The heavy rain of last night ceased at breakfast time, and a fine day helped me to reach Courmayeur early at 4.45 pm, despite being tempted to leave the Alte Via 1 trail to climb a small summit, thinking it would be quieter. How wrong I was - there were hoards of people; maybe the peak was in a guide book. Coumayeur was also heaving - it's now peak season and the crowds are not what I've come for, so I had something to eat, picked up my new boots and supplies and left. Out of the frying pan of too much solitude into the fire of too crowded! The problem is that the huts are now fully booked and I couldn't book anywhere for tomorrow night, when rain is again threatened. I shall leave the Mont Blanc trail as soon as I can and meanwhile tonight find somewhere to bivouac.
It has been a good day though. The views of Mont Blanc and the Grandes Jurasses were really fantastic, with lots of fresh snow from last night's storm and a plume of spindrift blowing off the summit. It's been a breezy day and much cooler - I wore a top over my tee shirt for the first time on the journey.
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