Welcome back to Mont Blanc.

In 2023, I hiked the valleys around the eastern façade of this beautiful Mont Blanc mountain range. The trek: two nights in Italy, two nights in Switzerland, two nights in France amidst bucolic villages with waterfalls, steep climbs, panoramas of snow-capped mountains. You get the idea. Read all about it here:

https://1cannolo2cannoli.org/category/mont-blanc/

I also wrote that I looked forward to another big hiking trip, maybe Mont Blanc again, on the western side. “When you accomplish something that goes beyond what you ever imagined you could do, it’s a rush, it’s euphoric and you are ready to do it again and do it bigger!”

And that’s what I did. I signed up again with https://montblanctreks.com/tour-du-mont-blanc to hike the westerly trek around this wonderful mountain, thinking it would be similar to 2023. There would be three nights in France and the last night in Courmayeur, Italy.  Plus, I turned 60 and lost 25 pounds this year. This was the start of a big three-week vacation in Italy.  

I read the descriptions of the daily treks, I knew there were going to be some challenges and I thought I was up to the task. I was ready.

I arrived in Chamonix one day early so I could get acclimated to the altitude and then take the Aiguille du Midi cable car up the mountain (12,000 feet) to get one of the most spectacular views of the Chamonix Valley.  There’s a restaurant up there and different walkways so you can get a 360-degree view.

I bought my ticket for one of the earlier trips up. It was a rainy and cloudy morning and my scheduled time was delayed because there was snow on the cable at the top. Yeah, I guess it’s pretty cold up there. Once it was cleared to go, I went up, into an abyss of clouds. I saw a few peaks and the sun was really trying to come through, but alas, no view.

I thought about staying up there for awhile just in case there was a chance the sky would clear. But the restaurant wasn’t open for another hour and I was freezing. Maybe next time!

I walked around Chamonix a bit and then sought out a puffer coat, those lightweight, warm down coats. I learned a lot last year about bringing the proper gear (rain pants!) and I knew getting the coat would be a good idea.

At the trek briefing at the hotel, I met the group I would be hiking with the next four days. Our guide was Vic. The group were experienced hikers and backpackers, a label I also attributed to myself. But I soon found out in the days ahead, I really wasn’t on their level.   

Vic told us the weather forecast for our first day was really bad and so instead of going along the planned route, which included a 1,500 meter (4,900 feet) descent and climbing some ladders (yikes!) we would get to our destination another way that’s not so steep and not so dangerous with the rain-soaked terrain.

The trip: we would go 13K, up 2,296 feet and that aforementioned descent from Chamonix to Les Houches.

“This day often feels like one of the toughest on the trek… the descent can be punishing and probably the most difficult during the trek..” reads the description.

We left in the pouring rain and it did not stop raining. Did. Not. Stop. I was prepared though. I remembered the rain pants!

We climbed up and up and, as usual, I brought up the rear. The trail went through wooded areas, a lot of zig zags and some spots were steep. We also came across an 82-foot high statue, “Christ the King.” It was built in 1934 and dedicated to peace in the world.

This is when I started thinking that maybe I should have done a few more treadmill climbs at the gym. We went a good two hours before we stopped for lunch under a shelter.

And that’s when we all realized how soaked we were. Our packs, even though covered, were soaked as was everything inside. Even if I wanted to switch out a layer for my other hoodie, it was soaked. At least it wasn’t too cold.

The rest of the hike was downhill. The first part was on a paved road but then we were back in the woods and on the trail of rocks, branches, more rocks.

We crossed a gushing creek, we climbed down one area using a metal bar attached to the rock which Vic described as thus: “It’s difficult but you can do it. No tripping.”

I did not trip. And she wasn’t kidding.

We got to the hotel, the Les Campanules Chalet. Our luggage arrived about 15 minutes later.  

It was a nice place with a finished rustic interior, and wood carvings of animals all over the lobby and bar area. I laid out all of my wet stuff with the meekest of hopes that it might be dry by morning.

After a short aperitivo with drinks and cheese, (we always had cheese) we enjoyed a dinner of salmon, drank local white wine and called it a night. The forecast said sunshine for the next day.  

Next: Day 2 — A sunny day and I begin to realize I brought the wrong shoes.

.