Our penultimate day was drier than the previous day as we crossed back into France. The downpour alleviated the hiking conditions by dropping the temperature to a cool 20C. Our morning was spent zig-zagging up 2500ft, reaching just shy of the Carraye peak, standing at roughly 7000ft. To minimize the gradient, we took an alternate route that traded the steep incline for a longer distance as the path went back and forth up the slope.
Along the uphill climb, we passed by a meadow. It would have been like dozens we had passed in the days prior, except for a sign. Under the meadow lay shafts and shafts of an iron mine, many dating back to prehistoric times. From Neolithic tribes and the Romans, mining has been a cornerstone in the Alpine economy, but over time Tourism has overshadowed all the sectors. This particular mine had put up its picks and shovels over a century ago since much of the available ore had been excavated.
As we pivoted around the Carraye peak, we were astounded by the sight of Lac d’Émosson. The 227 million cubic meter reservoir is nestled in a mountain range across the valley from us. This reservoir powers multiple hydroelectric power stations, including a recently built 900 MegaWatt Nant de Drance plant.
While we could see the bordering ranges and their unique sights, the central Mont Blanc massif hid behind a series of smaller peaks. But after passing a particularly tricky section of the hike (the sedimentary-rock path was disintegrating in front of us), we were treated with this :
Saddled between the peaks of L’Arolette and Croix de Fer, we had a picnic lunch, scarfing down on our packed – you guessed it – ham and cheese sandwiches. On our way up, my mother had almost lost her balance a couple of times, which had warped her sense of level ground. So, when I sat down to have lunch on a relatively level field, she got worried that I was going to topple over. We had a good laugh after. Then to satisfy our sweet tooth, we hiked down to Chalet du Col de Balme (the small inn in the photo above) to treat ourselves to a round of thick hot chocolate. While sipping the sweet brew on the French-Swiss border, we admired the view.
As pleasant as the uphill climb was, the downhill was equally bad, especially for my mother. I had slipped the day before and aggravated a pull, which made me more annoyed than it pained. But my mother was in real pain. Over the course of hiking 100 miles, our feet tend to swell, which is why we bought shoes half a size greater. However, my mother needed a whole size bigger as her swollen toes were repeatedly slamming into the shoe tip on the downhill. It killed two of her nails. On the other hand, my father had made a full recovery with his knee. Unlike the first few days, he was leaping across the trail.
So as soon as we saw the village of Le Tour we took a break. We had a nice drinks break to rest our feet before we set out towards our final Refuge – Gite Le Moulin. The remaining trail shouldered the fast-flowing Le Bisme river, where people sunbathed on the banks. One local had turned an eddy into his own private mini pool.
That night we all crammed into the dorm for one last time. Over a sloe berry cream dessert, the three Britishers (George, Elena, Tim), Tímea, my parents, and I cracked jokes and talked about our cultural differences. For example, our house in Austin was built in 2014, while Tim’s Cornwall house dates back to the 1500s. It was built by Sir Cuthbert Mayne, who was executed for being Catholic and for which was later canonized. We also had an American couple just setting out on their tour in the opposite direction at our table, and we advised them on the dos and don’ts of the hike. As the remaining “bookatreking 10” went to bed, there was a sense of relief and a bit of poignancy that it was all coming to a close.
Stay tuned for the final day!
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As I write this, the 2022 UTMB festival is in full swing. This trail running event comprises of various races ranging from 20 km (12.42 mi) to a 290 km (180 mi) monstrosity. The flagship race, ultra tour mont blanc, follows a very similar route that we took over the previous 9 days.
To follow the races, go to : http://live.utmb.world/
For a live video feed : https://youtu.be/3I3LBAt8RPw
Conscience of Aniket 