The next day, August 12, was our big climb from the valley bottom at Le Chable to the Cabane Du Mont Fort high on the edge of the alpine Swiss back country, an elevation gain of over 5,000 feet. Of our group of six, two decided to take cable cars to near the top of the climb. The rest of us celebrated the fact that the joy is in the journey as much as the destination. We started our climb through he outskirts of La Chable and the village of La Fontanelle and past a dramatically placed chapel at Les Verneys. After that we started climbed a long trail through the forest that hugged the side of the steep slope. The skies began to clear, and we had our first view across the valley to the Petit Combin, a high peak. Above the hamlet of La Combe, we had our first experience of walking through a Swiss herd of cows, which sounded like a bell choir as they moved. We had met a family in Le Chable who was there to paraglide, and we stopped at one point to watch the paragliders drifting below us. We broke into the open at Clambin, where there was a wonderful restaurant with great views including views down to the large ski resort of Verbier. We had a nice lunch of country stew in the sunshine on the deck. We watched a family with their Saint Bernard, a native dog breed of Switzerland.
Above Clambin, we hiked for a long time up ski runs to the top of the long cable car lift. From there, we traversed across the alpine tundra on a trail that hugged the contour of the steep ridge and from the trail, we had a expansive view of the Grand Combin, the mountain complex that dominates this area. Near the end of our hike there were two pieces of public art in the meadow above, and soon after, we finally saw the mountain hut on a high knoll above us. Arriving at the Cabane Du Mont Fort, we found that it was ably staffed by a single young man who cooked meals for a couple of dozen people and provided drinks and snacks on demand. The hut was rustic but well-organized with pay showers, a bar, and a kitchen. After the long climb, we enjoyed the food and accommodations a great deal.