I forgot to say that the dinner at this refuge last night was incredible! It was clean and modern and the staff were gorgeous. It has been a big improvement in my feelings about the hut side of things since the last stop . Unbelievably I was in my allocated spot for dinner and out of all the hikers I got sat next to the Korean duo again! I had seen them yesterday at the top of Col de la Seigne . One of them was flying a drone to get an aerial shot . In the perfect silence of this famous view came the sound of his drone like a wasp and a lawn mower were fighting it out . It did not fit the moment or the place and after a mighty climb to get there walkers were looking like they wanted to grab the the thing and snap it into a million pieces .. my Korean friend appeared oblivious to this as he leapt about waving madly at his drone camera. When he spotted me coming over the ridge he yelled “wave Sally!”. I didn’t wave. At dinner he told me him and his friend where guessing what I did . He said “I look at your eyes and my guess was you are a writer “. I said no , but it was a dream of mine . I asked him what he did and he said he designs driverless cars for Hyundi . I told him to ditch this idea and instead design a silent drone . He said ok I will do that and you write book -so we shook on it . He has invited me and Kate and Charlotte to his wedding in Korea in December. There are 300 people going so he perhaps won’t notice if we dont make it. I’m not going if he flies that drone over .
Breakfast unfortunately wasn’t too substantial – sweet muffins, biscuits and pastries so I didn’t have much . When you want an egg you want an egg. I set off from this beautiful stay and headed down a steep drop into the Val Veni. There was a detour to an alpine lake that I decided to take . It meant most other walkers headed off on the trail and not the detour so that after I had the trail to myself . The lake was dried up so more of a puddle really , but close by was a refuge that did a lovely pot of tea ( that I didn’t have at breakfast) and warm chocolate cake just baked . So again the detour totally paid off!
With the the joy of an English breakfast tea there followed the most spectacular walking – a highlight of the walk .. up at the top after a long ascent, walking alongside the most uninterrupted views of the massif du Mont Blanc. For over an hour the walk continues on an undulating path with the range of peaks right by your side for company . I walked along beaming! Walking in the most stunning scenery I could ever imagine. I was so often looking left that I suddenly took a massive slide down a rocky dip in the trail.. I could feel my legs go from under me so I drove my walking pole into the ground as hard as I could and nearly pole vaulted over the top of it like Steve hooker. I saved myself but finished in nearly the full splits and felt a huge sense of relief that the only witness was the constant gaze of Mont Blanc and against the bluest sky I’ve ever seen the white mountain was the loveliest of non judgemental companions. I stopped for a panini at a gorgeous rustic refuge with a ceiling lined with climbers helmets and tables outside in the sunshine. It was an ideal stop as I was starving .
I made it down , down , steep down then . Signs warning of something in Italian that I couldn’t make out but I got a hurry on. . In France when there were signs along the way stating DANGER I could text my beautiful French speaking Kate to translate for me . She would text back hysterically in capitals … MUM !!! GUARD DOGS. I knew I should have brought her with me! Countless times in France I would have loved her there to rattle off a reply instead of me just nodding a lot and said ”merci!” for pretty much everything. And so continued the steep and dusty down that zig zagged the hill of a ski slope . Chair lifts above . A lot of people miss this section and take a bus down . I just took my time to avoid slipping and losing my footing as it was a sharp decline on an edge .
I reached the Italian ski town of Couramayeur near to 5 . It is a bustling town and similar to Chamonix in France . I had booked a room in a small hotel and was relishing the thought of a long shower and washing my hair . It is very hilly and of course my hotel when I finally located it was at the very top of the hill . My pack was suddenly feeling very heavy and my boots very tight on my hot swollen feet as I arrived at reception dusty , hot and I don’t think smelling my very best. My highly anticipated shower nearly used all the hot water in Italy and I left that hotel to walk for dinner like a new woman . I smelt of hibiscus body wash and shampoo, in a summer dress and my feet were breathing a grateful sigh of relief in thongs. I was in Italy so I was a on a mission to eat the pizza I had been imagining since lunch time. And I found it – sat in a beautiful little pizzeria I had a glass of wine , a salad and a pizza that I never thought I’d finish . I had no trouble , when I looked down it was gone . I wandered back to my hotel and slept the best sleep so far. A truly , truly magical day. Xxxxx
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In pictures…. Tour du Mont Blanc September 2019.
