Last night the campground was full, all kinds of tents, closely packed backpackers. Nearby a group talked until 10:30 pm, or possibly later, as by then I had fallen asleep. People started leaving by 6:30 am, and by 10:00 am there were only a few tents left. By 11:00 am, the next batch of hikers were already arriving. I observed all this while washing my clothes and waiting for them to dry. As the temperatures climbed to over 25 degrees C, it did not take long. A card from the campsite reception gave me a free train ride into Chamonix and back. Walking through Les Houches on the way to the station I was struck by the number of people with heavy rucksacks. Some equipped with helmets or ice axes intending to climb rockfaces or traverse glaciers, others were getting their photographs taken under the Tour du Mont Blanc arch, starting or finishing their 165 kilometre trek. Although the busy train was called the "Mont Blanc Express", this gave a misleading impression of its speed, with frequent stops over not many miles. Chamonix was very much a tourist town but with Mont Blanc and the many spiky peaks surrounding it a wonderful back drop, although today the summit was demurely hiding behind fluffy, white clouds. Restaurants spread along the town's streets with smartly dressed waiting staff, or else outlets offered burgers and crêpes with less pomp. There were a number of outdoor shops but as I had no wish to add to the weight of my rucksack, there were not as enticing today as they might have been. I did however buy a "meat sack", or rather a silk sleeping bag liner, as some refuges require you to sleep in one. My research had suggested you could use a sleeping bag instead, but this was not I discovered universally true.
My only regret today was that on returning to my campsite, I sat on some melted chocolate, and not my own, while leaning against a wall to read my kindle. My newly washed trousers already stained! Merde!
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