Haute Route

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.

Amazing breakfast of oats, stewed, apples, granola, and nuts

The Bucks were eating outside the refuge we got ready put on our bags did the pretty steep little scent to see a massive lake with a crazy kind of blue grey color cows with their bells tinkling everywhere and then we dropped onto the contour path around the side of the lake and had a little run

Butterflies and flowers everywhere.

There was a rockfall so changed route slightly. Followed some people up. Sheer slope with shale rock. Pretty hectic but not too big (800m). Mordor up there.

The rain starts.

Quads and calves are still unbelievably stiff but they’re just working and just keep going peace with the fact that I got quite a few days to go and it’s amazing what the body can do

Some Dutch girls scared on the top about exposed faces. Confirmed when we got to the bottom.

Lunch with a nice view. I need a good night sleep in the shower said no to the refuge and booked a shed. Kind of bathroom Hotel close by very excited.

Rain starts again and we make the last 3km fairly quickly. Take a few shortcuts through cow paddocks which was terrifying.

Hotel is nice. Everything is lopsided. Warm shower is unreal. The couple roll in from yesterday - they were talking loudly last night. The woman asks when we left and I said 8am. She kind of proudly and sheepishly said they left at 4am.

Tired. Need to stretch and sleep.

Massage ball is vital

Day 5

Great sleep. Thank goodness. Body feels stiff but it’s turned a corner - slightly stronger.

Legs are feeling so much better walk along the river for a while take a little path from the opposite bank which leads straight into two massive cars so we have to go underneath the electric fence and then along the river back onto the main road. Find a deserted or abandoned, baby mole put it back in a hole and then through a beautiful pine forest

Big climb up a ski slope find a Belgian guy who is starting a hotel just casually doing 2000 years of elevation on a Sunday and then we found Bob at the supermarket outside of Little market

Started the enormous climb, which would be about 2000 m total today straight up ski slope and Millie dragged us along and then Bob dragged us along and then we took a break by a little cow shelter, but I think they sleep in for the winters and then offered for a cheap truck to save the calves And now opens up and we see the final peak ahead of us to send and then one last time to the shelter tonight

There’s a signal in the mountains almost every which makes it so amazing to hike a line and feel so safe compared to South African mountains

We discuss what we haven’t used. I say head torch. Bob says that it’s a sign of strong legs.

We meet German man aged 65. Crushing it. We have seen him the last few days. He’s a legend. His advice - take the stairs, stay active. Michael. Stephan says there is no need for the phrase nice to meet you when Millie tries to learn German

Bob goes up to eat his banana at the top of the peak and Millie and I go down and do the descent. There’s some beautiful dams down here rather crazy site as we turn the corner here pretty much feeling like a proper road coming in and a huge car park along alongside the massive dams that collect the glacier runoff

Millie borrow my poles for the last actually we had a beer before the summer was great when Bob joined us, but you borrowed my pose the last time I’m shocked by how much harder it is Without the poles.

Last 500m climb to the most beautiful refuge ever. Huge windows framing the glacier. Warm wood and glass - toasty inside. I wait in a long line of Dutch men (not the best kind of Dutch men). Only to find out that I need to buy a shower token. Back of the line again.

Amazing dinner. Theee helpings of butternut shop. Four helpings of chicken curry. Cardamom yogurt.

Bob is in a tent under the refuge. Someone offers to buy him a night. he politely declines.

Early bed. Long day tomorrow. It’s raining in the morning so we see how early we leave.

Photo of the glacier in 1940.

Rivella milk drink

Day 6

Slept alright. Gooten morgen alarm at 6:10, doesn’t stir when I touch his foot. Goes back to bed and wakes on the second time after the snooze.

Millie start singing Rudolph, the rednosed reindeer and SpongeBob SquarePants and Natasha Benningfield

Wake bob in the tent. Instant coffee and hot chocolate. Overnight oats. Meet Benny the Dutch guy doing it super fast. He did our last two days yesterday.

Rain pants on. Ready to go.

Help Bob pack up his tent and then the snow started just a little bit of snow. We’re all get up and ready to go.

We chatted with a guy called Dani at breakfast. He is Dutch and he did our last two days and one yesterday and was a bit of a beast and a hilarious human so we all left together and I was feeling so strong. I think my body actually felt like the first day again and the little bit running even downhill and then it was a long long time Bull infested green hill to the top, took the gun to the down and then bought me some pink poles in the town I had a coffee and now we’re gonna start accent

Earlier we had lunch in the car park of a restaurant now we’re going up the hill that is so unbelievably steep. Many poles are vital and also these details are so stupid that you have to take breaks but it’s a good thing. It’s so beautiful so you can just kind of take it all in while you wait.

Climb it was just a beautiful Kahn tour in the grassy Hills Had to run a few few sections and so stunning just really incredible

Massive climb feel like we’re so high up at the airplane passing overhead feel like they’re just 100 meters above us so loud at the top beautiful day

Made it to the top. 2874m.

Lance slow descent on autopilot walked along the main road to the hiking hotel had a shower beer and dinner. Say goodbye to Danny and he went off into the night then say goodbye to Ben to Bob and just a little piece about how beautifully he moved sideways up the mountain.

Lots of older people in the hikers hotel dormitory. Millie and I sit on the steps using the massage ball and stretching. The other people come up and down the stairs near us.

A German man asks where we’re from and I say South Africa. He gets talking about a glider trip he took there. The conversation switches to the hike. He hikes with his daughter. And she was meant to be on the trip - she booked it. But is having a baby. We speak about parenthood and he starts to freely cry with happiness. Being a father was the most importnant moment of his life. And he’s so excited to become a grandfather.

In a dorm in the attatic with what feels like 12 other older hikers. On Christmas beds on the floor. Both Millie and I have tried to get the window opened. That single window. Farts have started, snores will soon follow. Let’s hope that window stays open. Noise cancellation and an eye mask. I hope it ensures some sleep. I can see why people choose to bring a tent.

Day 7

Just a note about how fantastic a hiking partner Millie is never have to worry about her on the fall and die sections and absolutely self-sufficient

Slo breakfast slept pretty well despite the massive dorm. The window remained open the climb which is literally right out the front door so no warm me up for it and then spotted Bob’s tent. He woke up great to see that he didn’t power with Knight and we’re away.

Many absolutely send it have the only client for today at the top, which is the path briefly for the second time the whole hike we have a coffee

I’ve never felt so strong in my life and foot and I think that this will definitely marker before and after heart rate in my life by way of what I feel as possible

Long, very technical rock section, but the downhill going very nice and gently and slowly

No blisters go ultras and toe socks, and also know about massive bio, kinetic failures really proud of my body

So many little white concrete shrines with stone roofs with a little statues of Christianity and flower or two along the descent, very tired, but we have made it. Can I go to the supermarket and then make dinner for the first time in ages at our little Airbnb?

The descent is long and gets steeper. We make it to the bottom. Road works cause us to double back. Supermarket. Airbnb. Shower. Wash clothes - very dirty. weird delicious rice dinner with salami, olives, chickpeas and nuts.

Bed before 8. Tired.

Day 8

FNB had a lot of flies not to be able to have a night with no disturbances in sleep but and overnight oats was amazing and we are going to stroll to Zermatt now

Start the day walk and debrief.

Best sleep: wonky hotel

Best accommodation: Moiry

Worst sleep: pafluri

Best meal: chicken curry and Moiry

Favorite person: bob

Worst people: Dutch runners

Best climb: either after verbier or after col de balme

Hardest moment: Imwhen Millie got to the wonky hotel she didn’t think she would make it. For me at the supermarket yesterday trying to choose food.

Best view: top of day 2.

Best run: down to pafluri

Best animal: pack of five wolves

Met up with Andrew, who is still on the climb yesterday and had a coffee with him and Rhonda. He is such a wonderful human born in the south of England now living in Sidney the management consultant turned undergraduate student in art. History and philosophy has such a vibrant to him and excitement for life. We spoke about studying and things and he’s off to Europa Hutt and we’re now walking onto Zuma.

All the different language changes over this trip and kind of try to double down and learning Portuguese, but before long it was Spanish and then now German quite unsure how a great people

They take a little trail along the side of the mountain and then so Matt comes to view as well as the absolutely enormous matter in the distance with it seems like smoke coming off it and the insight maybe like 10 or 15 minutes to the to the church and then this adventure is done

Got a lasagna and only Gary had an orange juice at the supermarket made it to the church very surreal. It’s amazing and quiet without cars in the center of Matt and as we arrived at the church at midday, Bell‘s chimed right on cue.

We sit in the church in silence. Looking up at the mural on the ceiling that we overheard the tour operator talking about, letting it all sink in.

We drink a beer and glass of wine opposite the church and reflect. Then bob arrives to finish it! He joins us and we celebrate.