La randonnée des Alpes
The Hike in the Alps
On a group hike near Chamonix, a teenager freezes with fear at a high viewpoint, and a friend helps him find the courage to continue.
- courage
- friendship
- nature
Tap an underlined word to see its meaning.
What you'll encounter
- Grammar
- passé composé
- quand + present/past
- ne...plus
- Vocabulary
- hiking and mountain vocabulary
- fear and courage vocabulary
- Skills
- following a short emotional crisis and its resolution
- understanding encouragement through dialogue
Chaque été, Sami part en randonnée avec quatre amis de son quartier, près de Chamonix. Cette année, ils ont choisi un nouveau sentier qui monte vers un point de vue appelé le Belvédère.
Show English
Every summer, Sami goes hiking with four friends from his neighborhood, near Chamonix. This year, they have chosen a new trail that climbs toward a viewpoint called the Belvedere.
Le groupe part tôt le matin : Sami, Enzo, Clara, Nina et Hakim. Le temps est clair, et la montagne montre ses sommets enneigés sous un soleil éclatant.
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The group leaves early in the morning: Sami, Enzo, Clara, Nina, and Hakim. The weather is clear, and the mountain shows its snowy peaks under a bright sun.
Pendant les deux premières heures, le sentier monte à travers une forêt, puis le long d’un ruisseau. Les amis discutent, plaisantent, et prennent des photos des qui courent entre les rochers.
Show English
For the first two hours, the trail climbs through a forest, then along a stream. The friends talk, joke, and take photos of the marmots that run between the rocks.
Nina s’arrête souvent pour prendre des photos des fleurs sauvages au bord du chemin. Enzo, lui, raconte une blague toutes les dix minutes, même quand personne ne rit. Le groupe avance à un bon rythme, sans se presser, et profite du paysage et de la de la forêt.
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Nina keeps stopping to take photos of the wildflowers along the path. Enzo, for his part, tells a joke every ten minutes, even when nobody laughs. The group moves along at a good pace, without rushing, enjoying the scenery and the coolness of the forest.
Après la forêt, le sentier devient plus étroit. Il suit le bord d’une , avec une corde attachée à la roche comme appui. En bas, la vallée s’étend, très loin.
Show English
After the forest, the trail becomes narrower. It follows the edge of a cliff, with a rope attached to the rock as a handhold. Below, the valley stretches out, very far down.
Sami n’a jamais aimé le vide. Dès qu’il voit la , ses jambes deviennent lourdes et son cœur commence à battre vite. Il s’arrête au milieu du sentier, incapable de faire un pas de plus.
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Sami has never liked heights. As soon as he sees the drop, his legs become heavy and his heart starts beating fast. He stops in the middle of the trail, unable to take another step.
« Allez, Sami, ce n’est pas dangereux », dit Hakim, déjà un peu plus loin. Mais Sami ne bouge pas. Il s’accroche à la corde avec les deux mains et regarde ses pieds.
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"Come on, Sami, it's not dangerous," says Hakim, already a little ahead. But Sami doesn't move. He holds onto the rope with both hands and looks down at his feet.
Clara remarque que Sami s’est arrêté. Elle revient vers lui, pendant que les autres continuent un peu plus loin pour attendre au prochain virage. « Qu’est-ce qui se passe ? » demande-t-elle doucement.
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Clara notices that Sami has stopped. She comes back toward him, while the others continue a little further to wait at the next bend. "What's wrong?" she asks gently.
« J’ai peur », admet Sami. « Je n’aime pas regarder en bas. Je ne peux pas aller plus loin. » Clara s’assoit près de lui sur un rocher, sans le .
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"I'm scared," admits Sami. "I don't like looking down. I can't go any further." Clara sits down next to him on a rock, without rushing him.
« Tu n’as pas besoin de regarder en bas », lui dit-elle. « Regarde la roche devant toi, et seulement ça. On va marcher ensemble, très lentement, un pas à la fois. »
Show English
"You don't have to look down," she tells him. "Look at the rock in front of you, and only that. We're going to walk together, very slowly, one step at a time."
Sami respire profondément. Clara lui tend la main. Il la prend fermement et se lève, les yeux fixés sur la paroi de roche devant lui, jamais sur la vallée en bas.
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Sami takes a deep breath. Clara holds out her hand. He grabs it firmly and stands up, his eyes fixed on the rock wall in front of him, never on the valley below.
Ils avancent pas à pas, Clara juste devant, en parlant à Sami d’autre chose : sa musique préférée, son prochain voyage scolaire, tout sauf la falaise.
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They advance step by step, Clara just ahead, talking to Sami about something else: her favorite music, her upcoming school trip, anything but the cliff.
Après une dizaine de minutes, le sentier s’élargit de nouveau et s’éloigne du vide. Sami lève enfin les yeux. Son cœur bat normalement à nouveau, et il laisse échapper un long soupir de .
Show English
After about ten minutes, the trail widens again and moves away from the drop. Sami finally looks up. His heart is beating normally again, and he lets out a long sigh of relief.
« Merci », dit-il à Clara. « Sans toi, je crois que je reste bloqué là toute la journée. » Clara sourit. « On a tous quelque chose qui nous fait peur. Aujourd’hui, c’est ton tour, c’est tout. »
Show English
"Thank you," he tells Clara. "Without you, I think I'd still be stuck there." Clara smiles. "We all have something that scares us. Today it's your turn, that's all."
Le groupe atteint enfin le Belvédère ensemble, une heure plus tard. La vue sur la vallée et les glaciers est magnifique. Sami prend une photo, cette fois sans aucune peur.
Show English
The group finally reaches the Belvedere together, an hour later. The view over the valley and the glaciers is magnificent. Sami takes a photo, this time without any fear.
Le groupe s’installe sur de grands rochers plats pour manger. Nina sort son appareil photo et prend une photo de tout le monde ensemble, le sourire aux lèvres. Enzo propose un toast avec leurs bouteilles d’eau, en l’honneur du courage de Sami. Même Hakim, d’habitude si pressé, admet que la pause vaut la peine.
Show English
The group settles on some large flat rocks to eat. Nina takes out her camera and takes a photo of everyone together, smiling. Enzo proposes a toast with their water bottles, in honor of Sami's courage. Even Hakim, usually in such a hurry, admits that the break is worth it.
Sur le chemin du retour, en marchant à côté de Clara, Sami pense que la partie la plus difficile de la randonnée n’est pas du tout la montée. C’est d’accepter de l’aide, et il est content de l’avoir fait.
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On the way back, walking next to Clara, Sami thinks that the hardest part of the hike isn't the climb at all. It's accepting help, and he's glad he did.
Show full English translation
Every summer, Sami goes hiking with four friends from his neighborhood, near Chamonix. This year, they have chosen a new trail that climbs toward a viewpoint called the Belvedere.
The group leaves early in the morning: Sami, Enzo, Clara, Nina, and Hakim. The weather is clear, and the mountain shows its snowy peaks under a bright sun.
For the first two hours, the trail climbs through a forest, then along a stream. The friends talk, joke, and take photos of the marmots that run between the rocks.
Nina keeps stopping to take photos of the wildflowers along the path. Enzo, for his part, tells a joke every ten minutes, even when nobody laughs. The group moves along at a good pace, without rushing, enjoying the scenery and the coolness of the forest.
After the forest, the trail becomes narrower. It follows the edge of a cliff, with a rope attached to the rock as a handhold. Below, the valley stretches out, very far down.
Sami has never liked heights. As soon as he sees the drop, his legs become heavy and his heart starts beating fast. He stops in the middle of the trail, unable to take another step.
"Come on, Sami, it's not dangerous," says Hakim, already a little ahead. But Sami doesn't move. He holds onto the rope with both hands and looks down at his feet.
Clara notices that Sami has stopped. She comes back toward him, while the others continue a little further to wait at the next bend. "What's wrong?" she asks gently.
"I'm scared," admits Sami. "I don't like looking down. I can't go any further." Clara sits down next to him on a rock, without rushing him.
"You don't have to look down," she tells him. "Look at the rock in front of you, and only that. We're going to walk together, very slowly, one step at a time."
Sami takes a deep breath. Clara holds out her hand. He grabs it firmly and stands up, his eyes fixed on the rock wall in front of him, never on the valley below.
They advance step by step, Clara just ahead, talking to Sami about something else: her favorite music, her upcoming school trip, anything but the cliff.
After about ten minutes, the trail widens again and moves away from the drop. Sami finally looks up. His heart is beating normally again, and he lets out a long sigh of relief.
"Thank you," he tells Clara. "Without you, I think I'd still be stuck there." Clara smiles. "We all have something that scares us. Today it's your turn, that's all."
The group finally reaches the Belvedere together, an hour later. The view over the valley and the glaciers is magnificent. Sami takes a photo, this time without any fear.
The group settles on some large flat rocks to eat. Nina takes out her camera and takes a photo of everyone together, smiling. Enzo proposes a toast with their water bottles, in honor of Sami's courage. Even Hakim, usually in such a hurry, admits that the break is worth it.
On the way back, walking next to Clara, Sami thinks that the hardest part of the hike isn't the climb at all. It's accepting help, and he's glad he did.
Words to know
- marmottes
- — marmots
- fraîcheur
- — coolness
- falaise
- — cliff
- chute
- — drop
- presser
- — rush him
- soulagement
- — relief