Woke up to our fourth day on the TMB, more than halfway done!

Courmayeur

The best part of the day was the Italian coffee for someone, for me it was the freshly squeezed orange juice. To each their own.

Val Ferret

Bone chilling group photo at the start of our trailhead after our shuttle dropped us off. Bone chilling for people from Hawaii.

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The start of our almost 3,000′ elevation climb.

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Putting our heads down and putting one foot in front of the other.

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Sometimes you have to look up and appreciate the Alps.

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The group crossing the bridge and following the stream for a bit.

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Hikers silhouetted against the sun kissed mountains.

Rifugio Elena

We stopped at the mountain hut for a bathroom break, snacks and Italian cappuccino. And of course, the views.

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Leaving the mountain hut as we gained more elevation. More cardio.

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Contouring our way above the Alps.

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Two way traffic on the trail fronting the bluffs.

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Nowhere to go but up. Just follow the arrow.

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Standing in front of Mount Dolent which shares the border with France, Italy and Switzerland.

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I think Roger was trying out for the job of sheepdog.

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Sylvia pointed out the rare sighting of the bearded vulture, which was hunted to the point of extinction but is making a comeback. If they start circling above you, best to pick it up.

Col du Grand Ferret

Crossing the border into Switzerland at the mountain pass that sits at 8,300′ elevation. Gruezi!

Col du Grand Ferret

Ferlino showing the colors.

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Going down the pass in search of a spot less windy to have our lunch.

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The group having our lunch with unmatched views of the surrounding Alps.

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Standing in front of the snow capped peak that is rarely visible according to Sylvia. The name of the mountain escapes me.

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Happy Birthday to you! Sylvia requested that we sing the song to her friend that was first documented in 1912. The copyright expired in the EU in 2017, so sing away. The animated ones were in the front, while the less animated one was sitting down. By all accounts, the recipient was quite pleased.

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A sea of sheep soon migrated from the Italian side to the Switzerland side accompanied by a constant blur and mash of bleating and bells ringing.

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Sheep crossing.

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Making our way down with the imposing Aiguille du Talefre and de Triolet mountains in the background.

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Going down the trail where we passed a puzzling driveway type gate. Push.

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Headed down to the Swiss mountain hut that is part of a working farm of cows and sheep. They even had a harmonica player. Ferlino missed out.

Alpage de la Peule

We took a small break, had their delicious ice cream, some more than once and Groot marked the neutral country.

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Left the charming hut and traversed through uneven terrain before breaking out of the alpine forest.

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Hiking through the pastoral landscapes in the Swiss Val Ferret Valley.

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Passing the Pramplo Trail as we were constantly treated to valley, glacier and mountain views.

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Walking over a stout wooden bridge that crossed over a rather parched streambed.

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Following the valley floor to La Fouly.

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One was sure footed and the other was not so sure footed on the “bridge to nowhere.”

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The last bridge crossing of the day as we soon approached the village boundary.

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More cowbell.

Maya Joie L’uberge

All smiles as we walked up the road to our hostel for the night. What gave us pause was when we read the memo about the bed bugs and not to worry.

Maya Joie L’uberge

The married couples were assigned to the rustic cabin, but upon inspection the linen was soiled and stained and the pillows musty and there was a bug of questionable character crawling on the sheets. The staff assured us that it was not a bed bug but just a bug. They said all the hostels in the area were of the same, even if we forked out considerable euros to move to a more palatable place. They mollified us by moving us all to the more modern dormitory style housing. Liberal amounts of bed bug spray was still applied to our bedding. Our backpacks and duffel bags had to stay in the cloakroom to keep down the chances of any bed bug infestation. We could only take essential stuff to our rooms.

Maya Joie L’uberge

We showered and cleaned up and then went to the dining area for our evening meal. Our main dish was melted cheese on potatoes. We don’t have anything else? Just cheese and potatoes. Eat up.

Maya Joie L’uberge

Group photo at the family style dinner. We then retired to our dormitory rooms and kept one eye open for the bed bugs, slight exaggeration. Good night and don’t let the bed bugs bite.

GPS Tracks

Our fourth day on the TMB covered 8.63 miles through what some argue is the most scenic section of the trail and we have now been in three countries since we started the hike; France, Italy and Switzerland. Wonderful day with good friends and only slightly marred by the “bed bug scare.”

Photos taken by Aida Gordon, Chico Cantu, Deborah Tom, Ferlino Carinio, Mari Saito, Patrick Tom, Robin Farr, Roger Schiffman, and yours truly. Not necessarily in order.

Note: I have been made aware that some hikers have been using my blog as a hiking guide and getting lost on the trails. Please note that this blog was made to document the hike for the crew(s) that did it. That is why some of my comments will seem to have no relevance or meaning to anybody outside of the crew(s) that hiked that trail. My blog was never meant as a hiking guide, so please do not treat it as such. If you find inspiration and entertainment from these hikes, that is more than enough. If you plan on replicating these hikes, do so in the knowledge that you should do your own research accordingly as trail conditions, access, legalities and so forth are constantly in flux. What was current today is most likely yesterdays news. Please be prepared to accept any risks and responsibilities on your own as you should know your own limitations, experience and abilities before you even set foot on a trail, as even the “simplest” or “easiest” of trails can present potential pitfalls for even the most “experienced” hikers. One should also always let somebody know of your hiking plans in case something doesn’t go as planned, better safe than sorry.