Mont Blanc

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Day 9 - July 22 ,2015 - Champex Lac, Switzerland to Trient, Switzerland



Woke up to a beautiful morning after a night of heavy rains. As we headed out of Champex, we passed by an awesome bakery which we stopped at to get some bread to make a sandwich for lunch. We then continued walking alongside the road coming to a big paved parking lot where there were lots of cars presumably from people doing day hikes. It's not long before we start a gradual climb through the woods on a very nice wide path crossing over a stream and then continuing with a gentle walk through the open meadows passing by some very beautiful homes. As we continued walking we passed by a hay baler which is so different from what my dad used on the farm. The trail then leads us back into the woods onto a metalled road which soon turns into a 4x4 track. The track then takes us through a farm gate and what do we see on our left hand side - the smallest little cow I have ever seen sitting on a rock that got a good laugh from us. Soon we arrive at a farmstead and we see a cow hanging her head at a cross saying her morning prayers (she must have been a really bad cow the night before - ha) After passing the farmstead, the trail immediately starts a very, very steep climb up the mountain. As we are climbing the mountain, we had to cross a couple of fast flowing streams where the rains from the night before had caused a lot of erosion so they were a little bit tricky to cross. We finally reach the Alp Bovine which is a working dairy farm where the farmer supplements his income by serving drinks and cakes to passing walkers. We stopped at the Bovine and I had a delicious raspberry tart and Joy had a baked apple. After finishing our desserts, we continue on the path that takes us through a pasture of cows that do not want to move off the path so we had to go around them. Just as we reach the top of the mountain and are ready to start our decent down which is through the woods, what do we hear - thunder. So needless to say it was a very fast hike down the mountain which had parts that were very steep, rocky and lots of tree roots. We may have set a record coming down the mountain. Did get a little bit wet but it sure did feel good as was so hot from it being so humid along with the fast walk-run down. Prior to arriving at our accommodations for the night which was a recently renovated auberge we passed by a pink church which was something to see.

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