Early morning in Champex (click on any image for a better version or slideshow)
Friday 1 September - Champex to Le Chable
Another cloudless day. An easy day to Le Chable. Leisurely breakfast then supermarket for lunch stuff, before 9 am start on Kev Reynolds' well described route to Sembrancher.
Very leisurely. Fine views.
David and Sue stay behind to look for his luggage. The remaining five of us wander slowly on.
Magnificent views down the valley.
House Martins on wires, meadow cranesbill, the harsh croak of nutcrackers. Nice stroll through trees via the locked chapel at St-Jean, for a rendezvous with Colin. Dave and I went to Sembrancher station to find him, but the others went correctly to a town square and located him there at 12:15.
Dave and Caroline then went back to the station to surprisingly successfully relieve Caroline of her ski jacket, trainers and 'stuff', which are now winging it to Wengen, where she is going after this trip.
12:30 to 13:20 - lunch on a bench in the sun with views of tomorrow's destination, before ambling on to Le Chable for beers in the square at 14:20, after pleasant woods and a noisy quarry.
Eventually carried on to Hotel du Gietroz, where Sue this morning booked rooms which turn out to be the last available in town.
The time is whiled away with more beer and repartee with OTH's before a 7 pm meal of tomato and mozzarella salad, kangaroo steak and rice, and ice cream.
We do a quick tour of the village and then adjourn. I am sharing with Colin, who isn't asleep when I eventually arrive at 11:30 pm after being plied with scotch and wine by the OTHs.
[These diary entries are rubbish! I'll keep going though; some of the pictures are nice...- Ed]
4 comments:
"I am sharing with Colin, who isn't asleep when I eventually arrive at 11:30 pm after being plied with scotch and wine by the OTHs."
[These diary entries are rubbish! I'll keep going though; some of the pictures are nice...- Ed]
A really strange Haute Route.
Must be the Scotch and wine.
Yes BC, this could be quite confusing. I was leading a group who I know through a University contemporary who went to South Africa, returning in the 1990s. Sue and I then met various ex Johannesburg Hiking Club members and walked the SWCP with them. In 2005/6 they planned the Haute Route in two trips and I agreed to navigate for them as they easily get lost. So I knew them all pretty well apart from Caroline. The OTH Club is a walking group open to TGO Challengers and their friends. This was my first encounter with them, but I went on to take part in the Challenge many times, during which I joined the OTH Club for a while and got to know some of those on this HR trip.
[I'm a bit confused myself, as this seems to be 'repetition of comments made on day 10, so I'll delete those...]
Martin, your pictures are so so 'good for the soul'viewing them at present living with threat of C19...seems such a long long time ago!
I am falling off the sofa laughing reading your comments on group...we all sound so dim witted and that we should not be let out of the house without assistance let alone hike in the Alps ha ha.
Who is that little fat person in 'first time hiker' clothes that keeps popping up...even puffs climbing easy paths....who is she I wonder?
Gaynor
Haha, that's a brilliant comment, Gaynor. I'm glad you are enjoying these postings despite some of the comments. More later...
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