The real deal started today! We said goodbye to our bags in the morning at the hotel in Chamonix – some would remain there in long-term storage until we return on Saturday afternoon and some would be transferred and waiting for us at our hotel for the night in Le Tour, France. Then, we took a short ride on the city bus to nearby Les Praz village to get this party started.
We bypassed a long climb at the start by riding a cable car up to La Flegere (5,950 feet). I didn’t make the connection at the time that we’d be descending all the way back down (and, descending is my nemesis). Rather, in blissful ignorance of what was to come, I enjoyed the views of where we would be hiking today. This was the only day we would not be on the Mont Blanc massif itself (we were across the valley instead) so it provided a different perspective on the mountain.
Today’s hike began with a climb to Lac Blanc (7,716 feet), the white lake. The terrain was very rocky, but I tend to manage going uphill much better than going downhill. Climbing requires strength and endurance, which I definitely have. So far so good.
We stopped for an extended break at the lake, and I managed to purchase a coke from the mountain refuge before the excitement of a supply drop to the refuge by helicopter. It was cool to watch it in action!
Things started to get a little sketchy for me after that point, as we first started descending down narrow boards built into the hillside and the trail was quite exposed (which added an element of vertigo for Kurt). I moved to the back of our hiking group (and, I brought Kurt with me for security and support). After we finally got through the section with the boarded steps, then we had to negotiate climbing down a metal ladder (I preferred this to the boards!).
We descended to the Cheserys lakes, and we had a picnic lunch lake-side about 3 miles into our hike (When in France, do as the French do – eat baguettes, meat, and cheese – yum!).
Mentally, I struggled descending on the rocky terrain after lunch. But, the views were outstanding!
We eventually made our way back to the tree line and continued down all the way back to the valley floor. The scenery changed from views of the mountains and glaciers to views of the forest.
I was so relieved to make it back down in one piece. Physically, my body felt fine. But, mentally, I was fatigued from putting so much mental effort on getting through each step down. Day one is complete (approximately 12k hike with an elevation gain/loss of +1560 feet/-3775 feet). Five more days to go…if this was our “warm-up” day, then I’m screwed (and, Kurt wasn’t feeling that confident dealing with all of the rocks either).
Once we arrived in the town of Argentiere, France at the bottom of the trail, we came upon an aid station for one of the UTMB trail races happening this week (MCC).
Our group stopped for celebratory drinks and picked up supplies before we transferred to our hotel in Le Tour via the city bus. We had a much needed shower, ate all of the food at dinner, and then got some rest so that we can do it all over again tomorrow!