Up, Up, Up.
A seemingly disastrous travel experience and bus ride. Now a cherished memory.
The last time we descended until the end of the journey was when we landed at the airport. From there, surely things would only go up. And they went up all right. But not right away.
Down at the Start.
We always had our minds set on the mountains and it was finally time to make the trip. From the start everything was chaotic. We were hesitant about booking with three connections. The night prior we were scrambling to get COVID-19 tests. Our first flight was smooth but a snow storm delayed the second flight. When we landed we waited anxiously for our bags to roll around on the carousel because the delayed flight turned a comfortable layover time into a frantic time crunch. The bags never came and we missed our first bus.
After filing lost baggage complaints, purchasing new bus tickets, and getting lost several times looking for the bus stop, we finally made it where we needed to be. Only we still needed to wait half an hour for the next bus and we were stuck outside in our ill-equipped outfits. There was heavy snowfall and it was freezing. We were determined not to miss another bus though so we decided to tough it out.
When the large coach bus arrived a line had formed behind us with lots of people. The driver asked us for our tickets and our bags. He looked at us funny when we told him we had no bags. We sat in the back, damp and cold from the snow, and watched the others load their gear into the belly of the bus. The bus got crowded and humid from the heat and the other people. It would have been uncomfortable if we were not so cold.
“Welcome to Switzerland.” said the bus driver.
The bus growled to life and we drove off.
Across, Before Up.
Before we made the journey up the mountain, we passed through the snowy fields and frozen lakes of Switzerland into France. The sky was gray and the weather calmed to a romantic snowfall with large fluffy flakes. We passed small, snow-covered cabins behind rudimentary wooden fences. Many of the houses had smoke rising from their chimneys and I remember imagining families sitting around their wooden fireplaces inside.
It was already overcast from the thick clouds and fog so we did not notice it growing darker. We continued through the valley for half an hour gazing in awe at the white landscape until we finally saw the base of the enormous mountain range piercing the low fog. By the time we crossed the border into France it was dark outside. That was when we started going up.
Up to Town.
By the time we started the ascent we had warmed up and become tired so we did not talk. The bus was bumpy and the road winded sharply so we did not sleep either. Yet despite our drowsiness the bus continued to battle the mountain ever so. Back and forth, onward and upward. Each time our window faced they valley, it looked smaller and smaller. The ride carried on like that until we got to the small town where we would meet the second bus. I wondered if our bus was as tired as us.
When we stepped off the bus it was even colder than before, but the lighter snowfall meant we would not get as wet. It was late and our bus was the only one at the station. Inside the small station building it was still cold and there were only a few places to sit. We had time before our next connection was to leave so we decided to walk into town and find coffee.
The town was covered with an even deeper blanket of snow and we could only walk on the small streets where it was packed down tightly. Few cars drove through. When they did they drove slowly. It was very quiet. The loudest sounds we heard were our footsteps crunching on the snow or the occasional laughter from a different street nearby.
Most of the shops were closed but their windows illuminated the white streets displaying chocolates and other various indulgences. The buildings were abundant with holiday decorations and lights giving the town a glowing colorfulness. It felt empty but not vacant.
Eventually we found a small pub that was still open. It was mostly unoccupied except for a few others we recognized from the first bus. When we finished warming up and drinking our coffee we made our way back to the bus stop. Our second bus was already running this time. We got on the bus and got ready to ride upwards again.
Up the Steep Road.
The second bus was just like the first only it had to fight much harder to make the ascent up the mountains. The road was getting steeper and the turns were getting tighter. At first it was very foggy, but eventually we broke through it to where we could see the thick snow clouds and more of the mountains.
The snow picked up again. At one point the road widened and straightened out revealing a long line of cars pulled over. The drivers were attaching chains to their tires. After the straightaway the road got particularly steep and narrow. It ran very close along the edge of the mountain.
The bus needed to make wide turns. Each time it did so it seemed like the driver was taking us straight off the cliff. Then as we came around we would narrowly miss the mountain face. Sometimes as we came around there would be a cars coming down that could not fit on the road while we were turning. When that happened we would stop abruptly. Then we would worry the bus would not be able to move forward again. The road continued like that for an hour. We were both quite nervous. With each turn the road below it disappeared and more of the mountain range came into sight.
Up at the Top.
Eventually we reached a wider, straighter road. We came to the sign for Val Thorens and knew we were finally close. We turned and followed that road to a large open area that flattened out to boast mountain peaks as far as the darkness allowed us to see, and the skiing town up ahead.
The bus drove into Val Thorens and dropped us off at the town center. There were people drinking on their balconies and there was music playing from a Après Ski Club across the street. Stepping off the warm bus we had forgotten we did not have our boots or ski jackets. It felt the coldest it had all day.
For the first time since we landed, we walked down from the city center towards our lodge. We walked as quickly as we could without slipping on the snow and ice in our tennis shoes. We were hungry so we stopped at the 24/7 convenience store for snacks and hot drinks on the way.
When we finally got to our lodge, we quickly went to our room and fell asleep. I fell asleep so quick that I did not even get the chance to process how incredible the journey up really was.
French Alps [Winter 2021]