Day Four: From Snow Bridges to Italy, Conquering the Hardest Day of the Trek
Today was the definitive 'hardest day' of the trek so far: 15+ miles and two massive ascents. It started early, with a 5:45 AM wake-up in our cramped quarters. We carried our baskets of gear (couldn't bring our backpacks inside the refuge) to the dining tables to get dressed. Breakfast was minimal, just a little coffee, so we grabbed some bread for the road, left a note for Andrew, and set off.
Descent #1: The Video Game Levels
The first descent felt like navigating levels in a video game. We even named the sections: Find the Trail / Snow Bridges, The Balance Beam, Vertical Descent, Sloping Descent, Mini Switchbacks, Wide Switchbacks (Where we had to take a massive detour around some stubborn cows), The Road, and finally The Wide(r) Road.
We moved fast, though the first three 'levels' were genuinely scary. We made it to Refuge des Mottets by 8:30 AM for a second 'breakfast' of hard-boiled eggs and bread just as the other hikers were heading out for their day.
Ascent #1: Crossing into Italy
Next was the climb up to the Col de la Seigne. It started with steep switchbacks before turning into a long, slow, almost monotonous straight ascent. But the reward at the top was worth it: a stunning view of Mont Blanc and the realization that we were officially in Italy!
Descent #2: The Valley and the 'Desert'
The descent into the Italian side led us through a low valley filled with puddles and mountain bikers. We stopped for lunch at Rifugio Elisabetta, where we had a surprisingly good burrito packed with carrots, apples, and nuts from the refuge last night. The trek continued down a dead-straight road that felt like walking through a desert, despite the lush plants, and the heat was relentless.
Ascent #2: The Longest Walk
The final push to Rifugio Maison Vieille was a test of will. The sign said 2 hours and 15 minutes, but it felt like the longest walk ever.
Maison Vieille is super cute, perched right on a ski slope. The highlights? A shower with no time limit. It felt like heaven.
As a storm rolled in, we did a massive amount of laundry, leaving it out until the very first raindrop fell. We then transformed our bunk room into a drying rack, using an ingenious system of string and trekking poles to hang everything.
Dinner was a social and culinary mix. We sat with a non-English speaking couple and John, a New Yorker living in Vienna. The menu was delicious: pasta with red sauce and Parmesan, followed by peas, carrots, and cheese, and almond cake for dessert. The food was excellent.
Tucked under a canopy of drying laundry, drifting off to sleep. We made it to Italy, and we survived the hardest day.