Mostly downhill and only twelve kilometers for the day, the easy day sent my mind into the place it always goes when I'm having a really really good time outside: dreaming up the next place to go. We discussed upcoming running plans and even our fall training ideas. For the first time since we got married, Matt and I will be training for different things this fall. He wants to focus more on short distances, I want another shot at the marathon before trying something else. We'll see how that works out later.
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| Italian entrance to the Mont Blanc tunnel. |
We stopped for several snack breaks and enjoyed great views of Les Grands Jorasses the entire morning. Then came the steep descent from a refuge overlooking Courmayeur. Downhill felt slow and daunting even though I could tell my knees were finally adjusting to the descents. We arrived in Courmayeur just after noon and immediately enjoyed a luxurious hotel shower. Our hotel was fancy and we caught it at a low price at the end of the off-season. Yay! Then we headed out for lunch.
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| You bet your bum we tried the bidet. Think garden hose. |
We chose an Italian restaurant for authentic fare. The waitstaff was relieved to hear me speak French rather than English. For the first time on the trip, my accent didn't prompt them to reply in English. I'm pretty sure the Italians were the only people I had fooled. It took me about a week to become comfortable with the language again. I can always tell when that happens because my thoughts become bilingual too
Courmayeur is a trail runner's heaven. It hosts dozens of trail races each year (the UTMB, CCC, and Tour des Geants begin here). As such, running and outdoor gear stores heavily outnumbered the grocery stores. It was fun seeing what things are popular in different places. We wandered the narrow streets and alleyways, some often ending in a small courtyard. The old city architecture is so unlike the U.S. that just walking around feels special, almost like I'm in a museum.
After some gellati and a trip to the grocery for fun supplies, it was back to the hotel. We hit the sauna and swimming pool, spending the evening relaxing on the lounge chairs. Then we caught some TV later that night. Sadly the only channel in English was Fox News, so we didn't watch for long and soon fell asleep.
12km (7.5 mi.)
120m (394 ft.) gain
860 m (2821 ft.) loss
4 comments:
The architecture there is amazing. I could wander the streets for hours just taking it all in.
That hotel looks pretty incredible, and I love the architecture. I remember being so disappointed when I tried to speak French/Italian/German and the locals responded in English:(
Enjoying the recaps. UTMB actually starts in Chamonix and runs through Courmayeur. Minor distinction. They haven't had a normal (non-weather-affected) year at UTMB since 2009; last year we ran the first 45K on the TMB (backward from your direction) and then veered off into 65K of braided trails all in France. I feel more cheated the more I see how awesome the full TMB is. Eventually I'll try it as a backpacking trip.
I also spent a week in Courmayeur by myself while Beat was running the Tor des Geants last year. That town really is a mountain-trekking haven and I loved it. The Italians were so friendly to me, which hasn't necessarily been my experience as an (admittedly unilingual) American elsewhere in Europe. And authentic Italian pizza and gelato ... mmmm. If you ever decide to embark on another Alps trek, the Alta Via trail around the Aosta Valley is incredible, at least from the parts I've seen.
Abby and Meghan, It was incredible. :) What we consider old is pretty new in Europe. After a trip to Germany a few years ago where everything was destroyed in WWII, it is refreshing to see a place that hadn't been bombed again.
Jill, thanks for the correction. I wasn't sure about UTMB and admittedly made an assumption about that particular race. I saw the other two advertised in Courmayeur. You should do it as a pack trip! I think one misses so much doing the UTMB in the late stage fatigue-induced haze of a 100miler.
I had similar impressions of Italians too. I think they're just more outgoing than the reserved French people. As for another trek, I think we're looking at things closer to home. North America has some pretty fantastic backpacking too :)
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