Day 8 - Sunday 30th August 2015 – Arolla to Le Sage

Total distance walked:	10.40 km	6.46 miles
Total hours walked including stops	5 hrs 01 mins
Total hours walked excluding stops	4 hrs 00 mins
Height at start	2006 metres	6581 feet
Height at finish	1667 metres	5469 feet
Total Height Gain	564 metres	1850 feet
Total Height Loss	875 metres	2871 feet
Maximum Height	2121 metres	6959 feet
Average speed excluding stops	2.60km/hr	1.62 miles/hr

I was up at about 7.oo am, washed and dressed and across to the hotel for breakfast at 7.30 am.  My dortoir was in a separate building from the hotel on the other side of the road.  A leisurely breakfast of cereal, yoghurt, fruit, orange juice, coffee, bread, butter and jam and there was a choice of fruit, salami and cheese.  Leisurely because I didn’t have very far to go.  I left Arolla at about 8.30 am and headed up the path to Louché and Lac Bleu.  I stopped once at about 9.30 am before reaching the Lac Bleu at around 10.30 am.  Not a difficult climb but quite twisty and up and down so nowhere once could stride out.  The exposed areas mentioned in the guide book were not at all difficult in the dry but might have been worse had it had been wet.

I rested for a short while at Lac Bleu before heading swiftly downhill to La Gouille and then on an easy downhill slope to Les Haudères which I reached about midday having passed Patrick and Veronique as I came into Les Haudères.  Patrick and Veronique had walked on the more direct path avoiding that to Lac Bleu because they had read that there were “several slightly exposed sections protected either by fixed cables or chains”.  There was nothing on the walk via Lac Bleu would should have given Patrick any concern whatsoever.  I also me a couple of Americans at Lac Bleu, Anna and Shaun – I saw them again a couple of times but never spoke again.

I stopped at a café in Les Haudères for an hour and had a couple of small beers and a crepe with sugar and lemon juice.  I managed to get my phone to work and spoke to Pam briefly.  I tried to send an email to Viewranger but failed despite spending money for extra data.  I set off through the back streets of Les Haudères at about 1 o’clock and quite quickly reached La Sage after an Hour.  An easy steady climb through the forest but very hot in areas where there was no shade,  I checked in at the Chalet-Restaurant l’Ecureil and spent half an hour washing almost all of my clothes including my sleeping bag liner, shorts and sleeping kit, hanging them all out on the veranda in the sun.  Hopefully, I would have got rid of any of the bedbugs should they have remained in my clothing.  I also had a nice hot shower.

Patrick and Veronique had already arrived at L’Ecureil as had Lucy from the party of five Americans – she had caught the bus from Arolla.  I had a two glasses of cold peach tea and then a beer whilst writing my diary and later talking to Patrick (god he does talk), Veronique, Dave and Tom.  Later the five Americans from New York arrived Greg, Himan, Chandresh, Lucy and _____ .  Well Lucy had arrived by bus earlier.  Dinner was at 6.30 pm; two bowls of soup, pork chops with sauté potatoes, beans and red cabbage and then an ice cream with chocolate sauce – all with two glasses of red wine.

The total bill for dinner, bed and breakfast was CHF 66.80 which included the two glasses of wine.  Then off to bed and read for half an hour before going to sleep at about 9 o’clock.  I slept well apart from the bites itching but I was well dosed with Anthisan.