TMB Day 3

I'm writing this from a hotel bed in Courmayer, having eaten an entire large Italian pizza with Luca and Ivo for dinner.  My intent was to stay in mountain shelters all along the way, but today was a worthy exception.  I set out from Refuge Mottets to Courmayer, putting me a day a head of schedule in the rain and cold.  Once over Col de la Seigne, the cold freezing rain turned to snow.  I had made the decision to hike in shorts and sticking with the plan found myself appreciating my hairy legs and in a mad dash to the next shelter Rifuge Elisabetta.

Rifuge Elisabetta.

Once there, I joined the international masses converging on this one dry spot by stripping down and ordering copious amounts of food and hot beverages.  I quickly remembered that this leg was my transition into Italy where the little bit of French I'd learned wasn't helpful.  With broken spanish and hand gestures we came to an agreement that what I wanted was to pay for two cups of coffee while only receiving one, along with a sam'ich and chocolate.  Spent an hour warming up and meeting up with the Iranian gentlmen from Refuge Mottets along with Luca and Ivo.  I got back on the trail with the same poor conditions.  Seems counter tuitive, but once it started snowing the weather warmed up and became an enjoyable hike...excluding the downhill section right outside Courmayer.  I must have walked underneath three separate chairlifts, none of which were working.  The thought of McGyvering my way down a chairlift cable to avoid taking another downhill step crossed my mind once or twice.

Courmayer

I found out today that there's an ultramarthon race of sorts in the mountains around Courmayer, where the race leaders so happened to be finishing as I was entering town.  Coincidently, that's exactly how I imagined my arrival into this small mountain town should be...a celebration.  It's for the better that hardly anyone understands English on this side of the Alps or my demands to be carried around by Ewolks while a feast was being prepared could have been misconstrued.

Interestingly, there're two toilets in this hotel as if one pot wouldn't be enough to contain anyone's business.  Either that or someone was extremely thoughtful of hikers and put a water bottle filler lower to the ground for ease of filling bottles.  That's why I filled my camelback first, then accepted the two toilet challenge.  Amanda would've been proud of me.

Tomorrows hike will be to Rifugio Bonatti with several variants depending on the weather.

Link to TMB Day 3 pics, via Picasa.