Walking in Europe

A spectacular day today with a slow steady climb swinging NE out of Les Chapieux up a steep sided valley through farmland and eventually a series of switchbacks, up up to the Col de la Seigne at 2518m elevation and the border between France and Italy. The weather was pretty much everything. Started out beautiful sun and patchy clouds, then started to cool and close in so that lunch was curtailed (how fast can you down a cheese and ham baguette?) again and the rest of the climb and descent was in intermittent wet blasts coming off the glaciers. But beautiful beyond description: glaciers peaking out from the clouds and mist scudding by. And dramatic. We are on the East side of the Mont Blanc glacier complex and the peaks are everywhere. Our descent to Rifugio Elisabetta was wet and cold, but we are booked in for the night in two hostel bunks and half board- dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast included. Hot showers at 2 Euros each. I’ve had a cappuccino and Ali a cup of tea. We are warm, dry, tired, inspired… ready for a pre dinner nap.