After a pleasant train ride to Martigny (the Swiss train had more delay than the German (4 minutes))!!) I start on my first day of hiking around the Mont Blanc mountain range. The Tour du Mont Blanc doesn’t traditionally start IN Martigny, but it was just much faster to reach than Chamonix.
The summer’s mid-day heat hits me hard as I start from the train station southwards through the town. It’s definitely more than 30° C and in an urban environment that stacks up to feel even hotter.
But soon I reach the start of a forest trail that’s mostly in the shade. As I hike up the valley, it gets cooler and when the sun hides behind the mountains around 5 p. m., it’s perfect hiking conditions. When I reach the Relais d’Arpwtte campsite, it’s nice and cool evening. 15 km, 1300 hm in 4 hours was a good start.
