Hiking the Mont Blanc Massif, Day 9 - Courmayeur 勃朗峰山脉徒步游第九天

August 4, 2024: This morning at breakfast in the hotel, we struck up a conversation with a couple from Australia. They were here to train for the wife, who is 64 years old, in preparation for the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) race at the end of this month. Her husband, 66 years old, was accompanying her as a training partner. The UTMB race covers a grueling 171 km trail around Mont Blanc, crossing France, Italy, and Switzerland, and must be completed within 47 hours. Hearing about their training experiences on the mountains was awe-inspiring. We weren’t even attempting the full circuit, yet completing just a section seemed challenging enough, let alone running the entire course. The couple was incredibly friendly and encouraging, and their positive energy was contagious, boosting our confidence for the day’s hike.

Our plan for this Mont Blanc trip didn’t include completing the full loop; we had decided to skip the Swiss section. After arriving in the Italian town of Courmayeur yesterday, our daughter suggested we should at least hike into Switzerland, even if just to cross the border briefly. The section of the TMB (Tour du Mont Blanc) from Courmayeur to Switzerland is known to be quite challenging, with steep inclines. Connie, who had been exhausted by the first day’s hike, was hesitant to take on another difficult climb. However, the Australian couple’s encouraging words this morning made her reconsider. We seized the moment and set off promptly.

The border between Italy and Switzerland is located at the mountain summit. We started by taking a free bus to the base of the mountain and then began our ascent. The initial trail took us through a pasture with grazing cows, but soon the path became more challenging, with a continuous uphill climb and rough terrain. It took us about an hour and twenty minutes to complete the first leg of the hike and reach a small mountain hut (Refuge Elena).

After a cup of coffee and a brief rest, we began the second leg, aiming for the border point at the summit. This part of the trail was longer, with the first half being even steeper. As we climbed higher, the scenery became increasingly stunning, with the snow-capped peaks drawing closer. After two hours of steady hiking, we finally reached the summit. At the top, there was a sign marking the border between Italy and Switzerland. We took a photo together with one foot in each country, capturing a truly memorable moment. We still had to make the return journey back to the base. Although it’s often said that descending is harder than ascending, Connie seemed to be in great spirits, descending even faster than the rest of us. It seems the Australian couple’s words really gave her a boost.

In the evening, we went to a pizzeria in town for dinner and coincidentally ran into the Australian couple again. When they heard about our hike to the Swiss border, they were thrilled for Connie. “Pain will fade, but the memories will last forever” – this was their parting wisdom, which we found to be profoundly meaningful.

勃朗峰山脉徒步游第九天-库马约尔

2024年8月4日： 今天早上在旅馆吃早餐时与一对从澳大利亚来的老外闲聊，他们俩来这里训练为64岁的太太参加这个月底的超级勃朗峰跑步比赛(UTMB)作准备，66岁的先生陪练。跑步比赛是在171公里横跨法国，意大利和瑞士的勃朗峰山路进行，而且必须在47小时之内跑完整个一圈。听他们讲这些天训练爬山的经历，对我们来说简直是不可思议。我们根本不受时间限制，却连走完一圈都做不到，更别说跑了。老外夫妇很开朗健谈，不停地鼓励我们。他们的正能量传染给了我们，让我们对今天的爬山更有了信心。

因为我们这次来勃朗峰并不是走一整圈，计划中不包括瑞士的那部分。昨天来到意大利的库马约尔 （Courmayeur）小镇之后，女儿就说应该至少要爬山进入瑞士，哪怕就只是过一下边境线也行。从Courmayeur这里到瑞士的一段TMB线路并不太好走，比较陡。Connie 被第一天的爬山折磨得一直心有余悸，不愿再次自讨苦吃。今天早上老外夫妇的一席话让Connie的想法有所松动。趁热打铁我们赶紧出发。

意大利和瑞士边境点是在山顶上。首先我们坐免费的大巴来到山脚下，然后就开始往上爬。先从牛群中穿过，之后的路就开始有点难了，主要是一路都是上坡且路不太好走。我们花了差不多一个小时二十分才走完第一段来到一个小山屋（Refuge Elena）。喝杯咖啡稍作休息后我们开始走第二段，目标山顶上的意大利和瑞士边境点。第二段的路更长且前一半全是更陡的上坡路。好在越往上离雪山更近，风景越美。二个小时后我们终于来到山顶。山顶上有一块标牌，说是一边是意大利另一边是瑞士。我们俩脚踩两国照相合影，这一瞬间的感觉真的是很美好的。接下来我们还必须原路返回到山脚。都说上山容易下山难，不过今天好像Connie的状态很不错，一路下山走得比我们都快。看样子被早上老外夫妇的话激励到了。

晚上去镇上披萨店吃饭，又碰到了这对澳大利亚夫妇。得知我们今天爬山到山顶瑞士边境的经历，很为Connie高兴。“伤痛会过去，但记忆永存“ - 这是他们对我们说的一句话，觉得非常有哲理。