The Confident Hiker

or how to surprise yourself

August 2024

For our second to last day of our vacation in Mex we wanted to see more of the beautiful landscape and looked for a hike close by. We first intended to do a short out-and-back hike but soon decided to do a circular hike instead.

Probably I was still on a high from our previous hike two days prior, when I agreed to Sams proposition and try to tackle a T2 trail. I am still not fully clear on which parts are T2 and which are T1, since it was partially marked differently on the SchweizMobil App (T2) versus on the signs along the trail (which were partially marked T1) but I guess ultimately it doesn’t matter. I am here to tell you, that I successfully managed the whole trail with only a few instances of sweaty hands.

Although this relatively short 2.5 hour hike took us only up to 1’531 meters, at its highest point it still felt as if we were on a different planet and completely alone – in a good sense. The pictures that we took don’t do it justice but we had to try anyway right? And the rest lives on in our memories until we come back for another adventure.

We drove the car to Mex and from there walked out of the village center direction Le Foillet, now still walking on a yellow marked route on a small asphalt road for the first 20 minutes. Shielded from the hot midday sun, we heard the river below us and the rustling of the wind in the braches above us. Soon the trail turned into a gravel road which I much prefer to the asphalt. Not only because it is more comfortable to walk on but also because to me it implies that the real nature adventure is about to start. Water was a constant companion those first 2.5 kilometers; little streams along the path and waterfalls coming down over jagged cliffs, gently dripping off the mossy rocks and then the Torrent de Saint-Barthélemy, a wild stream and a tributary of the Rhône which has its source is at the foot of the Dents du Midi and can be crossed via an overpass.

After standing on the overpass for a moment, enjoying the view over an abundance of fir trees and the valley below and the fresh breeze we turned around and started our ascent on the T2 marked trail direction Le Foillet and L’Au de Mex.

The ascent was very steep right away; we were lead through thick greenery on a narrow forest path. Once again I was grateful to be surrounded by tall trees and a roof of leaves that made this intense climb a lot more bearable. The path was beautiful and quite adventurous and I felt nervous with every new turn as to how it will show its T2 characteristics. The thrill was, I have to admit, also kind of nice; it tickled my adventurous senses and I put a lot of my attention towards simply trusting myself and giving myself a sense of reassurance. Not unlike how you would talk to a kid that is afraid in the dark.

There were times where the path became very narrow and barely visible in the thicket. It definitely asked for care and sure-footedness, sometimes not even both feet fit next to each other. And yet, most of the time I didn’t feel nervous or uncertain of my abilities to walk this trail safely; the presence of the many trees surrounding us and creating almost a kind of cradle was much appreciated. And whenever I remembered that I was climbing up and leaving the solid ground below me, I just looked ahead of me or turned my gaze up to the sky; because the sky always looks the same and the fact that it ultimately starts to feel closer never scares, but rather excites me.

About 200 meters from the top of our hike we decided to take a break and eat our lunch. Nestled in the forest on a bed of soft moss we sat down and savored the peaceful calm energy around us.

As we walked on, we noticed gradually more slate stone on the trail. It was almost like a stream of stones trickling down the path. We grew increasingly more curious as to where they might come from and we were soon after gifted with an answer. At the foot of the Pointe Fornet at around 1’350 meters – our highest point – we suddenly found ourselves in an rockslide hidden within the forest we just ascended trough. This otherworldly looking field of black slate stone in all shapes and sizes came so unexpected, even though it is ofcourse visible on the map. We carefully ascended further up and every single step led to a series of tapping and trickling sounds echoing into the vastness. And apart from that there was complete silence. No wind, no voices, no sounds carried up from the valley. Just silence and our voices.

Even though we saw the bright yellow waypoints in the distance, there was no clear path over the field of stones and it involved some scrambling to cross over. But the slope is not too steep, there are many trees and therefore it is really not a challenge in terms of height. It is however smart, to go slowly, as the stones might not be stable or stuck and slip away under your feet.

Standing up here felt so rewarding and amazing and we had a very hard time leaving this special place. I still feel the pride and the calmness I felt every time I close my eyes. Everything just seemed to stand still so we could capture every single aspect of this experience to keep forever.

Knowing that these places have the ability to persist and the power to still be around for a long time gives me solace and faith. As it always does on hikes, nature left me in awe.

After successfully traversing the stone field without triggering an avalanche, we re-entered the forest, passed resin trenched trees and impressive sculptural moss covered slate stones and inhaled the scent of sweet needle trees and damp moss. Every step filled me with more reassurance that I will finish this hike safely and proudly.

Soon after our peaceful stroll through the trees we came by a small torrent, running over an abundance of more slate stones. The river was not too easy to cross and I can imagine when there is more water after heavy rainfall it might even be slightly dangerous to cross so it is good to be aware of this before starting your hike. For us however, with only little water, it just added to the adventure.

The trail now evenly followed a comfortable path through the forest again, the trees standing in slight distance from each other, like proud silent guardians.

We soon reached a little magical meadow and as much as I tried to find names for all those beautiful places, most of them don’t seem to have a name – or I couldn’t find them. And somehow that also has a beauty to it. It is those little places along the trail that you get to name yourself as you pass them by. And this meadow to me would be called “the place where animals meet”. Even though we didn’t actually see any, it just felt as if at nightfall, the inhabitants of the forest would come and share their stories; safely in peace.

Before crossing the meadow it seems our path became a bit of a confusion as I think the map online and the trail signs were not really telling the same story. For a moment it seems (at least according to the map) we even went off the hiking trail. But it truly doesn’t matter – the route we walked was perfect as is and I can only recommend it – especially so you won’t miss out on the beautiful meadow. There were signs relatively regularly and we followed the trail sign to La Chaux/Mex.

A short zickzack trail lead us to another stream, the Torrent du Moulin where we couldn’t resist of splashing ourselves with the fresh clear mountain water and stand in the stream, watching the water winding around our shoes. And even quickly – and without great expectations – look for gold within the black gravel and pebbles.

Another roughly 10 minutes later we reached La Chaux, a little hamlet close to Mex with a beautiful view over the valley and mountains. Over green pastures we headed downhill towards Mex and soon reached the path where we started our hike a couple of hours before.

Arriving at the end point felt like it always does after a hike: rewarding and content. But this time it also felt like a relief; not because the hike was finally over but rather that I made it and I didn’t end up crying on some steep slope with shaky legs and my heart filled with utter despair. I felt proud and I felt like doing it again as soon as possible.

This hike taugt me something other than the fact that I can actually walk certain challenging paths that I for so long talked myself into not even trying anymore.

It taugt me to trust the change within myself. We are not bound to stillness and stuck in one state of mind or tied to our patterns that we learned a long time ago and practice so rigidly. We are made to change, to evolve and to move. Not everything is linear – we twirl, we walk in bends and zickzack – but we always move forward towards change. And like the weather can change within a day from dark grey skies and heavy rain to the clearest blue sky and the brightest sunlight in the evening; dare to surprise yourself with change. I promise, you will not disappoint yourself.

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Details

Mex to Mex

Difficulty: T1/T2 (Hiking Trail/Mountain Hiking Trail) Length: 6.12 km Duration: 2:35 h Ascent/Descent: 473m/474m

Some more useful facts about this hike

• There are not an abundace of trailsigns – especially at the overpass it is worth to consult your map so as to not miss the narrow hidden trail.
• Being as you cross several streams along your hike, it is really important that you check the weather (and water) conditions. Streams should never be underestimated in their force and always crossed with care and respect.
• The same goes for the field of stones 😉
• As always: treat this beautiful piece of nature with respect and the awareness that we share it with an abundance of wildlife, insects, plants and other humans.