Haute Route: Champex-Mont Fort
08/22/07 06:50 AM
Day 4 began with a lllooonnnggg descent from Champex
to the town of Sembrancher where we then had to walk
to the far end of town to buy food for the next two
days and use the only ATM we would see from day 2 to
day 6. Sembrancher, at about 2000' elevation is the
lowest point on the route, had a very interesting old
town center of old buildings and narrow streets.
The ladies hopped a train to Le Chable, four miles up valley, while I got a little run in. Then they took the trams up to Verbier and almost all the way up to the hut we would stay in; while I hiked up the mountain, climbing from 2000' elevation to 8000'; equivalent to climbing out of the Grand Canyon. It wasn't bad (or if it was, I've forgotten) except that it was the warmest day of the trip. The views were great and I made good time arriving at the hut around five, sooner than anyone expected me. Thus we actually completed two stages in one day (Champex to Le Chable & LC to MF).
We hung out with some of our new friends we'd met in Trient and I tried to get some dinner but the one hut worker didn't speak any English and couldn't believe how stupid I was every time he spoke German to me and I just stared back blankly. He'd try speaking louder but it didn't work. I could tell he was getting frustrated with me so I gave up; but later Ellery, a German-American teen from Berlin who was hiking the route solo, interceded for me and got me some much appreciated spaghetti. Later we stood out on the deck and watched the clouds come up the mountain toward us. We didn't get to see a sunset but we saw a lot of lightning.
Pics: Sembrancher; looking down toward Le Chable and Sembrancher;
Cabane du Mont Fort
The ladies hopped a train to Le Chable, four miles up valley, while I got a little run in. Then they took the trams up to Verbier and almost all the way up to the hut we would stay in; while I hiked up the mountain, climbing from 2000' elevation to 8000'; equivalent to climbing out of the Grand Canyon. It wasn't bad (or if it was, I've forgotten) except that it was the warmest day of the trip. The views were great and I made good time arriving at the hut around five, sooner than anyone expected me. Thus we actually completed two stages in one day (Champex to Le Chable & LC to MF).
We hung out with some of our new friends we'd met in Trient and I tried to get some dinner but the one hut worker didn't speak any English and couldn't believe how stupid I was every time he spoke German to me and I just stared back blankly. He'd try speaking louder but it didn't work. I could tell he was getting frustrated with me so I gave up; but later Ellery, a German-American teen from Berlin who was hiking the route solo, interceded for me and got me some much appreciated spaghetti. Later we stood out on the deck and watched the clouds come up the mountain toward us. We didn't get to see a sunset but we saw a lot of lightning.
Pics: Sembrancher; looking down toward Le Chable and Sembrancher;
Cabane du Mont Fort
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