When in Rhône - Part 4

Sheep, scree, and a snack scam!

Plan Sec to Arpont

Tuesday, 5th of August

Both of us didn't have the best sleep - maybe it's the exercise, or the hostel beds, or the ear plugs ^[1].

We groggily eat breakfast, then we collect our packed lunch and get ready to set off. We love filling up our water bottles at the fresh water sources outside the hostel - it tastes fresh, clean, and cold.

We can tell right away that today is a much sunnier day than yesterday, but we aren't so worried about the sunshine: Sarah is concerned about the steep drop-off we can see right next to the path as it snakes along the mountainside.

Today, we have to walk 16km, with about 750m of ascent and the same in descent^[2], but it's slow going at first, due to negotiating with Sarah's fear and a flock of sheep that's gong the same way as us!

Again we are reminded that we are not in the UK - even the sheep look very different! These ones are leaner, more goat-like, compared to the very fluffy, round-nosed specimens we're used to seeing grazing on the grassy slopes of the Lake Distrct, the Pentlands or the Highlands. It's also new to us to see sheep as a defined herd, accompanied by shepherds and/or herding dogs. We're used to sheep just being part of the landscape, dotted about, grazing by themselves. Here, they cross the landscape as a writhing mass, creating lots of noise, making us feel small.

The sheep, fortunately, are absent when we reach the most narrow section of the path that winds right around the steep mountain. We're shaded from the sun now, which is very welcome while we take things slowly. The path is just wide enough for Sarah to walk close to the cool rockface, with me acting as the buffer between her and the precipitious drop.

Whether Sarah realises it or not, I LOVE walking right by the edge of the path. I have never been scared of heights and any bit of excitement I can get, I'll take. But while I may not share Sarah's fear, I also know there is no arguing with it. Sarah always says she knows it's not rational that she gets nervous at certain parts, it just happens. All I can do is try my hardest to be supportive and get us both through it...

... and it's succesful! ^[3].

Soon we're finished zigging and zagging uphill and stop for our first snack: a piece of bread with a piece of cheese. We love that everyone who walks past us says "Bon appetit"!

What's really keeping us going, however, is endless rounds of the alphabet game. We're keeping them easy today because everything feels hard! Some of the categories we go through include: soft drinks, hard drinks, things in the kitchen, sandwich fillings, furniture...

Right after our cheese stop we have to cross what looks like a wall of scree. From afar, it looks incredibly imposing - or, as Sarah would put it, terrifying. But following the path turns out to be a lot easier than it looks! From afar, it looked like we'd have to walk over actual scree, but there is a clear path all the way around.

With the crossing of the scree slope out of the way, we are feeling ready for a proper lunch stop. The sun is really blaring down on us and we stop frequently to take sips of water and re-apply suncream (well, it's mostly me having to do so as Sarah has wisely covered up 90% of her body - as you may have discerned from the drawings!). We stumble along the rocky path, no trees and rocks in sight anywhere that would make for an inviting break point. Until, finally, we encounter a boulder near the path that has a large, shady side. It is with significant relief that we take our bags off and sit on the cool, smooth stone.

Our lunch largely consists of a rice salad studded with red peppers, which I'm not the biggest fan of. Fortunately, a deal is made.

As the day goes on, we get more and more tired. The constant sun is really getting to us. This really is very different to Scotland! The path, in fact, isn't too different from what we're used to walking on - I'd say in 10 degree weather, with some light drizzle and a breeze, we'd be absolutely racing along here. Of course, the surroundings are different too - we continue to be amazed by the butterflies and flowers, and the glimpses of far away glaciers. We even see a man paragliding against the rich blue sky. But even so, our mood is inching closer and closer towards "delusional". There comes a point on some walks where the scenery can be the most beautiful you've ever seen, but you're completely unable to appreciate it. We're definitely at this point - we just about have capacity for another round of the Alphabet Game.

Category is: things you might find in a bedroom.

When we meet a broad stream, which we'd normally not think twice about crossing, the poor state of our minds and bodies is made clear. I stand in the middle of the stream for nearly a full minute working out what to do. Where do I put my foot? How far can I step? Will my boot get wet?

Of course, we perservere.

I cannot emphasise enough how little energy we have left at this point - and we are still 5-6 km away from the refuge. We resolve to take two more breaks, as we have two more snacks left in our lunch bags. As you can imagine, we had catalogued our snacks very systematically, leaving the most exciting for last.

The first snack is a cake - layers of sponge, cream and chocolate - which we eat on yet another winding path. We cross hillsides and streams. We haven't crossed paths with another hiker in a while, which is really adding to the feeling of having been out walking for a long time!

We come across some overgrown ruins when we decide we've got to stop for our final snack. Now, we had assumed it was some sort of cake, as it was a round, fluffy scone-shaped thing, wrapped in clingfilm. However, upon biting into it, it became apparent it was NOT a cake at all!!!

We've run out of water now, and, to add insult to injury, the last section of the walk is all uphill. At least, though, we're mostly in the shade, sheltered by bushes and trees.

We are now about an hour or so away and it feels increasingly desperate. We say "we're just going up Arthur's seat two times"...though we've never walked up Arthur's seat this desperate for a nap, the toilet and a bucket of water!

At Arpont, we have a freezing cold shower (we didn't pay for warm water as we figured we could probably do with the cold) and drink a can of coke each. I start writing this down, but it's soon time for dinner - our walk took us 8 hours. The two Australian boys we met yesterday are lounging on the deck and have clearly been here for hours, which does not smart at all.

Dinner time!

1. Lentil soup - a change!
2. Dal and rice - served with hummus (strange, but we don't care!).
   We are the only vegetarians so our meal is served to us in small special pots.
3. Cheese
4. A brownie

The atmosphere in this refuge is different to the previous two - it is larger, and very busy. We chat to a nice American man who tells us that it's his life-long mission to complete a list of the most beautiful hikes in the world.

This is a rushed finish to the recording as we'll try to make an early start tomorrow at 6:30am. We cannot take another day of walking in the heat! We are in bunk beds tonight in a 12 person dorm room.

See you for the next part,

L x