Day 4 - Wednesday 26th August 2015 – Champex to Le Châble

Total distance walked:	14.00 km	8.70 miles
Total hours walked including stops	4 hrs 09 mins
Total hours walked excluding stops	3 hrs 51 mins
Height at start	1466 metres	4810 feet
Height at finish	821 metres	2694 feet
Total Height Gain	350 metres	1148 feet
Total Height Loss	1019 metres	3343 feet
Maximum Height	1506 metres	4941 feet
Average speed excluding stops	3.64 km/hr	2.26 miles/hr

I was up before 7.00 am, washed, dressed and packed and down to breakfast and down to a standard breakfast shortly after 7.30 am.  I started walking at about 8.10 am and this time Viewranger was showing the correct location.  Downhill through Champex and missed the turn which was meant to be signed to the Hotel Belvedere but I didn’t see it, so I went a little out of my way.  Back on the path and quite steeply downhill to begin with but the path levelled out after 30 minutes or so.  I had one brief stop to take off my fleece, apply suntan lotion and put on my sunhat.  There were masses of wildflowers beside the path and in the meadows and I took a number of photographs of flowers which I hadn’t photographed before.  I arrived at Sembrancher before 10.30 am and diverted from the path to find a café and had a beer (CHF3.50) beside the main road.  I might have been better to cut into the centre of the village earlier.

I left Sembrancher at about 11 o’clock where I passed a group of six (American and English, I think) who I had overtaken earlier in the day.  I was to see them again throughout the next 10 days but not once did they say hello – a very unfriendly bunch.  I reach Le Châble at around 12.20 pm and stopped at the Café de la Place for a beer,  Salade Chevre, glass of red wine and espresso coffee. The price was CHF 30.00 including a tip.

Then headed down towards the river to find the Hotel de la Poste where I checked in a paid the balance of my account i.e. CHF17.50 although there was a slight mix-up to begin with.  I dumped my rucksack in my room and had a shower and shave before walking around the village and bumped into Patrick and Veronique and chatted to them briefly.  I then found a supermarket and bought a saucisson sandwich for the next day rather than carry a baguette and saucisson.  I then went back to my room and slept for an hour.  It was very hot even at 5 o’clock so I went back to the café where I had had lunch and had a beer after which I went back to my room and read for an hour.  After speaking to pam briefly at 7 o’clock, I walked around Vilette on the other side of the river to look for somewhere to eat but ended up at the Café de la Place again and had a beer, green salad and Sicilliene Pizza (not particularly good) followed by two glasses of red wine and an espresso coffee – total price was CHF31.00.  I noticed that the temperature at 7 o'clock was 28^o C and even at 8.15 am was 20^o C.

I went back to my room at 8.30 pm and tried to speak to Pam on Skype but Skype failed; Smartcall failed and I ended up using a normal telephone call.  The Wifi strength was inadequate for voice communication.  I then read for a while and slept pretty well until 6.00 am.