Champex, Switzerland

Day 1 – In France looking back at Mont Blanc

Sunday September 7

Trient, Switzerland

So, how did I come to walk the Haute route, you ask. As many of you know, Elizabeth had a total knee replacement in May. This meant to big travels this summer for us. We did go on a cruise the end of July to visit Glacier Bay National Park (number 62 for us), but other than that we were home enjoying the Phoenix summer. She had plans in September to go to Florida for a job, then to visit my step mother, then on to Long Island to visit her siblings. I got to thinking I should do an adventure she would not do while she is away. Nothing really jumped out until one day I was doing my normal daily hike and a friend asked me if I had ever done the Tour de Mont Blanc (TMB). It is a 100 mile hike around the mountain, beginning and ending in Chamonix France. I had mentioned it to Elizabeth in the past, but she was not interested in the vertical involved. I then started looking into the logistics and could not find lodging along the way, everyone was full. So I contacted a tour company and they said they could help me out for 2026, but 2025 was sold out. Oh well. Then they asked if I would be interested in doing the Haute Route. “What is that?” I asked. It is very similar to the TMB, but you end up in Zermatt, instead of back in Chamonix. I did about 5 minutes of research and said sign me up. Lodging was difficult to come by on this route as well, but after 3 weeks they confirmed I was good to go.

I decided I wanted to walk on my own, and not as part of a group, so the company set me up with places to stay and an app that shows me the way. I did not realize at the time how many trails there are in this area, so there are places where I am on alternate routes to have a place to stay. It is an 11 day walk. Of the 10 nights, 5 will be in a mountain hut and 5 will be in a small hotel in a Swiss village.

OK, now back to the regular journal. My walk started in Montroc, which is a train ride up the Chamonix valley. I looked at the schedule and boarded at the stop closest to my hotel. Turns out, it goes about a mile and stops at the main Chamonix station for 30 minutes. Oh well. It would have taken me 15 to 20 minutes to walk to the main station, so not a big deal. On the train was a group of 13 American woman who are also doing the Haute route. They ended up staying at the same hostel as me last night. I have enjoyed talking with their two guides.

It is incredible how many people are doing the TMB. I am going the opposite direction, so they are all coming toward us. The female guide of the group was glad I was doing the Haute route. She said “Doing the Tour (TMB) is like going to Disneyland.”

I took two wrong turns today. Both times I figured it our fairly quickly and was able to get back on the correct path without having to walk backwards. I am getting the hang of how things work now. The day started with a 3,000’ climb. We then bounced along a ridge, then had a 3,000’ decent into Trient.

When I arrived in Trient I went to the hostel my app told me to go to. They did not have a reservation for me. Hmmm. So I went next door and they did have me booked, so all was OK. I was in a room with 3 young ladies who met in San Francisco. This was there first time doing anything like this. And probably the last. Besides the group of 13 at this hostel, I did not meet anyone else doing the Haute Route. Everyone was on the TMB.

The dinner was OK. Honestly not that great. There were 36 people in our dining room, and there were two other rooms, so quite a few people to feed all at once.

I have gotten a couple comments on the French Fry Pizza. I have no idea if it is a thing here. I just saw it on the menu and had to give it a go. I have had a potato chip pizza in Florida. I would do the potato chips again, but not the French fries.

Monday September 8

Champex, Switzerland

Today started with a very steep 800 vertical foot climb. You will see in the pictures where at one point they built the trail out over the abyss. It was an open grate, so if you looked at your feet you were looking back down into the valley below. I bet there are people who really struggle going across that. I did most of that climb with two couples from Quebec City. At the top I look a left and they took a right on an alternate route. I may see them again, who knows. The group of 13 from the US are bussing ahead tomorrow, so they are gone. There are not many single hikers here. I don’t think I have met any yet. I have lots of quick conversations, but mostly with people going the other way.

I had a long gradual climb after the quick start. The down started out slowly, then got very steep. At this point the TMB crowd was in full swing. It was difficult for me to go down, trying to be courteous, but I would wait for 10 people to go by, before getting a quick break. It was crazy. And it was like that for the entire 2,500’ drop. Just a steady stream of people going up.

The forecast had been for rain today. It is almost 5PM as I write this and still no rain.

My hiking day ended in the beautiful lakefront town of Champex, Switzerland. There was no lodging available, so I had to take the bus down the hill to Orsieres. Tomorrow morning I will catch the bus back up the hill and continue walking.

There are quite a few TMB hikers at this same hotel. They will hike to Champex tomorrow. At dinner I had nice conversations with a group of 7 guys from Washington state, and a woman from California. Her husband is sick, so they are trying to figure out what to do.

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzue