Switzerland Dranse de Ferret

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  • Day 12

    Day 7

    September 10, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Went from La Champex to Trient today. Still in Switzerland. It rained most of the day so that makes the views a little different….all white from the clouds! Made another navigational mistake at the end of the day that added a very steep descent to Trient. Had to ask this little old man out walking in the rain where this hotel was that we needed to catch our ride was. He spoke no English but just did the walking sign with his fingers and pointed up to where we just came from 45 minutes ago!! Wasn’t happening!! It all worked out in the end. As usual. Didn’t get many pics. We are at a really nice hotel in Martigny and enjoying all the space and the nice shower! Simple pleasures!Read more

  • Day 22

    🇨🇭Rain & Headwind, another GREAT day!

    September 9, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    4:12 / 48 miles/ 1450 ft. Fully, Switzerland 🇨🇭. I got up about 7:30 AM to say thank you to Brian again before he went off to work. We both had a good nights rest, and we knew, even though there pass was behind us, the day was still going be a tough because of the rain and headwind. Lisa slept in a little bit later, but we both joined Marji for breakfast and coffee at about 8:30 AM, and then the departed about 9:15 AM. We can’t say enough about how great our evening and morning was Brian, Marji, and the kids. Our destination for the day was Fully, Switzerland and another Warmshower stay. Even though the weather was not cooperative, the ride was still beautiful. We rode up onto the hillside through the vineyards that were full of purple and white grapes, ready for harvest, found a waterfall that somehow I did not route us by, rode through pear and apple orchards that were luscious with ripe fruit, and Barron apricot trees that had already been harvested. We also rode along the Rhone river that was raging with glacier water and heavy rain water. We stopped at a bakery and grabbed some sandwiches for lunch, and found a place under a tree out of the rain to enjoy our picnic. the temperature was cold, but we had enough clothing to stay warm. Karine our Warmshower host sent us a couple of nice videos explaining how to get into their house if we arrived before they were home. Just as we were retrieving the key from the mailbox, her husband Boris showed up and greeted us with a big smile! We talked with Boris for about an hour before taking the shower. Then when Karine came home, Lisa and her took about a 45 minute walk with the dog into the vineyards on the hillside side. Karine, Boris, and the boys filled our night with stories, great food, and laughter. Another truly amazing connection with our hosts and Lisa and I Couldn’t stop talking about how wonderful experience it was and how we were sure we would be close friends if we lived in the same area. more stories to come about this, but too long to explain in writing.Read more

  • Day 10

    Day 6

    September 8, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Ten mile hike from La Fouly to Champex. First couple hours it was just cloudy and then rain the rest of the day. Worked our way through some really cool little towns. I’m so confused why we never see many people out and about in these towns. They seem almost like ghost towns. Beautiful ghost towns! Funny little statues carved from stumps in one stretch. Had lunch at this funky little place that appeared as we were walking into a town. A crepe filled with yummy things! Good day!Read more

  • Day 9

    Day 5

    September 7, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We hiked from Italy to Switzerland today. Not a bad way to spend the day! From Arnouva to La Fouly took us about 10.5 miles from what our watches say. Stopped at Rifugio Elena and had a cannoli and Forrest got coffee. Good stop. Cold and windy as we went over the top into Switzerland! The place we are staying tonight has the shower right in the room and we have to use a shared bathroom…:Forrest is loving this!! I think it’s kind of cozy! Still can’t believe we are seeing and doing what we are! Filling up that dash!!Read more

  • Day 33

    Stage 53: Bourg-Saint-Pierre

    August 6, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Hard day! Up, up, up with few breaks. I always have a very hard time going up, and it’s worse if it’s hot.

    The VF app says we walked 8.75 miles with an elevation gain of 3280’. AllTrails disagrees, of course, and says it was 3081’. I’m going with the VF app because that’s the track we followed.

    Of course, the scenery was fabulous. ⛰️⛰️
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  • Day 166

    J168 - Destruction de jambes

    August 5, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    [Dimitri]

    La journée devait être tranquille: Matinée tranquille au camping, 60km de plat, histoire de bien récupérer après le méchant col de la veille. Ceci nous aurait amené au pied du col de la Forclaz (1100 de d+ sur 13km donc tres mechant), qu’on aurait attaqué a la fraiche le lendemain. Mais voulant arriver a Grenoble et après calculs de distance on décide de s’en débarasser dès aujourd’hui… 😨

    Le soleil nous ayant faire fuir le camping prématurément, on commence le plat: on longe le Rhône sur une piste cyclable, comme lors des premiers jours du voyage, et c’est plutôt moche, comme lors des premiers jours du voyage. La vallée remplie de centrales, industries et concessionnaires. A noter le changement d’ambiance frappant par rapport à la veille: il fait 30 degres, on entend les cigales, l’herbe est jaune… certains massifs évoquent presque la mediterranée ☀️

    Puis vient ce col terrible. Le vilain komoot nous fait prendre des pentes a 18%, les jambes brulent, et comme si c’était pas assez, on s’est mis en compétition pour arriver le premier en haut. Eliott part devant, Dimitri le rattrape, puis impose son tempo, Eliott fait mine de lâcher, Dimitri y croit et accélère, et là Eliott envoi une attaque foudroyante qui fait le trou, qu’il gardera jusqu’en haut. Bien joué 😵

    Dans la descente qui suit on trouve un petit refuge bien sympa, rempli de jeunes trekkeurs, et avec vue sur un beau glacier. Les jambes ont mal mais on a bien kiffé! 😊
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  • Day 2

    Day2: Chateau-d'oex - Martigny

    August 2, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    What a ride, heute war alles dabei 🤗 steilere Abschnitte, Pässe, Tunnels, Geröll, Stauseen und zum Abschluss noch ein von Märu Pogacar und Kevin Vingegard initiiertes Zeitfahren der Rhone entlang mit würdigem Sprint nach Martigny 🥵 Das heutige Highlight war sicher das autofreie militärische Sperrgebiet dem Lac Hongrin entlang, mit Blick auf den nahen Lac Leman. Die anschliessende Abfahrt führte durch die Weinreben von Yvorne und Aigle. Die 75hm / 1000hm sind nur ein kleiner Vorgeschmack auf die kommenden Tage. Denn nun haben wir die Kinderhügel hinter uns und starten morgen in höhere Gefilde die französischen Alpen 💪😜Read more

  • Day 6

    Via Walkers Haute Route zum Matterhorn

    August 8, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Wir verlassen heute die Tour du Mont Blanc und switchen auf die zweite große Tour: die Walker‘s Haute Route. 🗻 Auf den nächsten 170 Kilometern werden wir die Waliser Alpen bis nach Zermatt durchqueren.
    Da wir für heute nur 15km zu bewältigen haben, haben wir den Morgen sehr entspannt begonnen und sind auch erst um 9 Uhr vom Campingplatz Rocailles aufgebrochen. Unser Ziel: Le Chablé. Dort haben wir uns für 2 Nächte eine Unterkunft gebucht und machen morgen einen Zero-Day. Der Weg bis dorthin war einfach und vergleichsweise unaufgeregt. Da unser Zelt von den letzten Nächten sehr nass war, haben wir es während einer Pause vom Wind trocknen lassen. Schon um 14 Uhr sind wir dann an unserem Ziel angekommen. Jetzt heißt es erstmal: Hiker Hunger stillen und Füße hochlegen. 👍🏻

    ➡️ 15 km ⬆️ 211 HM ⬇️ 865 HM
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  • Day 5

    Expeditionsmodus: AN

    August 7, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Mittlerweile ist ja fast normal geworden, dass die Nächte windig und regnerisch sind. So auch diese… 🌧️
    Bei kühlen Temperaturen sind wir aufgebrochen, um den Grand Col Ferret auf 2.537m zu erklimmen. Schon nach den ersten Metern wehte uns der Eisregen mit kräftigen Windböen entgegen. Je höher wir kamen, um so heftiger die Wetterlage. Inzwischen war unsere Umgebung schon mit Schnee und Eis bedeckt. ❄️🏔️ Es fühlte sich irgendwie unwirklich an. Nach 2 Stunden sind wir inklusive einer Espresso-Pause am Refugio Elena auf dem Pass angekommen. Die Sicht zurück ins Tal war gleich null. Dafür war der Ausblick in die vor uns liegende Schweiz grandios.🇨🇭 Der Pass markiert nämlich auch die Grenze zwischen Italien und der Schweiz.
    Der Abstieg war vergleichsweise entspannt und wir genossen die Aussicht. Am nächsten Refugio haben wir uns dann erstmal ein ordentliches Omelett mit Bergkäse und Schinken gegönnt 🤤
    Nach der ausgiebigen Pause ging es entspannt weiter nach La Fouly. Dort haben wir dann entschieden, noch weiter zu gehen und dann nach einen Schlafplatz Ausschau zu halten. Da sich unterwegs keine guten Möglichkeiten geboten haben, haben wir unser nächstes Ziel Champex Lac angepeilt. Hier haben wir uns spontan für eine Nacht auf dem Campingplatz eingebucht und uns über eine warme Dusche gefreut. 🚿

    ➡️ 31,5 km ⬆️ 1.350 HM ⬇️ 1.640 HM

    Gesamtkilometer Tour du Mont Blanc
    ➡️ 137 km ⬆️ 6.760 HM ⬇️ 6.090 HM
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  • Day 61

    Day 59 - Martigny to Orsieres

    June 17, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Today's walk was classified as "challenging," and it was. After leaving Martigny, the track followed the Dranse River and the train line. The track was narrow, rough, and unstable (obvious rock slides, tree roots, loose stones - of all sizes - thick beds of pine needles and pine cones; all designed to trip you up). I got to cross a suspension bridge, and then the track conditions got worse. For the first time ever, I removed the rubber stoppers from my poles (to try to keep me more stable going down the loose stones) and actually put the pole straps on my wrists (I was not going to risk loosing a pole). Then, of course, I strayed unwittingly from the path (and upgraded the classification to "bloody difficult"), I crossed over a recent a landslide, realised my mistake, and scaled the side of the mountain to get back on track. That was no mean feat, I was dragging myself up a good 20 to 30m by tree roots, branches, and solid rock holds. Meanwhile, slipping on the loose earth! Honestly, I was scrambling on my hands and knees at one point! I kept repeating two things: "I am not enjoying this" and "you are an experienced bushwalker." When I got back on the path, I was covered in dust, my knees were grazed, my legs and face scratched and bleeding, and all my fingernails were broken! After that adventure, the wind was really taken out of my sails, but I knew I was strong enough for whatever the Path throws at me next. Thankfully, the Path in the afternoon was wider and much more civilised. I got to Orsieres safe and sound and have the most incredible view from my hotel balcony!Read more

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