Day 12, Stage 4: Monte Bianco spotted again :)

Stage 4. After a relaxed day off in Courmayeur - the jacuzzi was used multiple times, but we also had to wash our clothes - we started at 8:30am with an excellent breakfast. Big shoutout to Hotel Berthod! At 10:30am, we were back on the TMB trail. Yes, yes, lazy hikers we are (Yoda speak)!

As often on our stages, we started climbing, quite literally! Today from 1230 to 2125 meters over 5 kilometers of trail. Hundreds of grasshoppers accompanied us during the ascent, unbelievable! The Italian grasshoppers were not as considerate as the ones on the French side, they didn't jump out of the way so easily. This made it harder to step on the intended trail! We also saw many lizards and butterflies. Having reached the top without causing harm to any grasshoppers, we enjoyed a fabulous view of Monte Bianco :) in slightly cloudy weather. After taking in the accomplishment and the view, we hiked with some ups and downs to the Bonatti hut. We had a cola to cool off and please our sugar-deprived palates, especially Jörg's :))

Now we had about 1 1/2 hours ahead of us, walking along the balcony above the Italian Val Ferret. Flower meadows and two marmots were on our way. These four-legged mischief-makers are really cute! They especially liked green slopes with a few rocks that served as lookout points. Just before it started raining, we reached our accommodation, Chalet Val Ferret, in the village of Arnuva. They cooked a special vegetarian meal, which Janina particularly liked. In the evening, we warmed up in the communal area of the chalet in front of a fireplace. Overall, it was a very nice day without much effort, even though we only arrived in Arnuva at 6pm. Next time, Jörg, don't suddenly crouch down if you want to apply lotion to Janina's legs...