29 July 2018
Frankfurt to Chamonix via Geneva

I’ve had 4 cups of real European coffee and it’s not even 6:30 am. Given that I’ve been up since 3:30 am, this seems mathematically okay. Plus, it’s my most favorite part of the day so this is a little like heaven if heaven also includes alarm clocks, which actually sounds a bit more like hell so I’m not sure where I am exactly, although I think it’s still Frankfurt.

The good news, though, is that today Lufthansa is not messing around and we are on-time out of Frankfurt (with one more coffee in flight) and into Geneva at 8:30 am. Yesterday’s flight debacle actually saved us money and time, as we now find ourselves on the 9 am shuttle to Chamonix, a full 2 hours ahead of schedule. Amazing Race, we are back on our game.

I’m also happy to report that the scenery has gone from smokestacks to stunning. As much as my eyes want to close into a blissful, much needed slumber, I cannot allow such a thing to happen, for I do not want to miss a single pointy peak, circling hawk, or verdant green hillside. Our tour company is not messing around either, our Grand Hotel in Chamonix being just that – grand. Lobby beyond cute and, in a gesture that brings me to 6 (yes, 6) for the day that has only reached 10:30 am, a frothy latte at the waiting. And it is waiting we now must do for our super cute room isn’t ready quite yet. It’s a good thing these lobby sofas are just long enough for Gina to stretch out on because even she is down for the count, and that takes a minor miracle.

Strung out from caffeine and sleeplessness, we meet our group of 8 fellow guests and 2 guides a few hours later in the afternoon for a combination gondola and cable car traverse up to Le Brevent (8200+ feet). At the top? Sweeping views of the valley, the massive mountain of Mont Blanc, and an orientation from our lead guide as to where we will be hiking over the next 10 days. It’s hard not to think “Wow” followed by “Hmm, was this really a good idea, given Gina’s leg full of plates and screws and a total of 4000 feet of descent coming up tomorrow, on our first day?”. But then you look back around you, Mother Nature’s glory on display in every direction, and think “Well, why not? Life is nothing but an adventure.” Even if it’s just an adventure in how to get back down.

But I’m sure it will be more than just that, especially after we get some protein in our bellies and some sleep in our bodies. Tomorrow we hike!