#5 My Travel Journal - Chamonix stole my heart

I've found a place that encapsulates all of my favourite things

A view of Mont Blanc with Chamonix in the valley below

“This is good, this spot right here,” I said, feeling immediate relief as I undid the strap from across my chest, setting my bag down behind me.

I fumbled in the side pocket for Jasper’s bowl and watched as he licked into the emptiness, too eager to wait for the water to appear. After nearly 5km of a steady, yet somewhat painful, incline, we were nearly at the top. I thought to myself how much I preferred the battle with my body compared to the battle with my mind which I’d had to endure a couple of days ago whilst riding the cable car high into the sky. And not just because we had to pay €22 each for the pleasure.

My favourite part of any hike is the part we stop to eat lunch. I like my food - I might have mentioned that before - and it’s even better when you’ve worked up a nice appetite. Usually we eat once we’ve reached our final destination, the pièce de résistance, but due to the peak being doused in sunlight, we opted to stop a couple of hundred metre short in the shade we were all desperate for. After a baguette and a swig of water, Sean and I took it in turns to trudge to the summit of L’Aiguillettes des Possettes, allowing Jasper to sit in the shade for a little while longer.

With each step my quads burned, the sweet aftermath of a few days of hiking and running around the Chamonix trails. This place will definitely give you a crude awakening of your fitness levels. But the pain dispersed when, upon reaching the summit, I took a deep breath and focused my gaze ahead.

Sean and Jasper at the end of the hike - Jasper wondering what on earth we had just put him through!

We weren’t supposed to be here, it wasn’t part of the plan, intending instead to be a landscape remaining undiscovered for a little while longer. Life clearly had other plans. As I gazed out towards the powerhouse that is Mont Blanc, the blanket of snow wrapped peacefully around the peak, I felt a sense of sincere gratitude. I’m hiking in the French Alps, on the trail of the Tour de Mont Blanc¹. This is my life. No worries. Utter freedom. Surrounded by nature, mountains and magic. The mountains, they don’t care about you, they don’t discriminate, there’s no comparison, no pressure or judgement; only wilderness and how you choose to respond to it.

I glanced towards Chamonix, neatly nestled in the valley, at the foot of its lifelong companion. I’ve never visited such a place, where the the magic can be felt from the early morning dew to the clear stars at night.

I don’t want to leave.

Turning up unexpectedly in peak season, we didn’t know what to expect. We were supposed to stay in Italy, explore the Gran Paradiso National Park, but unexpected severe wind warnings meant plans had to be changed. As luck would have it, we were able to find a campsite a mere 7km away from the centre of bustling Chamonix, with room for the three of us and our roof tent for a few nights. And what a wonderful few nights it has been.

A couple of shots from my morning trail runs

We rode the Plan Joran cable car before taking a hike to the Glacier D’Argentière. We drank coffee and ate pastries in Parisian-style cafes. We dipped pieces of torn up bread and boiled potatoes into a pot of melted cheese. Have you ever dipped potatoes into melted cheese? If you haven’t, you should. We hiked some more, I ran some trails, and we enjoyed evenings camping out, putting the world to rights, listening to the crickets, watching as the setting sun lit up the mountains behind us.

So this is how I’m meant to be spending my days?

This is what I gave it all up for?

I’ll take it.

As I stood atop of the summit that day, I realised in that moment that Chamonix had stolen a piece of my heart.

And it can keep it, giving me the perfect excuse to return to retrieve it and to explore more of what this magical place has to offer.

Yes, we've eaten pastries every day (when in France, right?) and the fondue was definitely an experience not to be missed!

1. The Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is one of the most popular long distance hikes in Europe. A distance of around 170km and with 10,000m of elevation gain, you walk around the Mont Blanc mountain passing through France, Italy and Switzerland. People usually walk it between 7 to 14 days or you can run it if you like, just as those who take on the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc do!