Steps in the Right Direction: Les Contamines to Les Chapieux

Our hike begins at the renovated church by the trail head at Les Contamines. The Church of Notre-Dame De La Gorge was rebuilt in 1699. (yes, I have that date correct) The Church has a chapel with frescoes on its interior. We walk in and take a look at the renovated church. People come to this church and pray for safe passage over the Col we will be hiking over today. The church is stilled used during the summer months, but during the winter it is closed as the road to it is not plowed. In front of the church is a grassy park area with an art display of several large photographs taken in the surrounding mountains and shots of the reclusive ibex and chamois that live in the Alps.

The trail winds its way up and over two passes today the first summit is Col du Bonhomm. It is a long uphill climb of five miles. The beginning of the hike is on an old Roman road to Col du Bonhomme. The Tour Mont Blanc hiking book says that this trail is an old Roman road. Danielle says the road was there before the Romans. They might have walked on it, but it was actually a road that was used for trading commerce between people who had milk, cheese and salt in the different valleys even before the Romans.

Today we are turning away from Mont Blanc and heading around some side mountain passes. We are hiking on sedimentary rock, which looks very different than the granite rock we have been hiking on. If you look at a map of Europe you will see that the Alps look like they were crinkled up and pitched skyward between Italy and the surrounding European countries. As the land masses moved around, the granite hulk of Mont Blanc thrust its way up through the ocean floor. The sediments from the ocean floor where carried up with it and then slipped off to the sides making mountains out of sediment. Think of this birth of a mountain range in terms of a massive scale. In a pile of rocks right along the trail Danielle stops to point out some fossils of octopus like critters in the rocks.

At the top of Col du Bonhomme (7,640 ft above sea level) we shoot a few pictures and head out for our second pass of the day, where we have a sunny lunch. We sit and enjoy the sun for about thirty minutes before moving down to the Refuge du Col Crox du Bonhommen. This refuge is supposed to have amazing blueberry pie... Sadly, it is gone by the time we get there.

Here we say good-bye to Pascal (the guide in training who has been with us the last several days) and begin our descent to Les Chapieux. It is a long way down to the valley floor and we spend about three miles going down. On our trip down we can see a building site that has a herd of sheep gathered at it. When we get close enough we can see the sheep clustered close together with their heads all tucked down In the shade of the other sheep. They look pretty hot, the shepherd and two border collies are keeping a watchful eye on us, less we cause any ruckus with the sheep.

Across the valley up on a hanging shelf we can see a herd of cows. The sound of their bells make a beautiful sound as all of the cows are up grazing. By now we have come to learn that the cows closest to the place where we will be sleeping are the providers of the delicious cheese we will be eating at dinner. Such a beautiful setting. The place we are stopping at tonight has a very special cheese made from the milk of two separate breeds of dairy cattle. The cheese is sold only from the dairy next to the refuge we are staying at tonight, they do not ship. Sadly, we will not be able to take any with us.

About half way down on the descent there is a flat of meadow grass, we stop and have a trail side map session where Danielle does a review of where we have walked for the day and where we plan on walking tomorrow. We have made a good dent into the Tour Mount Blanc today!

We have passed many people walking the trail under heavy pack, some running with just track shoes on, one with a donkey, one with a mule, and two pushing their mountain bikes. Bon jour is the phrase of choice.

We make our way into the small hamlet of Les Chapieux (3785'). We have rooms at the auberge in Les Chapieux. The room ~~are~~ is very small with a shower and sink, but the toilet is down the hall. Dinner is pork cheeks, fried potatoes and panna cotta dessert (Italian creamy custard with a thin layer of reduced fruit sauce. AMAZING.)

Hiking: 11 miles; Elevation gain: 4,318 ft., Elevation loss: 3,048 ft.