Soon after returning from the campsite restaurant last night it began to rain, with some distant thunder and lightning throughout the night. I woke up this morning to a little water on the tent floor and the outside of my  tent soaking wet and filthy from where the rain had splashed up off of the ground carrying all kinds of dirt and debris from the nearby trees. The only option was to pack up everything wet and begin the day. On the positive side, we awoke to sunny skies and nice, comfortable weather. Also, we were able to get a hot cappuccino and  a fresh chocolate croissant before we boarded a local bus that took us a short, but helpful distance to the trail head. 

Many other campers were on the same bus and for the first time we were in a crowd of people as we began to make our way up the mountain. It took about 30 minutes for the hikers to thin out but it was not a problem. 

Our climb today took us to an elevation of 8,334 feet. It was a moderate climb until the last hour of the hike where we faced grades of 15-20%. Our views on the way up though were, again, stunning. Just before the final push to the top there was a refuge where there was a really nice cafe. Daniel enjoyed a hot ham and cheese sandwich that he said was really good. I opted not to buy any food as I knew the remaining portion of the hike up was not going to be easy and I did not want to start out with a full stomach, which in the end was a good decision for me. Noteworthy today was that on the climb up we crossed over from Italy to Switzerland. 

At the top of our mountain hike, it was quite chilly and both Daniel and I put on our fleece tops and our puffy jackets. We ate out of our food bags and, after about 30 minutes, began the trek down the other side of the mountain, which was the home to many grazing sheep. 

I commented to Daniel today on just how many areas along the TMB there are where one wrong step and you would literally fall straight down the face of cliffs or mountain sides to your death. These mountains are so incredibly steep that no photos really do justice to what you see when you stand on the trail and stare straight down into the valleys below. Just stunning in every way imaginable. However, there have only been a few places where I have felt any real sense of danger while hiking the TMB. 

On the hike down we passed another refuge that had many hikers. I picked up some snacks and a drink while Daniel took a pass on this one. We also talked to a few other hikers that we have got to know over the past few days. From there we had what seemed like a long downhill hike to our campsite in the Swiss village of La Fouly. It is a beautiful campsite nestled under some stunning mountains. 

It took some extra time to set up my wet tent as I tried to dry the various pieces before assembling everything, but in the end all was fine. Afterwards I took a hot shower at the campsite and I was really surprised at how clean and nice the facilities are here. A nice way to end the day. 

Tomorrow we go again.