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Trekking routine

Our routine for trekking is worth describing. We tend to rise early. This always pays off. Uphills are done in the cool, in winter the snow is firm, and there’s always time to change or retreat. As the mules travel at a faster pace than walkers, we set off first. The mule team usually passes at some stage, perhaps shares a noon grub stop, then goes on and has a big tent pitched in which they cook and sleep and which acts as mess tent as well. The rest of us bring our own tents for sleeping in. Early to bed is not difficult – well fed, logs written up, the morrow planned, eyes begin to droop.

Welcome tea on reaching the next camp spot (Route 36)

In some circumstances a peak may be done from a bivouac, in which case we backpack and so cut down on all the weight possible. We take no tent, but possibly a breathable bivvy bag, or just sleep under the stars. Accommodation in village houses (gîtes), especially when the heavens open, is also a growing possibility as tourism increases. My fondest memories, however, are of the great hospitality offered in villages so remote that no European has ever been there. Again, it is a matter of bending to circumstances and staying safe and happy even in the event of the shocks that mountains can land on puny humans.