I don’t think I can express the joy of seeing the sun shining on our second day.

But there it was, peeking out from behind a mountain peak.

Itinerary for the day was an eight-mile trek, which included two big climbs. But part of it was also a stop on a ridge, the Col de Tricot, offering a pretty damn stupendous 360-degree view of the valley. From there, it was a steep, tricky descent down to the Refuge de Miage, famous for its blueberry pie. And then, you know, another climb and whatnot.

First stop was in the town of Les Houches to load up on sustenance for the hike: sandwiches, snacks, energy bars. Then we took the Bellevue cable car up 800 meters and started the hike from there, under the shining sun. It was still chilly and I was layered up, maybe too much.

Everything wasn’t quite dried out yet and so I had this idea to tie one of my pullovers onto my pack, so it would dry as the day went on. Windbreaker, pants, another hoodie inside the pack. I wore the puffer, long sleeve shirt and hiking pants.  (What was I thinking?)

The three-hour climb started with a quick jaunt over a gushing water via a swing bridge.  Then we climbed up rocks, just plain rocks, with the help of a chain attached to said rocks. The rest of the climb was switchbacks, a lot under tree cover.  There were times I just stood there, catching my breath, looking up to see what was ahead. And all that was ahead was the trail that just kept going up.

Upon arrival at the ridge, all of that misery was just a distant memory because the view was just outstanding. This is why, even with all the difficulty, I love this hike. We hung out there for a short while, taking photos, refueling for the descent to the Refuge de Miage.  

This was about the time my big toes started to ram against the end of my shoes with every step down. And that started to hurt. As I went, again, way behind everybody, I made friends with a group and their dog Spike. They apologized when he ran in front of me and I said, ‘No, Spike. Keep me company. Come back!”  I said to a guy,  “I see where we’re going but it never seems to get any closer.”  “It’s an illusion!” he said and we laughed.

I finally got to the place, sat myself down at the table and realized I was hungry. Everybody had already eaten the blueberry pie and was just chilling. I hadn’t eaten much (mistake!) up to this point because the sandwich I bought earlier was laden with mayonnaise. I detest mayonnaise. I should have taken my fellow hiker Margo’s cue and just bought a sleeve of Nutella cookies to go with my banana and a chocolate croissant.

Vic suggested I order a big salad, which had potatoes, ham, cheese, corn. It was delicious. And then I saw Spike again! I’m so bummed I didn’t get a photo. Cool dog. Looked like a German Shepherd mix.

So now we were on to the last part of the trek: a 300-meter (984 foot) straight up climb. “It’s quick!” Vic said. I love how her version of “quick” is so different from my version. I did as she told me: I kept my head down, took my time and just kept a steady pace.

Now, in addition to the increasing pain in my feet, it had also turned into a really warm day. Vic was bopping around in a tank top and shorts and there I was in my long-sleeve top and hiking pants that I grew to loathe with every step. Too warm. Too heavy.

I asked Vic to pull out her scissors and please cut my sleeves off. I didn’t care. My fellow hiker Andy did the honors. As soon as the sleeves were gone, I felt so much better. What a difference.

Then the group came to my aid again. Remember all that stuff I brought? Everyone asked if they could carry something for me to lighten my load.  I was so humbled and, frankly, a bit embarrassed. But when you’re up there in the middle of these climbs, any little bit helps. I will always be grateful for how they helped me. They didn’t hesitate: “What can we carry?” I get emotional when I think about it.

It really made a difference. But man, my toes were on fire, since we were still descending. Luckily we were on a paved road for a little bit and I tried walking down sideways, just to get the pressure off.  

We finally get the hotel and I bought a round of drinks before dinner. It was the very least I could do.  

Vic decided that she would look over my pack in the morning to make sure I was carrying the minimum for the next day. I welcomed that.  

Dinner was, what else, cheese. We were served these little cheese boxes with baked cheese in them that turned out to be a fancy fondue. In the middle of the table was a tray with prosciutto, some tabouli, bread and more cheese. I don’t remember the dessert. I was so tired of cheese.

Next: Day 3 and we go 20k!