Not quite as planned

Things are not quite going according to plan.

The around Mt Blanc hike begins:

After a short bus ride we commenced our walk at Notre Dame. There was a cute little church, nestled in a deep wooded valley.

We walked for a while up an old Roman road, which was quite steep.

Then the road levelled out a little through meadows as we passed by a farm house. Check out the size of the cow bells! It was as though they were playing a lovely melody for us.

Then the track took us steeply upwards past meadows of alpine flowers.

Looking back down to the cows' farmhouse in the far meadow.

Marmots! These giant guinea pig-like animals (or obese otters) make a loud squeaking bird-like sound to warn each other of danger. We heard them before we saw them.

The track kept going up.

And up to our morning tea stop.

Lunch was on top of a pass.

Looking down to a flock of sheep penned, possibly getting ready to be taken down low into the valley before the winter snow.

Our guide, Dave, telling us we have to go just around the corner and up a little bit more up to another mountain pass.

A little bit more up!

Coming down the other side, on the last kilometre of about 20, feeling really good, not even tired, just after this photo, my day came crashing down.

My right foot slipped out from under me on a relatively level section that was so dry and dusty that it was slippery, and I came crashing down. One of our group said I looked quite elegant as I did the splits, but it hurt! I had to sit for a while before I could stand and my right leg would not move properly, giving me very sharp pain in the back of my thigh and collapsing under me. Pete, Mick and Dave took turns holding me up, and I used Marie's walking poles as well. It took a lot of concentration, and the men saved me from falling again, numerous times. They were wonderful.

Happy pack horses, Marie and Sheryl carrying packs for me, Mick and Pete.

Our very comfortable accomodation for the night was in a remote valley, and was full of hikers. They gave us an excellent meal.

So, it seems that I have either torn or pulled my right hamstring. I have gone from feeling like a mountain goat, to feeling like a half squashed slug. I can put some weight on my leg, but I cannot walk normally, even on a flat even surface. But it is improving with ice, rest, voltaren tablets and voltaren gel rubbed into the muscle. I have now had two rest days while the others walked over more mountain passes. I was transported in the van with all our luggage to the evening accomodation. It is possible that I may not be able to walk any more of the Mont Blanc circuit, unfortunately. Not quite according to the plan!

We are now in Switzerland. Today I was driven through three countries in an hour and a half - Italy, France and Switzerland!