On day 3, we went off the road, or more like on the road. After the previous grueling days followed by a steep 3200ft steep descent to Les Chapieux early in the morning, my dad’s knees were just shy of being shot. Our entire tour was in jeopardy.
However, we had the human embodiment of project management with us – my mother. She revitalized our trek by restrategizing. The stress on my parent’s knees could be reduced through flatter terrain or by reducing the weight of our backpacks. Since the route could not be altered, we arranged a luggage transfer (a typical option taken by TMB hikers) between our Refugios. We also needed a few hours of rest to rejuvenate.
But before we could plan much, we were famished as the sun had reached its zenith in location and temperature. We hailed a cab to the nearby town of Borg Saint Maurice for lunch. Borg Saint Maurice is located in the department of Savoie. This popular ski destination prides itself on its strong local cheese – Beaufort (beau: nice; fort: strong). The cheese is made from the milk of Abondance cows, which we had seen graze the pastures behind our dorms on our first night. In this region of wine fame, cyclers take the direct trains from London, Paris, and other big cities to ride the winding turns that were included in the 2017 Tour Du France.
From Borg Saint Maurice, we went to Hotel Funivia at Courmayeur, Italy. Or at least what I thought was Hotel Funivia. I had booked A Hotel Funivia for the night. But after a good amount of confusion at the reception, I realized I had booked the Hotel Funivia in Bormio. Bormio, like Courmayeur, is a lovely town in the Italian alps famous for cycling, hiking, and skiing. The only issue is that Bormio is separated from Courmayeur by 250 miles.
Thankfully, the adjacent Hotel Vallee Blanche had an open room for us. They even recommended Restaurante La Palud, where we had gnocchi and eggplant spaghetti. Out of the three countries on tour, Italy offered the best food.
The next day after a breakfast of tarts, cakes, chocolate croissants, and fruit salad, we got back on tour with a hike up the Courmayeur ski slopes ending at the Maison Vielle. This TMB refuge doubled as a ski chalet in the summer and had the most spectacular views of Mont Blanc. Until then, our views on the tour were obscured by the clouds or by adjacent peaks, such as the dome de mont blanc. To admire the view, we laid back on the ski slope grass, taking in the majesty of the Massif.
When we checked in, a lovely couple from NYC sat, sharing a decanter of wine. They were celebrating their 40th anniversary and his 70th birthday by completing half of the TMB. He was a theatre combat professor at NYU, and she worked in the New York City Ballet. They defined living life to the fullest.
Our dinner that night at the refuge rivaled the views. Italian main courses are divided into two meals : primi piatti and secondi piatti. The primi piatti usually consists of pasta or spaghetti, and a meat-based dish is the focus of the secondi. At the refuge, a hearty portion of marinara spaghetti warmed us up for the tenderloin dish sided with carrots and peas. All three parts of the secondi piatti were as tender as the name suggests. However remote the refuge or numerous the guests might be, there was always a desert. Maison Vielle offered a homemade chocolate cake topped with cream.
Conscience of Aniket 