough to just want to sleep anyway. This really being the first night I had a lot of butterflies about the next few days. Hiking alone in a country that is new to you and a trail system that you are unfamiliar with may give most people some anxiety. For me I feel really comfortable with my outdoor ability and trail finding but still anxiety crept in. I texted a friend who is an avid hike/climber and after a few words my mind was at ease. The next day's hike was long but not that demanding when it came to the ascent.
When I woke up I was feeling good and ready for the day. The breakfast at the Grand Ourse was pretty bland and basic, first come first serve. I had a quick bite packed up and headed out. You start the hike by walking past the big pink church then into the woods. The trail really heads straight up from there. Basically you have to hike to get to the hike. The trail has slight switchbacks but is steep and demanding for the first 400 feet until you get to the road. Once there you cross a pedestrian bridge over the highway and continue above the road. The trail has another steel bridge built into the mountain to get across a ravine. If you have any sort of fear of heights this is a bridge that will give you a bit of worry. It is very stable and strong, just high up and about 100 feet long. Once through the path continues and you meet the road again and see the Hotel du Col de la Forclaz. While I was hiking through there was a tour group in front of the Hotel all of High school age young men. As I looked over they were wildly playful with mischievous behavior and the egoism of young men. I smiled, thought of my youth and a specific school trip I had to New Mexico and southern Colorado. I felt a certain amount of sympathy for the teachers or chaperones they had with them.
This was now the start of the hike and the trail started to slowly rise and cross the side of the mountain. You could see the trees and forest fall away below quickly to the left into a valley. The steep drop down increased quickly to and far in the distance you could see the city Martigny. After a good mile of trekking the trail gets steep and you see again the intensity of hiking in the Alps and the truth is that this is an easy day. As I was hiking there were a few runners that looked like they were training for the UTMB. https://utmbmontblanc.com/en/home A race that circles Mont Blanc 106 miles and 32,000 feet of elevation gain and has to be a superhuman feet to complete. In a short time I reached the Col de la Forclaz and realized that I had completed the majority of the elevation gain for the day. There was a group of trekkers at the Col and were all taking a break so I headed to the Alpage de Bovine. It is a refuge at the top with a restaurant and farm that overlooks the majestic peaks and Martigny in the distance. I stopped there and had probably the best cheese omelette I have ever tasted. I sat down, ate my second breakfast and chatted with two women from Indiana. Mother and daughter who decided to hike a few sections of the route on their trip to the Alps. Each of them had the largest backpacks I think available for a trek like this. I was astounded that they were carrying so much. Looking at my 15 liter pack I was grateful and happy I was moving with the basics. The views from here are amazing and it is a spot I wanted to spend a good amount of time at. Everywhere you look are amazing mountains, pastures, valleys, trees and cities in the distance. Just incredible.
When I left the refuge the trail was blocked by cows from the pasture. I have not had experience with cows being from the city. Even from a "cow town" like Denver Colorado I am a novice. I started walking through the herd and two bulls cut off my path and I retreated quickly! A man at the refuge was telling me that they were protecting the calves and I needed to be careful. I waited for them to meander away for a bit and made a dash for the trial. Yes I admit I was a bit scared! A memory of reading Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and the reference in my head was playing a video of the running of the bulls in Pamplona Spain. I did not want to get gored today or be a viral video of the guy petting the animals and spending the next 6 month in traction. Nope not for me. Well I was laughing at myself after I cleared the vicinity of the dangerous cows.
The trail is mostly downhill for the next 6 or so miles covering some of the most beautiful scenery I have seen. Mountains, glaciers, streams and wildflowers in a forest of old growth trees are plentiful. Every few minutes I felt that I needed to stop and take a picture or shoot a video. I ran for a few miles and descended to a section that was filled with flowers, a stream and a view of the mountains across the valley. I stopped to collect my thoughts and emotion poured over me. Something that happens to me when I hike is I ponder about everything in life. Where I am on the trail of my accomplishments, my friends, my family and the journey I am in the midst of. Everything becomes clear and problems seem solvable when I am in this state. This particular day on my hike I have a lot to think about. August 17 1994, 27 years ago I started a journey of recovery. It is my sobriety anniversary and I call it my sobriety birthday. I am so amazed at how good my life has been since getting sober at 23 years old. The past 27 years have been an amazing journey and I am so happy I didn't miss it! I am so grateful to many people in my life, my family, my partner Jim, so many friends, and my sponsor Hugh MacMillan . I would not have such an amazing life without the help of so many. The men I sponsor save my life on a daily basis and working with them is a center point in my life. Life is difficult because we have obstacles in front of us to overcome. The more obstacles the tougher and exciting the journey. I always wanted the easier, softer way and got nothing out of it. The past 30 years as I write this I have wanted the challenge. The beauty is in the journey and who you get to take that journey with. I took time today and noted my gratitude with a video to the people I love. I now have a special place on this hike with an amazing memory.
The next section crosses the lower section of the mountain and starts easing its way to the right where you begin to run into small homes, farms and a little stream running through it all. This is a valley I could see living in. The walk though the little sprouting village is stunning and becomes the last uphill trek of this section. Once you start seeing Chairlifts on your right you are getting close. The trail continues and rises up next to the road and leads on to Champex. It is a small town with an amazing clear lake and ski resort. It is the most picture perfect place and if you ever make it here you will want to stay. I made good time today and arrived at about 2:30 pm, checked into my hotel and went across the street to a small boulangerie and café. Boulangerie-pâtisserie Tea-Room Gentiana https://www.champex.ch/fr/pratique/adresses-utiles/item/5999-boulangerie-patisserie-tea-room-gentiana I had the best blueberry tart I think I have ever experienced. Crisp flaky crust, naturally sweet blueberries mixed and carefully placed with a dollop of fresh whip cream. I drank an Americano with the sun shining on my face overlooking the lake. In the movie of my life the scene of this day was me in a relaxing bliss.
The hotel du Glacier is where I stayed this evening and was directly across from the lake. Perfect. https://hotelglacier.ch/
