Day 1
Brisk morning. Snow capped mountains look down onto Chamonix. Millie singing “buttercup baby”. Big coffee. Big oats.
Everyone in technical gear. Warm welcome from the French. Similar to Camino maybe because we look the part.
Millie is singing like a jukebox of golden oldies
Beautiful forest trails. But snowy mluntains.
Cheeky kids running down. Taught us with a smile in French by the river.
Le tour then climb up next to a ski lift
Real sheep dogs barking at hikers
Beer and an ice cream at a ski restaurant.
Last few hundred meters climbing up to the refuge. Cold wind. Someone doing a photo shoot on a speedy wing glider.
1 minute shower. cold. We sit downstairs next to the unlit fire place. Millie asks the owner to make a fire and tell his life story. He chuckles at this. Millie probes until he speaks: he worked at a refuge when he was 20, then was a salmon fisher in Norway for 30 years. Millie asks why he left, his answer: why can’t I love more than one thing. It took 2 years to buy the refuge off a couple in their eighties without children. Then redid the interior.
It’s light and beautiful inside. Warm wood all over. Many beds upstairs and a cozy vibe downstairs. We’ve got dinner breakfast and a packed lunch coming, dreamy.
He has that French bluntness, but with a twinkle in his eye. Millie plays it perfectly, matching his bluntness with even more. When Millie goes to the toilet he comes the the hot fire and says “I make her a fire and then she leaves with a smile”. I say thanks for the fire, “it wasn’t for you” he laughs.
He speaks of women as if still suffering from a deep heartbreak. But greets a young woman working at the refuge with exuberance, reliving his youth in refuges through her.
Cozy dinner. Lovely Canadian couple celebrating their one year engagement
Bed before nine with a book. Wonderful. Tomorrow is going to be a big day
Day 2
Good sleep
Breakfast. Chocolate.
Beautiful contour and descent with refuges. Glacier. Saw a shamwa nice man pointed it out
Get to the bottom at the river. Helicopter building infrastructure
Coffee and jam tart.
Time to climb. Oh my god huge climb. So proud of our bodies. we summit and have lunch on the top: a great sandwich from the refuge with some chips in there. Beautiful valleys on either side.
Many people up here. So many hiking alone. 95% of people are well prepared with gear and fitness. Yet there are some people in hoodies and trainers who look like they just came off the tube.
Beyonces halo played at breakfast this morning and is now stuck in our heads. Juke box Millie plays it out loud every few hours.
Leggy suggests yelling “I AM INSIGNIFICANT” into the massive mountains. Great idea.
The mountains break and we get our first jeep track run which lasts a few km. Stop at hostel but alas, no lunch here. Onwards and downwards.
Find a cute down with lake and supermarket. Buy a sandwich wnd eat it by the lake. Some tweens are on peddle boats. They’ve send scouts to buy ice creams. A girl on the boat is loud and attention seeking. When handed an ice cream she yells “what must I do with this” - referring to the wrapping - continuously.
Walk in the last 13km. It’s beautiful meadows and jeep tracks. It takes a while and we’re relieved to make it to the hotel. Tired and dirty. Shower. Wash clothes. Great dinner of an amazing salad and then like a chicken stir fry pasta. Sleep.
Day 3
I feel the 2900m of descent in my legs. And we noticed that Sam’s route from a few years back started at the top of the ski lift. And we also notice that this hotel gives you one free pass to ride to the top of the ski lift. It must be done.
Big ski lift
Beautiful contour
Met lina doing the haute - from Canada.
So many flowers and butterlies.
So nice to have poles on the really steep slopes for balance.
The high alpine water is truly delicious
Saw five mammal looking things running along an ice pack. “It looks like italy” “I don’t know what Italy looks like”
Big pile of rocks. Well marked.
Met bob from France. Moving quickly. He said they may have been wolves.
Smoker a joint with him up there in Mordor. Is it strong? Medium! How often do you smoke? Good question, it’s holiday.
River crossing.
Read the day 3 Strava caption for more notes. I’m tired now and forcing down the most delicious meal.
Have the world’s most beautiful and coldest shower. Then it starts raining a bit.
Bob heads off into the night to find his friends about 5km away. They had a big night last night and just bussed ahead. They have his tent.
Some more people pull in later.
Probably the most amazing refuge. So well equipped, warm, professional and beautiful.
Day 4
Loud Neighbours, hot. Not the best sleep. But it was one of those times where the body lies still and rests effortlessly. And you just need to keep the mind still and all will be good.