After breakfast, shared with a down-to-earth American couple from Reno on their honeymoon, the morning began with a climb up a steep valley to the Fenêtre (window, in French) d'Arpette.

There are a few variations along the TMB, mostly trails to inner parts of the mountain range to escape the busy main path. This variant is one of the most intense sections, with grades between 17-25%, all in service of an awe inspiring view onto the Trient Glacier.

On the way up, there were many shouts of "ROCK!" and I dodged one trip-ending missile that another group kicked down on us. We had so much fun rock hopping, getting our hands on that granite, and scrambling up to the top that I forgot to be scared of the elevation until we were balancing on rocks looking down the other side. We carefully clambered down a 30ft no fall zone and slowly descended on aching knees into the valley.

Short on time with dinner hanging in the balance, we had a quick picnic and Evan gave directions to a group of rough n’ ready Australian guys with sailor-style tattoos, bright teeth, and strong accents. Then it was up the next mountain for us. Evan sent me ahead and we ended up hiking solo for about five miles. Alone, there were some thrilling and tense moments as I navigated narrow steps cut into the rock and rought paths high above the valley. Eventually, the trail turned downhill and our biomechanical superiorities reversed. Evan ran me down on the ski slopes and we got to walk together by a herd of sheep and goats guarded by two fluffy herding dogs.

Feet aching, we kept convincing ourselves that we were almost there. After the painful road where we gave up all of our hard-earned elevation, we stumbled into our last refuge. It was pleasantly surprising to find Emma and Ohto at dinner. We chatted long past the meal, excited to compare the diverging routes we’d taken over the last few days.