From Relais D'arpette to Trient
We wake up to a dreary and wet day. While we see a hiker or two going up into Fenetre D'arpette , snow is expected at 1800 meters, and the owners recommend not to try the variant. Apparently some hikers tried it yesterday and had to retrace their steps.
Fenetre D'arpette, covered in clouds
So we rejoin the main trail by retracing yesterday's steps. No need to go all the way into town - we find the trail at Champex d'en haut - a small hamlet outside of town. About 20 minutes meandering through small wooden houses, smoke stacks the only indication of life. We soon hit Plan d'Au, a small restaurant (it is closed), and start the hike up through the forest. As with every morning ,we are not on our own, but soon each hiker falls into a their own rhythm. Yesterday's and today's rain is making the path muddy and slippery, in what is otherwise a pleasant and undemanding forest hike. Snow starts falling as we reach 1800 meters - right on the mark. By now we are at the edge of the forest heading into alpine meadows, and even the slushy path does not take away the beauty of the falling snow. It's cold, the coldest it's been so far.
Ahead the mud is mixed with what is clearly cow manure. Soon we reach the beasts themselves, stomping through the mud around Alp Bovine. I find myself starting down a cow walking on the path directly towards me. She knows it's her path, and there's nothing left for me to do other than step into the mud and let her pass.
Alp Bovine is heaven. It's a small, fully operational summer farm that serves food to hungry hikers. The main building is low and small, and as you enter it you encounter the very welcoming smell of wood-fire, as well as a table laden with home made cakes.
Inside it's completely packed, as it's too cold to sit outside in the picnic benches. My brother, having arrived ahead of me, is already sitting with a cup of hot chocolate, eyeing the cakes. I order soup and two pieces of cakes, and we gobble the food while looking at the family operating the tiny kitchen - while there a modern oven, there's also a huge traditional wood-burning stove-top. Yes again I think of how challenging hut life can be, three months of hectic non-stop days. And these guys also have a diary farm to operate !
A bit reluctantly we finish and give our seats away to other hikers coming in. It's a scramble to get all the warm gear on, and then off we go back to the trail, now quickly descending into the forest. As we are heading below 1800m, there's little snow left, and thankfully the rain has stopped as well. While the path is muddy in places, it's not a challenge. As we descend, the're partial visibility of the valleys below us. It's not too long before we hit Col de Forclaz. I'm slightly surprised to find that it really is a Col, a mountain pass. There's a busy road, the Hotel col de Forclaz on the other side, and a small tourist shop. I wanted to book the hotel for the night, to give us the option of doing the variant the next day, but it was already fully booked. As it is the only option at the Col, and it's on both the TMB and the Haute Route, it is a popular place and gets full very quickly.
We stop at the tourist shop to re-supply our dwindling chocolate stash, and head down into the valley to our home for the night - the small village of Trient. As we decent we can see the thing the place is famous for (at least among those who follow TMB blogs) - the pink church.
30 minutes take us into the village. Tonight's hotel - L'Auberge du Mont Blanc - is at the edge of the village, and has a welcoming, though a bit run down, feel to it. We settle into our 20-people dorm, try to dry off as much as possible, and settle down in the common room with beers and books. Dinner yet again is an choice between Fondue or a meat stow, and even this being our last day in Switzerland is not enough to convince us to go for this local delicacy. Meat stow it is.
This time we are sat with several couples - English and American. The English are two friends who serve together in the British air force. The Americans are a white-haired couple from the Vermont. I've noticed them before, not just because of the white hair, but by their impressive form when hiking. The women particularly impressed me, Long white hair gathered loosely, hiking with a straight posture, like a ballet dancer's, in a peaceful yet relentless pace. I was so envious, but was relived to hear they live in a mountainous region and hike every day. It turns out the man volunteered in a Kibbutz in Israel many years ago, and the conversation revolves around that.
Post-dinner games. These are half a meter long!
After a pleasant dinner we retire to the rooms, only for me to have the worst night so far. Unable to sleep in the stuffy room, I have a mild claustrophobia attack, and end up taking my blanket and heading down to the common room, where there's a couch to spend a restless night.
Pro tip: drinking water. You can fill water in the huts, and in some places you will encounter water troughs carrying fresh alpine water. These are great. I would always refill my water bladder to its fullest, just in case. Use your judgement on getting water from alpine streams. In some cases, there's a risk of them being contaminated with cow manure. You can overcome this using basic water purifier.
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