September 1

September 1:  Trient to Argentiere

A final col-top border crossing brings you back into France with majestic views along the entire western sweep of the Mont Blanc massif, dropping into the Chamonix Valley to finish for the day.

Escape the clutches of the sleepy village of Trient to begin the climb to France.  Be sure to look left, particularly if you skipped the Fenetre d'Arpette route yesterday, to admire the mighty Trient Glacier.

The Swiss section of the last few days can sometimes feel slightly removed from the biggest mountains, but as you make your final steps to the Col de Balme (2191m) they reappear with a shocking grandeur.  The entire western sweep of the Mont Blanc massif - chaotic glaciers, craggy spires, rock buttresses and the icy summit dome of Mont Blanc itself - stretches tantalisingly into the distance and almost appears like you could reach out and grab it.  Of course, while you may not recognize them, you are familiar with these mountains already, having walked in their shadows on the other side in Italy's Val Veni and Val Ferret.  The astounding views only improve as you continue walking, eventually reaching a climax as you step onto the peak of Aiguilette des Posettes (2201m) and let the 360 degree vista of mountains completely envelope you.

13.5 km, 1117m up, 977m down.

Well, well - doesn't the above description sound marvelous??  Unfortunately the rain and mist had settled in.  I would have enjoyed the views, but it would have been another big day and my body (a) wasn't keen about hiking in the rain, and (b) could certainly use the day off.  So - I bid farewell to the three hardier-than-I hikers and was able to catch a ride in the hotel van to the train station in a neighbouring town.  That was a lucky break; I was thinking I would have to walk a few km on the road (with no shoulders, limited visibility, and high-speed traffic).  The man was so nice - he got us to the train station in under 10 minutes, wouldn't take any money, and made sure we all were able to negotiate the machine to buy our tickets.  I was with three other folks from the hotel, so we collectively figured out where we had to get off.  



By the time I got to Argentiere (about 9:30) there were a few limited mountain views to be had from the hotel.  


I took a quick walk around town, but there really isn't much in the immediate area.  It was a lazy day of reading and catching up on UTMB results and interviews. Oh - and there may have been a nap or two in there as well.  




Apparently there are three bakeries in town.  I managed to avoid trying them out, but the wares certainly looked good in the window!



I was happy to see my comrades waltz into town about 3:30.  No luggage yet, but off to the bar with them to quench their thirsts and hear about their day.  Sounds like it was another big one.

Shortly before dinner the skies opened and the rain poured down.  I'm sure glad they weren't out on the trail in that!  But then, during dinner, the skies cleared a bit and we were able to see some mountains we hadn't seen all day.  And then - they were gone again.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a decent day.  Oh - BTW - dinner was really good, although I think the hikers could have used a second helping.

Here are a couple of pictures from Lise.  Views were pretty limited for most of the day, but glad to see they did catch a few glimpses.





Comments

  1. Lynn CSeptember 1, 2025 at 12:39 PM

    Sounds like a prudent move, Sue. After all, what kind of reward for all the effort is there when you can't see the views? You'll be happy when the skies clear and you feel peppy once again!

    ReplyDelete

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