The Alps don’t stand out for the wildness and there are no big mammals to worry about. The goat-like chamois and bouquetin seem the most ubiquitous among the sizeable ones, relatively easy to spot and I never seem to remember which one is each.

Another common trail companion is the shy marmot, bound to be the main character in this comment.

¿Conflicts with the marmots? They’re lovely, furry, beautiful animals not interested in hikers but maybe interested in hikers’ sweat? That’s what I can think of as a reason for that missing sock when I woke up from some alpine bivouac and went for my footwear…

My campsite was immaculate and my night’s sleep had been sound. Just there was one sock missing. I wondered if there were any marmot dens in the vicinity and voilá… less than 5 meters from my sleeping bag.

Marmot den
The sock was found a bit deeper into the hole

Nothing blue visible from the distance but I took a closer look and voilá again: 20 cm in there was my (blue) wool sock, only a couple small holes but otherwise intact.

Marmot teeth in my sock

Maybe sweat (and the salt that goes with it), maybe just curiosity but it was neat to think a little marmot had been playing around during the night and I didn’t even notice. It made me feel a bit more of a legitimate part of this world.

The mischievous marmot lives under the Roche des Glots