Lesson learned

Last weekend we decided to go hiking. Valerie was dying to see the Lac Blanc (White Lake) which is tucked away at 7500 ft in the mountain range of the Alps just across from the Mt Blanc and above the town of Chamonix. Well, of course we had no one to leave Mathieu with so he decided to come with us.

To start the hike you can either hike from the town below or take the gondola up to about 6000 ft and then start your hike there. We opted for the gondola. From the top of the gondola the hike takes about 1 hour 45 minutes of walking straight up the mountain side and another 2 hours 45 minutes to descend, since you are actually doing a circle route around the back of the mountain. On the way up there are 3 glaciers to see descending towards the valley of Chamonix, the Mt Blanc and the Aiguilles de Midi, not to forget the lush valley below. The views are just magnificent. When you arrive at the lake there is a small Refuge that sits right at the edge of the lake which is perfect for having lunch or just a quick beer. The lake in itself is not all that impressive. It is rather small (more like a pond than a lake) and mostly covered in ice and snow. However, the panorama is surreal and as you descend down the back side of the mountain you stumble across the real treasures. During the descent we came across 3 small lakes, a waterfall that fell about 150 ft through a crevice in the mountain and a couple of mountain goats.

Now I know this all sounds amazing and it definitely was. But let’s step back to the first paragraph where I mention that we took Mathieu. Hiking up 1500 ft with a kid on your back is not easy, add a few sections with stairs and it becomes even harder. But don’t forget about the ladders as well and sliding through the snow sections. Overall, he didn’t suffer only I did. After 4 hours of hiking, the beautiful valley and glaciers start to become less intriguing. And once the blisters set in and your back starts to hurt it becomes even less intriguing. By the 4^th hour I was ready to be sitting in Chamonix with a beer in hand watching the people pass by.

Funny that the next day my legs were hurting but Valerie, on the other hand felt great. Anyway that is the last time we will be doing a hike that involves Mathieu on my back, 4+ hours, and a steep incline.