Days 40 to 60: A Summary of Stage 4 and the Return to Stage 2, Gateway to the Alps

A Short Summary of the Past Few Weeks

I am back on my blog. Over the last few weeks of stage four, I had very little time to write, because the walking days were extremely demanding, with more than 30 kilometres almost every day. In the evening, once the tent was up, I only wanted one thing: sleep. Writing therefore slipped to the bottom of the list for the rest of stage four, but I am back again now to start a new HexaTrek adventure with you: entering the magnificent Alps, stage two. But first, a short recap of the past few weeks.

After 17 days of walking and one rest day, Alex and I completed stage four in Carcassonne. As the last 250 kilometres were less interesting, we picked up the pace to move on to another stage more quickly. Carcassonne is an incredible city, so we spent two days there to enjoy the famous medieval fortress, the colourful streets and the delicious restaurants.

On the morning of 27 July, I returned to Thonon les Bains, the place where I had left stage two at the end of June because there was still too much snow. It was also in Carcassonne that I had to say goodbye to Alex, who needed to return to England. After almost two months of walking together, it was a goodbye filled with sadness.

After a long nine hour journey on three different trains, I returned to the start of stage two. By the end of stage four, I had developed two cases of plantar fasciitis, so I decided to take a few days of rest before walking again. I could not put my feet down without pain, so rest became necessary. And that is when I had an incredible stroke of luck.

In Messery, near Thonon les Bains, I had the chance to be hosted by the wonderful family of Leila, a friend of Alex. They were incredibly welcoming, and I spent three wonderful days there. On 28 July, I celebrated my 27th birthday with them, and it was a fantastic day. We even went to do an escape room. I will never be able to thank them enough for their hospitality and friendship.

It was so nice to see him again after such a long time. We spent the day together in Geneva. Fabian even gave me a small birthday gift, which really touched me 😊.

On the morning of 29 July, my feet were already feeling much better. It was time to restart my long journey. Now it is time to set off together again on this adventure. Enjoy reading.

Day 58: The Big Return to the Alps

That’s it. Today, it is finally time to enter the magnificent Alps. Even though stage one and stage four of the HexaTrek are full of beautiful landscapes, the Alps amaze you at every turn. Beauty surrounds you in 360 degrees, constantly. With August approaching, there is no longer any need for crampons, as the snow has finally melted. It was extremely persistent this year, to the point of forcing many people to change their route. 

So today I leave Messery, where I rested over the past few days. The morning is taken slowly because Jasmine, one of Leila’s friends, will walk with us in the afternoon. Leila, Loïc and Jasmine have decided to come bivouacking for this first night on stage two. It is a wonderful way to start a stage. It feels strange to set off without Alex, who has returned to England, because he was my incredible hiking partner for two months. The next few days will therefore be an adjustment to hiking solo.

So around 5.00 p.m., we set off from Bertex and begin our climb. Let’s just say it goes up a lot, right from the first steps. Yet the scenery is so beautiful that it is fairly easy to ignore the muscle pain that slowly creeps in. 

After a few hours of walking, we step slightly off the HexaTrek to bivouac at the Col de Floray, which offers a view of Mont Blanc. The day is perfect, not a cloud in sight, just sunshine. 

We share a good meal together and, while Leila paints a canvas of the landscape, I take the opportunity to try to watch the Olympics. The French site will not show all the swimming, as there is no French athlete in the final I want to watch, so I decide to FaceTime my mum so she can point her laptop at the screen for me. It is far from ideal, but it works. 

Tomorrow morning, I will get up at 6.00 a.m. because the forecast promises very good visibility for sunrise.

Day 59: Setting Off Solo

We are woken by a superb sunrise, even if it is only partially visible. Today, I plan to walk around 27 kilometres with 2,000 metres of ascent and 2,000 metres of descent. I therefore cannot break camp too late, as it will be a long day. After breakfast with Leila, Loïc and Jasmine, and a few kilometres walked together, it is time to say goodbye and continue my adventure alone. I had such a wonderful time with them, so I am a little sad to see them go. After walking almost two months with Alex, it feels quite strange to return to a solo adventure. 

I quickly find my rhythm and walk with breathtaking scenery around every bend. The difference from stage four is that after a big effort to reach a summit, you are always rewarded with stunning views. Even if it is physically harder, it is mentally much easier. 

My goal is to reach La Chapelle d’Abondance before 12.30 p.m. Why. In small French villages, grocery shops are generally open from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., then from 3.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Since I have a big day ahead, I would rather not lose a large part of the day waiting around. 

My pace is good and, according to my calculations, I should arrive before closing time. I pass Bise and start a long climb towards a col. Then a funny little problem happens. A herd of goats decides to take exactly the same trail as me. Goats do not know the basic hiker etiquette, meaning not stopping in the middle of the path and blocking the way for an indefinite amount of time, and letting faster walkers pass. They do not make my climb easy, even though I am laughing wholeheartedly. With a mix of “Come on, little goat, move a bit” and whistles, I finally make my way through this holiday crowd and reach the top of the climb. 

I reach the village at 12.20 p.m. That was close. Once my supplies are sorted, I stop for a coffee, then set off again towards my bivouac. Another tough climb awaits. It is worth noting that villages, mountains and cols in France sometimes have rather particular names. This is how I pass through a place called Les Crottes. Other places I passed on stage one were Gland and Bitch. Very original. 

Around 8.00 p.m., I finally reach the Col de Bassachaux, my finish point for the day. At the top of the col, there is a restaurant that allows hikers to pitch their tents after 5.00 p.m. It is great because we have access to water, a sink and picnic tables. Several hikers on the GR5 have already pitched their tents and I spend the evening with them. Tomorrow, the alarm will be fairly early to avoid the thunderstorms forecast for mid afternoon. 

I am quite tired. I walked almost 12 hours today. A 27 kilometre day in the Alps is much harder than the same distance in stages one and four. With 2,000 metres up and 2,000 metres down, you feel it quickly in your legs. After the usual and essential foot massage, it is time to sleep.

Day 60: Food Poisoning and Surprise Thunderstorms

I get up around 6.30 a.m. the next day. I did not sleep very well, I went to bed a bit too late. Still, I cannot linger, because I need to cross a col before the thunderstorms forecast around 2.00 p.m. So I start the day feeling rather sleepy. My eyes soon open wide, however, at the sight of the landscapes in front of me.

I stop for lunch in a truly magnificent spot. A picnic table stands on a col with a view of several snow covered mountains. Thank you to whoever installed that table. I eat fairly quickly because it is already 12.30 p.m. and the sky is beginning to fill with threatening clouds. There is no question of getting caught in a storm. At 1.30 p.m., I reach a refuge and feel safe. I will wait here for the storm in shelter, then see whether I still have enough time to continue towards the next refuge. When the weather is uncertain, I always arrange to bivouac near a refuge. That way, if unexpected storms hit, I can always take shelter under a roof.

Around 3.00 p.m., the rain and thunder begin. I am really happy to be sheltered. I take the opportunity to charge my mobile phone. That is when I realise my USB cable is broken. Damn. I can no longer recharge my devices using my solar panel. Luckily, I still have a USB C cable that allows me to charge directly from a socket. I will have to conserve my phone over the next few days, because not all refuges allow you to use their electricity. 

Around 7.00 p.m., the sky improves dramatically and, on my weather app, the chance of storms drops to zero. I decide to start walking again, but only for a short three kilometres, so I can bivouac near the next refuge. As I am about to leave, I realise one of my socks is missing. Strange, I was sure I had left it next to my shoe. I search everywhere and cannot find it. I end up asking the refuge manager whether he has seen it. He says no, but five minutes later he comes back, sock in hand, apologising. One of his young daughters took my sock to play with. A rather odd idea. Especially since my sock does not smell good at all. Still, the important thing is that I got it back. I can set off again.

I reach the second refuge around 8.00 p.m. and I am starving. I make my classic dish of pasta, pesto, tomatoes, cheese and sausage. As I eat, I notice it tastes slightly different than usual, but I do not pay much attention. I am far too hungry to consider that some of the food has most likely overheated in my pack during this heatwave day.

About an hour later, I pay for my denial as I start to feel very nauseous. I take an activated charcoal tablet, which can help with poisoning or food poisoning if taken quickly enough, and I really hope I will not start vomiting. It is only 9.00 p.m., but I go to bed. I am exhausted. I check the weather one last time, zero per cent chance of rain and storms, perfect. I fall asleep fairly quickly despite the nausea.

11.00 p.m. I wake up with a jolt, to rain and thunder. I swear at the forecast. Do meteorologists know what zero per cent actually means. Apparently not. I am genuinely afraid of thunderstorms, they make me panic. My heart races, I struggle to breathe, and I have intense nausea from the food poisoning. I get out of my tent with my sleeping mat, sleeping bag and pillow and take shelter at the entrance of the refuge. I stay there for two hours, until the sky calms down. At 4.00 a.m., I return to my tent. My alarm goes off at 6.00 a.m., and I do not really have a choice but to get up, as more storms are forecast for late morning. To be sheltered from them, I need to walk 11 kilometres with around 1,000 metres of ascent to reach the Refuge de la Folly. I have slept three hours, I still feel intensely nauseous, this should be fun.