And here we were, the last day of the trek and the weather was very much not cooperating. The forecast? Clouds, wind, rain. I did not see that little sun icon on my phone.

Ah, so what.  What’s another rainy hike up 5,000 feet?  

The day was pretty basic: we had a big climb to start. Then we went down for awhile then up again to a rifugio, Rifugio Elisabetta, at the Italy border where we had lunch. Then we would wind our way down and catch a shuttle bus to Courmayeur, Italy.  We’d hike 8.6 miles, go up 700 meters and then back down 700 meters. Compared to the 20k from the day before, on paper this sounds much easier.

Key words here: “on paper” and “sounds.”

I started with a pretty lame breakfast at the refuge, just some grains, and a cappuccino. Vic wanted to start early because of the rain forecast. The goal was to get to the rifugio in time for lunch and beat the rain.

I layered up as one does when hiking in these climes. Short sleeve top, fleece, rain jacket, puffer in the pack.  You get it.  And my gym shoes! The trail started out as usual and then got really steep. I stopped to take some photos which, of course, meant I fell behind the group. There were a lot of other hikers on the trail and my goal was to try to stay ahead of these groups. Call it motivation.

But it turned cold. And then there’s the wind. We went higher and the wind got stronger. At one point, the wind was blowing so hard I wasn’t sure I was even moving. This was very much not like the day before with the wind and all that fabulous sunshine. I put on the puffer, zipped up and just forged ahead. The video below captures the mood.. and the wind.

We crossed some rocky streams, followed by some steep turns up, then flat, then down a bit and then just kind of walking along the path that was cut into the hill sideways. And just when I thought I was at the top, I realized I was nowhere near the top. The path just kept on going and going, undulating, if you will.

Then I saw Vic. She just needed to see where I was and stayed with me to the top at the col, which was foggy and rainy and cold. (see photo below). When we got there, she offered to take a photo. My phone was zipped up in my pants, which were under my rain pants. Too much work to get it out. Let’s just go.

The next phase was a descent to the rifugio, which was up on a hill. So descend, find some ruins on the right, look up to the left and I’ll see it. “It’s just a short climb, but it’s a climb.”  OK!

And then it started raining, because of course it did. I’ll take the climbs, the descents, the craggy rocks, the chains to help you get there. These are part and parcel of a Mont Blanc trek. But then when it rains? Here we were in this fantastic valley and so much of the panorama was shrouded in fog.
Anyway, weather happens. What can you do?

So I find the ruins and see the rifugio up on the hill. I started going up a tricky steep path, before I realized there was an actual road to take that was probably the better choice.

When I finally got there, the place was a scene of hikers, wet packs, boots, poles, you name it. Like other rifugios, you are not permitted to wear your boots in the dining room and they even offer sandals and slippers to put on.

It was a challenge just to find hooks to hang my coat and a place for my pack. Every inch was taken. Slippers? Nah – I just walked around in my socks. The group secured two tables and it was great to see them. It was 1130 a.m. and the kitchen didn’t open until noon. So for once, my late arrival wasn’t delaying anything!  

The best part for me in all of this is we were finally in Italy. I spoke Italian to the staff and just felt in my element. After five days of not understanding a lick of French, I could speak the local language!

The menu offerings were ravioli or soup and lasagna, the special of the day. The running joke was the lasagna will possibly be the special the next day.

At this point, the rain picked up and it was foggy. What a shame because the views from this place are probably pretty spectacular.   

When it was time to head out, I told Vic I will not be the reason we miss the shuttle bus to Courmayeur.  The bus came once an hour so if we missed it, well, you get it. (Flashback: in 2023, on the last day of the trek, we had to get to the last ride of the cable car down to Chamonix. I made sure to keep up with everybody so we didn’t miss it. Spoiler alert: we made it with time to spare.)  

It was an easy walk down – flat path, then down a bit then flat. And we got there and then finagled our way to be the first ones on. The bus took us right into Courmayeur and everything looked familiar. I spent two days here in 2023 and know the town well.

We all met in the hotel bar area for a recap of the week, some wine and snacks before heading out to dinner at a popular pizzeria.  When we got there, the owner asked if we had reservations, (we did not), but I charmed him with, “We were told we must eat here.” And we did.  And the pizzas – the individual pizzas which were big enough to feed a few people – were delicious. It was such a nice end to the day.

This ended the trip for me as I did not return to Chamonix with the group the next day. My vacation continued for two more weeks in Italy. I got on a 6:15 am. bus to Milan and then a train to Verona.

What an adventure this was and again, I was lucky to experience it with a great group of people. I cannot express enough gratitude for their encouragement and kindness, even when I was holding everything up on that third day. And Vic? I thanked her for making sure I didn’t do anything stupid, like fall off the mountain. By the way, that’s my fellow hiker Margo in the big feature photo up top. Thank you to her and Matt, again, for sharing their photos.

If there were one day I’d like to do over again it would be that last day, under a sunny sky. Then again, I think I’d like to do the whole trek again with the proper shoes and without the toes ordeal.

In any case, I look forward to my next adventure wherever it might be.

Next: On to Verona!