The second day of the trek turned into a day without much trekking.

Our guide Neil told us the night before that the weather was going to be bad today. I thought “Hmm, that’s OK. I’ve got my layers, I’ve got a good rain jacket…”

What I didn’t bring were rain pants nor a pair of gloves. This day required both.  While Neil and Patrick were semi-encouraging about how I’d do OK, I was pretty skeptical. I thought back to that rainy day on the Piedmont bike trip in 2022 when I wished I would have brought a better jacket and cycling pants. (What’s the deal with me and gear?)

This was the day we were to hike out of Italy into Switzerland. The plan was a 20k hike (!!) that took us up 2,537 meters to Grand Col Ferret, via Rifugio Elena and the Swiss/Italy border. Then we’d descend to the Swiss village of La Fouly, our stop for the night, Total for the day: 900 meters ascent, 1,400 meters descent.

Anyway, I was bundled up and sat in the lobby of the rifugio and pondered my fate. It might not be that bad, I told myself. That optimism ended the minute I walked outside. It was cold, it was raining and it was windy. We boarded the bus to the trailhead, walked five minutes and I told Neil, “I’m not going. I’m too cold.”

Instead, I joined Joyce, another trekker who had already decided to skip the day, in taking the shuttle bus back to Courmayeur. Then we’d get the bus to Chamonix, France, go through the tunnel and then take the train to Martigny, Switzerland. From there, we’d take a taxi to the hotel.

I had to wait about 15 minutes for the first shuttle bus. We were out in a mountain valley and there was one bar/restaurant near the bus stop and it wasn’t open yet. One of the owners walks outside and says she didn’t know the bus schedule but it usually come every 10 minutes. So I walk over to the stop, in the freezing sideways rain and alas, according to the schedule, I’d be on that bus in 12 minutes. I tried to get out of the wind by standing next to a skinny tree. That didn’t really work that well.

The bus arrived, I thawed out, got to Courmayeur, bought a ticket to Chamonix and voila‘ – not only was there a bus leaving in about five minutes, I hop on and Joyce was in the first seat!

So we were on our way. I told her I originally planned to maybe spend some time in Chamonix to do some shopping but Jacinta, one of Mont Blanc Trek’s guides, told me the city is just crowded and busy and just head to the train station. Joyce had opted to skip the trek because of the weather.

An hour later, we’re in Chamonix (it takes that long to get to the tunnel and through it) and the first order of business is to find a place for a warm coffee drink and use the restroom. And we did. Next to the bus stop is a hotel/restaurant/bar called Plan B and it was perfect! Joyce and I enjoyed a cappuccino, a caffe latte and croissants.

I thought I would show my international chops and speak Italian when I asked the gentleman at the front desk how to get to the train station. He looked at me and said, “English.”  

He handed me a street map, drew a path where the station was and said just keep going straight here and then turn here and there. Funny, it seemed so easy when he explained it. We could see the tracks while crossing the road but we couldn’t find the station. It’s not so “easy. Just go here and there.” We asked this one guy for help and he kept pointing us in the right direction but we were a lost cause. Finally, he said, “Use Google maps.”  Good idea! I did stop and buy a pair of gloves.

We eventually get to the station, bought our tickets, boarded and we were off! For the next hour and a half we were on this scenic train ride. Even with the rainy, foggy day, it was beautiful.  

We arrive in Martigny, get in the taxi and 45 minutes later, we’re at Hotel Edelweiss in La Fouly, Switzerland. After a divine hot shower, I went back to the hotel bar with my notebook and enjoyed some Prosecco.

Meanwhile, up on the mountain . . .

Joyce had been in contact with Stephanie the whole morning. She kept her apprised of our journey and Stephanie kept her updated on the climb. When we were on the train, Stephanie told her they were coming off the mountain, back to Courmayeur. The weather turned that bad – sleet, snow, wind – and it just wasn’t safe to continue.

“Going up, I was thinking, ‘just keep going’,” Tammy wrote me. “I thought perhaps the storm wouldn’t last too long and we could keep trekking. I also remember that I was sure glad (her husband) Kareem told me to buy gloves!”

Tammy and Kareem live in Florida so this was just a bit of a new experience for them. “I had about an inch of standing water in my shoes until we made it back to Courmayeur to wait for the taxis.”

Stephanie, also a Floridian, told me that she was grateful that she packed and wore rain gear (I cannot say the same, as we know), “I just put my head down and I tried to walk up the muddy hill,” she said. But when the rain and sleet made it hard to see, she got a little scared. “I felt great relief when we reached refuge Elena. Not only because we got out of the snow and had a cocoa but I received text messages that you were both together and en route to the next city.”

“This is meant to be a summer trekking season, not the start of a winter course!” Neil wrote in a message. “But I must give clients the option of trying. Rifugio Elena was short ascent, a chance to see the true condition but 20 minutes in, the rain turned to sleet and snow and the wind was increasing with every step, making communication strained and the path became like an ice rink.”

As a group they discussed the situation but there was only one outcome which was to go back to Courmayeur. “We descended from the Rifugio by the vehicle track as the path was too slippery.”  

(Thanks to the group for taking these photos)

Colorado residents and avid hikers Jenny and Michael forged ahead away from the group, just to get to the Rifugio Elena quickly. They waited outside in the long line until they realized the group was already inside. “We were glad everyone had made it and were OK,” Jenny wrote in a message. “We thawed quickly and walked back to the start. We’ve had rain showers, hail on hikes but these were the worst conditions we’d ever faced and not knowing what was ahead, we felt more confident having Neil to make decisions for us.”

Patrick and Beth, brother and sister from Seattle, took the weather in stride. “We see a lot of this weather in the northwest,” Beth wrote. “What got me, as we got closer to the refuge, was the wind. At that point, I knew that plans would likely change.”

 “I was enjoying the adventure as crazy as that sounds. I had the right gear so was not too cold,” Patrick said. “I knew safety would rule the day so was not too concerned. Once everyone was secured, it was just another day in the mountains.”

They made it back to Courmayeur and then went back to Hotel Crampon, where we stayed the first two nights. “Stupendous hospitality by the ladies at Crampon,” Jenny said.  
From there, they took two shuttles to LaFouly and I saw the first of the group arrive in the lobby around 5 p.m.

Everyone dried off, warmed up and we met for dinner.

The forecast for the next morning showed cold temperature but no rain. Good, because I still didn’t have any rain pants.

Next: walking through Swiss villages and a yard of gnomes.