Champex

Noisy Gite during the night. Someone’s alarm went off at 5am. Up 6am, breakfast 7am. Karen, Yvonne and I left the Gite Bon Abri in Champex (1470 metres) about 8.15am and followed a lovely valley road before commencing the 800 metres TMB Bovine route climb. Richard took public transport from Champex to reach our accommodation for the night. We had morning tea around 10.15am before the foot track reached high pasture to take advantage of shade under trees. Just after morning tea we were passed by a guy with a mountain bike on his back carrying it uphill. After the Collet Portalo (2040m) pass a woman was carrying a girl in a child carrier on her front. We stopped for lunch of Skippy peanut butter and honey at about 12.15pm in a flattish sheltered and shaded pasture area which was part of the Bovine farm (1987 metres). After lunch walked downhill for about 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the Hotel Col de la Forclaz (1526m) around 1.30pm for coffee and cake while waiting for Richard to turn up and to book into our accommodation. Yvonne managed to wear her boots with a change of socks all day but the chest strap of her pack broke. We were able to obtain 2 rooms one with bunk beds with a sink and one with a double bed. Washed clothes and hung out to dry on the hotel clothes line. We also made a repair of Yvonne’s pack strap which lasted the trip. Richard arrived at 5.30pm having travelled to a different hotel with a similar name in another location. Dinner of soup, chicken, ratatouille with fries in the Hotel Col de la Forclaz.Read more