Argentiere to Trient


We got up early the first morning of our hike to pack up, eat some breakfast, and then get on the trail by 7:30 am. 


We had to hike about 1/2 mile  thru the village of Argentiere to get to the trailhead. Our spirits were high and we felt ready!



As we started our first ascent, beautiful Mont Blanc was to our backs. Our high spirits were quickly sobered as we started hiking up. It’s all about finding your individual pace.

This is the 4th 120-mile thru-hike I’m (Betsy) doing. Long distance hiking has taught me some very valuable lessons about understanding my own body and not comparing myself to others. The six members of our hiking group ALL worked hard training for this hike - in fact, I was proud of the effort I put in the last 5 months getting ready. That said, when the ascent begins, we all hike at a different paces. I tend to be towards the back. I think I’ve finally accepted this and am just trying to do “my best” versus comparing my self to some of the faster members of our group. 






We felt so blessed to have such a beautiful day for our first day of hiking. When you are getting acclimated, it helps psychologically to not be dealing with rain. We climbed 3200 feet up to our first “col” which is the saddle or passage between two mountains. All of us were really happy to make it to the Col du Balme in time for our lunch at the top which is the border between France and Switzerland. 


After lunch, we were thrilled with the prospect of descending about the same distance into the town of Trient. However, the excitement of not going up is quickly replaced with the reality of going down a steep descent which is also hard on your body, just in a different way. It easy to have your knees start aching and toes hurt as they are jammed into the top of your boot. Pretty soon you’re thinking that going up wasn’t so bad!






Caring for our feet is a top priority, so on the 3-hour descent, we did make some stops to tape our toes whenever someone started feeling a “hotspot.”


By the time we reached our lodging for the night, we were exhausted! But a shower, a delicious meal, and a bed (albeit in a dormitory room with all 6 of us) helped us feel like we could wake up at 6 am the next morning and start hiking all over again.






 




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