Slept in a post pizza coma . And headed down to make the most of ‘breakfast included’. Today began with one of the steepest climbs of the walk – a first up 1200 m ascent . I had extra toast after my two hard boileds. I had grabbed fruit for the day in a little shop last night so knew 2 massive pink ladies were shoved in my pack . There is room for very little else in this pack but I force trail mix , fruit and chocolate in come what may. I think my back and shoulders are getting used to the weight and my legs are definitely getting stronger under the weight of it.
The walk takes me out of the beautiful ski village of Couramayeur and quickly leaves tarmac behind to become wooded mountain side. It is a steep zig zagging trail up and up and many familiar faces are on the track heading up . Everyone is so friendly and shouts greetings . There is camaraderie now as the same faces keep popping up in the evenings. The two F’s are the main topic as people intersect … Food and Feet . What did you have for tea and how are your feet , blister count / boot rub . Seems everyone consumed an entire pizza last night so I wasn’t alone on that one . And everyone had washed hair from a hut free night in a town . The smell of sunsilk mixed with alpine flowers followed us up the trail. I loved this climb and I felt great . After losing count of how many zig zags there were the path finally reaches Refugio Bertone – an excellent stop for a cuppa and a breather.
Feeling good with lots of energy still and the weather just beckoning me I turn with gusto to take the high variant . I get heckled as I go with a few shouting – “ wrong way!” I double check my trusty book and feel confident that this route will be worth it . Oh my goodness – it was worth it! I could not have been happier than on this day . Up high and walking up level with the clouds resting on the mountains. The sense of elevation as I traversed the grassy ridge above the Val Ferret was everything I dreamed this walk would be . I was all alone except sheep and to my left I felt I was walking through a postcard scene of peaks and glaciers. The path stretched on across the top and wound higher and higher with some scrambling up rocky outcrops with drops along way down with only precariously perched sheep to break a fall. They looked at me like a lot of the walkers did at the bottom. Slightly perplexed. I took care and my only thought was foot placement – it did cross my mind if I slipped here no one would hear the emergency whistle my Dad had thoughtfully given me before I left. After a fabulous climb that had me sweating out of my eyelids again I reached the top . Tete de la Tranche at 2584 metres . The views were spectacular and I sat with the sandwich I had luckily grabbed at the refuge and one of the massive pink ladies and had myself a lovely picnic , beamimg away in the silence. I felt on top of the world.
I headed down a steep and rocky descent very slowly and blessing my walking poles over and over from preventing me rolly pollying all the way to the bottom . I missed a turn and headed the wrong way down the valley , suddenly I realised I had gone wrong and was about to retrace my footsteps when another solo walker appeared and reassured me that this way would eventually get me to my hut for the night . I was grateful not to have to back track any further , my pack suddenly felt like a a small human was clinging onto me , I wound around the mountain side and finally made the final climb to the fabulous Refugio Bonatti . Famed not only for its namesake the legendary Italian climber ( that only my Dad had heard of) but for also being one of the best huts on the trail . And it was ! Warm , welcoming and cosy with great staff who served behind a bar and had all walkers with boots off and a cold beer as soon as they walked in . The atmosphere was fantastic and I got a drink straight away and was beckoned by the large group from Ohio to join them . They had seen me heading off and wanted to know what the hell I was thinking . We shared their back pack cheese , which was sweaty but tasted great with the wine and had a lovely time.
I grabbed my shower coin and headed for what I hoped would be a warm shower . Unfortunately warm was not happening and a cold spray shot out at me .. several expletives and going what I thought was fast to beat the buzzer, I had just sudded up when the water ran completely out . I thought I would have to rinse off by climbing in the sink .. I pressed and pressed and the smallest coldest drizzle came out to rinse me as best I could . I need to refine my hut shower technique. As a priority. In a warm fleece and smelling soapy and clean – based on half the soap still on me , I headed to a delicious dinner, my allocated spot tonight was with another American group. 3 generations of the same family all walking together. They made me so welcome and it turned out I was in their dorm also . We all clambered into our sleeping bag liners later in our bunks – I was the only non family member in the dorm – we lay and chatted for ages tucked up until weariness started to slur our speech . As my eyes closed around 9.30 , my hut bedtime . I happily yawned a “night night beautiful family” and I fell asleep as I heard “night night beautiful Sally” . It was a very very beautiful day. Xxx
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In pictures…. Tour du Mont Blanc September 2019.
