We had a breakfast at our hotel and hit the road. Exiting Champex along the lake is really beautiful and you wander through the old alpine town on your way to the TMB. We ran into some groups on horseback and I was slightly envious of them when we were ascending later in the morning.
On this day, was the only day where we were given an option. The trail split early in the morning and it gave us the option of going through the valley or forest. The trail eventually came back together, but this was the first time I felt like I had some control over this hike.
This was a small split for probably no more than an hour, however do not confuse this with the multiple routes to Trient. This day actually had 2 routes. We took the Bovine route, rather than the Fenettre D’Arpette route. The Bovine route is named this because it crescendos at a cow pasture. There is a little refugee there that sells beer and snacks.
We stopped in the refuge for lunch and ended up talking to some Americans that were on an REI tour. We had not met any Americans on the trip until then. They were enjoying the trip very much. Hotel Alpina had sent us out with freshly made bread, so a lunch of sausage, cheese, chocolate and delicious bread made for a really delightful meal. The cows that were screwing near us, were surprisingly less annoying or distracting than you’d imagine. Exhaustion can be a good friend.
The rest of the day was our descent into Trient. Our guide had suggested we stop at Col De La Forclaz, but it was sold out when I tried to book. We descended into the town that had nothing but 2 hotels. We looked for a store to buy a few supplies and were told it shut down some time ago. The hotel we stayed in was modern and nice, but we were stuck in the dorm. It did not help that a tour of elementary school children were also there, so chaos was running high.
We got out of our hotel and decided to go see what the other hotel was like. It was nothing special, but there were no kids so we settled in for a few drinks. Sam flirted with the waiter and got us a complimentary bag of peanut butter puffs. They were gross, but not really.
Dinner was curry chicken over rice (that’s twice that dish was served to us in Switzerland) and we all went to bed early.
Tips
Book early enough to get a private room. This was our second dorm night and we all hated it.
There is not a store in Trient, so I would buy a snack or twop in Col De La Forclaz. There is a guy selling cheese and sausage across from the hotel. It would have been helpful on the next day’s hike.
Dining
La Grande Ourse
Accommodations
La Grande Ourse
