LE Châble

I did find my cappuccino sitting outside in a French style courtyard. Then we walked around the village getting the feel of town. Narrow streets, old shops and fast cars. 

Our hostel is clean and we will get to really know our new friends as we share sleeping rooms. 

We were craving pasta. Possibly requiring some carbo loading for tomorrow, although there is a gondola ski lift taking us most of the way to tomorrow's high mountain hut. 

We are tired.  

Champex-LE Châble

My body rythm is normalizing. I am getting a full night of sleep...almost. 

The Hotel du Glacier was a help. Very comfortable. Their breakfast reminded me of the Pension u Jakuba in Olomouc. Coffee, rich and full of flavor, croissant and fresh baked bread you slice yourself with your choice of spreads, cold or hot cereal, yogurt, fruit, meats and cheeses. 

There was not enough time to enjoy Champex. We found a deli/bakery and lunch fixings and started our walk down to Sembrancher and into LE Châble. The lac de Champex was gorgeous. Fisherman are the same everywhere. Old men were out early, doing more visiting and drinking coffee than catching fish. 

Today's walk was an easy day, just shy of 9 miles, but a loss of 749m and a gain of only 104. 

We Strolled through village streets, ally ways, hillside dirt paths and what seemed like the backyards of homes.  The valley appeared rural farmland and is operated similar to the way it was for the past four generations. There was an elderly grandma out hand raking a freshly mowed hay field. I'm sure this was after she milked the cows and while her bread dough was rising. 

Sembrancher is a small village of mixed old and new. Recent houses of modern design beside old log farm homes built in the 1680's. 

We arrived in Châble around 2:30 just as the village was resting for the afternoon. It is time to find a street cafe with a cappuccino.....

Trient-lac de Champex

Auberge du Mont-Blanc in Trient, is more reminiscent of a mountain hut than a hotel. Trient is a very small Suisse village in the St Bernard region with a visible French atmosphere and architecture. It's on the road between Montigney and Chamonix, but surely not a destination vacation stop. Auberge's only visible clientele are hikers and a couple of power hydro plant workers. 

The rooms are small chambers of two twin beds, less than what I had as an university student. Dinner was served at 7p with all the guests. Each had a choice between two main courses of pork and rice, or tomato and potato fondu. There were 5 courses. We started with bread, then a delicious salad. This was followed by a yummy celery soup with some local cheese. It was very salty but just what we needed after a day of hiking. Main courses were abundant and filling. The fondu folks had left over golden potatoes that they saved for our next day. Rice and pork was filling. I'll always choose a pork meal! We were all tired and soon went to our rooms for the night. 

We had a long day ahead of us. One of two hard days on our route. We were scheduled to travel 14Km, climb nearly 1400 meters before dropping 1200m into a truly Swiss style village of Champex. 

Buffet Breakfast of plain yogurt, cereal and bread did not seem adequate and I wished I had saved some of those left over gold potatoes. 

The trail out of Trient started steep immediately until it reached the main trail out of the Col de la Forclaz.  It then followed an irrigation ditch, bisse, on a gradual climb to the base of a glacier where a mountain cafe was operated by a sole gal, covered in flour.  The use if the water closet was reserved for customers only so I bought a cup of instant coffee and the girls lined up in a cue. I think there were other goodies bought. It was a nice break before the hard work started. 

We began climbing a steep and rough trail. Red and white striped painted lines on the rock guided us onward.  Several rest stops and snacks were required. An earlier wash out of the trail was replaced by a sketchy climb around. The pass topped out at nearly 8,770 feet. We were met with dozens of hikers traveling in a counter clockwise directions. At the summit we ate another traditional alp climbers lunch of cured sausage, cheese and bread. I brought some packaged almond butter that provided more calories for the climb down. 

Then the quad burning descent began. The sun was muted by the cloud over caste. The trail steeply descended off the Fenétre d' Arpette before scrambling through a boulder field. The sign said it was a 2 1/2 hour descent into Champex. But we nearly doubled it. The rain held off until we were off the steep rocks, but still made the footwork a bit slippery. 

Lac de Champex is a nice little Swiss village. The Hotel du Glacier is five star in my book. The manager is exceptionally nice and accommodating. We have a very nice room with our own shower and bathroom.  The resteraunt down the street was excellent. We had a fresh green salad and a Milano pizza. 

Tomorrow's route will be relaxing. A recovering 5 miles through the valley mostly descending through villages and farm land. We can sleep in. 

Good night for now. 

La Tour-Trient

9km, 710 meters up and 900m down. 

Our first day of hiking seemed a bit longer, further and higher. 

By bus we left Chamonix for La Tour, a ski resort at the upper end of the valley. The Haute Route hiking signs measure distance in time and the sign at the bottom of the ski lift said it was 2 hours to the Col de Blume. We started strong believing our training at Bogus Basin and the Boise foothills seemed familiar. And about two hours later we arrived at the Col and found a refuggio/mtn hut open for business and ordered some cafe aulets. The hut sat on the Suisse border and once again we were in Switzerland. After our coffee we had another 100 meters or so to the top and started our descent through alpine meadows, grazing sheep, goats and cows. 

A little ways down at a trail intersection we saw some mtn bikers on the trail and were amazed what they were doing. I definitely require a full suspension bike to ride these trails. We stopped for lunch of local cured meats, cheeses, bread and fruit we brought from town. We will see if this menu still satisfies our hunger 10 days from now. 

The trail gradient is somewhat steeper than I am used to. My legs were burning and feet were heating up. The sign said another hour and 10 minutes and we would arrive in Trient. The signs don't lie. By 2:30 we found our hotel in the small and old village of Trient. I wonder what people do here other than cater to the Haute Route hikers. 

We are stiff, sore and tired. The hotel will serve our dinner at 7pm. I hope I am still awake. Jet lag hit hard last night and I did not sleep at all. I need an early bedtime for tomorrow's 14km hike to Lac de Champex. 

The Lost Is Found

Our baggage arrived! 

Because there are three components of this Bucket List Trip: hiking the Alps; touring Zermatt; and visiting Iceland on the way home, we have gear that does not need to carried on our backs for the next 100 miles. Nor are we circling back through Chamonix. Therefore some clothes and gear needed to be shipped via the Post Office to our hotel in Zermatt. La Post closes at 6:00PM. Our luggage arrived at 5:15. A couple of us were drinking cappuccino two blocks around the corner. When I arrived back at the chalet it was a mad dash to unload my duffle, assemble my pre-addressed mailing box, sort gear and load the 'stuff' for Zermatt in the box. La Post is 1.8 miles from our chalet. It's 5:35 and we are running with a 12 kilo box pretending we are in the gold medal round of the 4X400 meter relay. Troy and Michelle are doing the solo 400 each pulling their extra wheeled carry on. 

As we were passing the baton between Rhonda, Andy and I through the crowded square in Chamonix, Rhonda simply told those staring at us, "Amazing Race!"  And a path was cleared. 

We arrived at La Post at 5:54. Each piece required two forms to be completed. Instructions are in French. The postal workers are very nice, patient and helped us complete the forms. After the other local customers left, the office was closed and locked as we completed the weighing and labeling of our packages. After much thanks to the postal workers and to Jesus, we walked out and leisurely strolled back to our chalet. 

Now the only stress we face is where to have dinner.

Adventures Far

Rhonda and I have been dreaming and planning of this adventure far celebrating our 5th anniversary.  A trip to the Alps is something I've dreamed about since I was very young.  It's possible Julie Andrews singing a song about living mountains planted the idea. 

Adventures far are always a good excuse to purchase new and upgrade equipment and gear. Two years We bought Rhonda a pack and some trekking poles and a guide book and began dreaming. 

Andy and Margaret have done the walker's Haute Route from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland, an approximately 100 mile hike over 10 days staying in village hotels or Swiss mountain huts each day. Weather interrupted a few days in their trip and they missed a section of the route. So they agreed to return with us. 

As planning began two other couples joined our small expedition. Joan and Kris are friends of Andy and Margaret from the Seattle area. Michelle and Troy are friends from ours from Boise. Last January travel arrangements were purchased and reservations made. 

Our bags have been packed and repacked for a week or more and last Saturday the time had arrived. Michelle, Troy, Rhonda and I flew out of Boise to meet the others in Seattle for our international flight through Reykjavík, Iceland and then to Geneva, Switzerland. The turn around in Reykjavík was less than an hour but we were assured there was plenty of time for the size of their airport. 

Thirty hours after leaving our Boise home, three airports and three plane rides, we landed in Geneva. This is Rhonda and my second European travel in as many months. We are now seasoned travelers. I love experiencing the cultures of other countries; their food, drink, customs and especially their language. I wish I was a better language student in high school. Listening to the Icelanders brought back memories of my Grandpa Heggen when I was a kid. He would take me from the farm into town or sell a load of grain at the local elevator. Of course their was coffee for him and his farming neighbors and an ice cream bar for me, all the while listening to them as they spoke about the weather and grain prices and all other topics of farming interest.......in Norwegian, which shares a common root with the Icelandic language. 

Reykjavík was a quick turn around but certainly not rushed and soon were back in air for a 3 1/2 hour flight to Geneva. During the drink and food service I decided to try Skyr, an Iceland dairy product similar to yogurt. I look forward to our return trip and 4 days in Iceland on the back end of this adventure. 

Entry into Geneva appeared uneventful, like a well oiled Swiss machine. Until we arrived at baggage claim and waited for our gear to arrive. And waited, and waited and waited. 

The Seattle contingent received all their luggage. However the Boise crew's gear has disappeared. To spare the details, tracking reports claim all has been found and all bags are on a delivery truck to our chalet in Chamonix. Our global outreach training from our Czech Republic is still in use.....we are being "flexible and adaptable". 

In the meantime we are acclimating quite well to our surroundings and jet lag. Our chalet rental is everything I dreamed it would be 40+ years ago. And our bedroom view makes me want to sing "the hills are alive". 

I actually slept well last night with the window wide open. The only sound I heard was the soft falling of rain during a short mountain shower. This morning the girls walked into town to a bakery and brought back fresh pastries and yogurt. Bryan Elliott wishes he was here, I'm sure. 

As we await our luggage and gear, we relax, tour, visit and anticipate tomorrow's first hike to Trient. 

Haute Route Primer

Lucky Peak Route


Next Saturday, Rhonda and I join three other couples as we fly from Seattle to Geneva and then a train to Chamonix, France. Our goal is to hike the Walkers Route or Haute Route in the Alps from Chamonix to Zermatt, Switzerland, approximately 150 KM or 93 miles in 12 days.
Each night we will be staying in a Village hotel or a Swiss Mountain hut, so we do not need to carry sleeping bags, tents or cooking gear. Otherwise, all our gear and clothes will be carried on our backs, anywhere from 20 to 40 pounds.

Today was Rhonda and my shake down training hike. Our goal was to hike 6 miles up from Homestead Trailhead to the towers on Lucky Peak/Shaw Mountain, 5904', or an approximately 3000' climb. We were carrying all the gear we plan to take on the Haute Route.

Near the trailhead with Lucky Peak on the horizon

We left the TH at 7:30 when it was about 60 degrees, clear skies and nearly a full moon

Boise in the background and the Table Rock Fire. Home is below the burn, center left.

The gate before the bird observatory and the summit had a sign claiming access was closed because of the Hill Top fire, early this summer. 

So we hiked out the Ridge Road towards Aldape Summit and found some shade with a view for a snack break. 

A panoramic view of Lucky Peak to Bogus Basin, left to right. 

After 5 hours, 12 miles, 3000' up and then back down again, we returned home to nearly 90 degrees. Surely the Alps will be cooler.