It’s our 33rd wedding anniversary today! Just wow!
We had a bit of a lie-in this morning as we didn't need to get up until 7.15am, which felt very civilised compared with some of our previous starts. Got sorted, had breakfast, checked out and then gathered in reception ready to go.
We set off through the town and, to be honest, it felt like we were only just waking up for the first few hours…which was probably because we were!
It seemed particularly hot today, even though we were walking through woodland for much of the morning. Before too long I found myself at the back and decided to just let everyone get on at their own pace. There was no point trying to keep up and burning myself out.
The amount of sweat pouring off me was ridiculous. I was absolutely drenched by the time I eventually reached the top after about two hours. Everyone was waiting for me, but it was fine.
And the views from the top were absolutely stunning.
I got some great photos and videos, hopefully, although as usual there's no way a camera can really capture what you're seeing. Manu then took us on a detour around the side of the mountain which I suspect not many people get to see. It was a brilliant little diversion and gave us some completely different views.
It was also lovely because everyone wished us well for our anniversary and I shared some photos from the day. It's really nice how much we've all started to bond as a group.
We then made our way to a café for lunch where we shared some pasta, and Steve bought it for us as an anniversary present. That was really kind of him. He's a great lad.
It was hot again when we left and, before long, we were heading uphill once more. Eventually it levelled out but we still couldn't really pick up the pace.
We were walking through a huge U-shaped valley, which I found fascinating from a geographical point of view. Manu kept stopping to explain things and give us some context about what we were seeing, which makes such a difference.
But most of the time I was just looking around and trying to take it all in.
There were glaciers everywhere in the rocks and terrain on the other side of the valley. It was simply mesmerising. You could walk for hours and still be discovering something new every time you looked up.
We eventually stopped at a bridge where we could paddle our increasingly weary feet in the water. It felt bloody lovely.
Unfortunately, there was quite a lot of cloud building and we could hear thunder in the distance. Manu assured us it would miss us.
It didn't.
As the occasional drops of rain became more persistent, I stopped and put the rain cover over my backpack before carrying on. With about 20 minutes left, the rain really started coming down and, as we got closer to the refuge, it turned into hail.
That was bloody painful!
Eventually I made it under cover and we all got ourselves sorted. We're all in the same room again, with the girls on one side and the boys on the other. It's such a funny setup when you think about it, but everyone just accepts it as completely normal.
Shower, clothes changed and then we sat outside with a beer. Thankfully the rain had stopped by then.
Gradually everyone came down and Manu talked us through tomorrow's plans. There's rain forecast around midday, so he wants us to get away early – 6.45am departure – which means another long day.
There's also quite a big ascent which I'm not particularly looking forward to, but that's what I'm here to do!
We had dinner and, honestly, it was probably the best meal we've had since starting the trek. Celery salad, tomato pasta (again!), beef stew with puréed potato and panna cotta for dessert.
They also gave Tash and me a toast for our anniversary, which was a lovely touch.
It's such a good group. We're all getting on really well and there seems to be a genuine affection developing between everyone, which makes the whole experience even better.
After dinner everyone gradually disappeared off to bed. I got some fresh air for a while before coming back upstairs and spending about 45 minutes writing this diary.
And now I'm done.
End of Day Summary
Another brilliant day, and one that's been made particularly special by our anniversary.
33 years of marriage is a pretty amazing milestone when you stop and think about it, and to be celebrating it together in the middle of the Alps, surrounded by these incredible mountains, is something we'll certainly remember.
The hiking was tough today, mainly because of the heat and that relentless uphill section, but the scenery more than made up for it. The glaciers, the valley, the mountains and then getting caught in a proper Alpine storm all added to the experience.
And the group really have become a proper little team now. Everyone wishing us well, Steve buying us lunch, the toast at dinner and just generally everyone looking out for each other made today feel quite special.
Tomorrow sounds like it's going to be a proper day in the mountains, though.
Early start, big climb and rain forecast.
Bring it on. 😁
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