 DAYS ELEVEN & TWELVE – July 13 & 14
The last two days of this epic hike included: the best hot dogs ever, a cable car ride, ibex sightings, some scrambling over rocks, a night at Bellachat refuge, and the ultimate views of Mont Blanc. DAY ELEVEN After many nights in shared sleeping quarters with strangers in tight spaces, waking up our hotel room in Chamonix, with a private bath, was simply divine. It was Saturday morning in Chamonix. After taking full advantage of our hotel’s buffet breakfast, we decided to enjoy the morning and walk around the town because today’s hike from Plan Praz to Bellachat would only take a couple of hours.
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10/18/2019 0 Comments TRAIL: TOUR DU MONT BLANC – DAY 10 DAY TEN – July 12
Today was the day for epic vistas, the legendary ladders, an incredible mountain-top aqua blue lake, ibex sightings, and a mad dash to Plan Praz to catch the last cable car back to Chamonix. It’s hard to pick a favourite day on the trail but Day 10 is definitely in the top 3. Today was all kinds of epic. The kind of epic that comes to mind when you think of the Tour du Mont Blanc. It was the kind of day on the trail that exceeds all your expectations. The kind that makes you believe that if you can conquer those terrifying, cliff-hugging mountain-side ladders, you can do anything. The day started out an an easy enough forest trail that gradually ascended above the tree line. All along the views of Mont Blanc kept us company, peaking through the trees and appearing on the horizon. 10/9/2019 0 Comments TRAIL: TOUR DU MONT BLANC – DAY 9 DAY NINE – July 11
Back in view of the Queen herself after an exhaustive 800+ meter ascent to Col de Balme, crossed back into France, incredible views of the valley, and a stay in the tiniest, coziest private room possibly ever. “It’s just 800 meters!” By Day nine, an 800 meter ascent is just your average day on the Tour du Mont Blanc. I quite like the feeling of looking back to where we came from and feeling a tremendous sense of accomplishment {insert life analogy here}. 10/4/2019 0 Comments TRAIL: TOUR DU MONT BLANC – DAY 8 DAY EIGHT – July 10
Up and down on the Bovine trail from Champex to Trient, through forests, across streams and cow pastures – an unexpected day all about food. The morning air was already warm. The dew was evaporating right before our eyes. It was really cool to see the mist rise from the fields. It was going to be a lovely day. Our host at La Grange recommended we take the Bovine Trail and not the Fenetre d’Arpette trail. Just the day before a hiker fell and hit her head on the descent on the Fenetre trail. As we were here for fun and not a life-risking adventure, we opted for the Bovine route. And, let’s be honest, already people think hiking this trail is pretty crazy so we didn’t want to convince them that we were certifiable. Yet, don’t be fooled and think the Bovine trail is an easy route. I thought it was still very hard and had loads of ascents up rocky trails. I’m getting a bit ahead of myself though. 10/2/2019 0 Comments TRAIL: TOUR DU MONT BLANC – DAY 7 DAY SEVEN – July 9
Quite a leisurely hike except for the ascent into Champex; walked along a river, by quirky wooden houses and extravagant garden gnome displays, through a forest of carved wooded creatures, and ended with beer and fondue on a patio overlooking Lac de Champex in a rainstorm with the British Army. The guide book says this is the easiest day of the whole hike and that’s a pretty accurate assessment. What today lacked in spectacular scenery, it made up for in ‘strange things to see on the trail.’ The day was filled with quirky findings – from houses, to gnomes, to chicken coups, to an enchanted forests of wood carved creatures – which made an otherwise leisurely hike quite interesting. Shortly after leaving Ferret we made a pit stop in La Fouly – the map said there was a public toilet (again, with the toilets!) and a cafe as we were in our perpetual search for good coffee. Found both the toilet and the coffee (not in the same place) and while enjoying our coffee we had the immense pleasure of meeting the happiest, furriest dog on the planet. Nothing like a little puppy love to make you smile.  DAYS FIVE & SIX – July 7 & 8
Enjoyed half day off on Day five and strolled around Courmayeur, then hopped on a bus along Val Ferret before jumping back on the trail, which included epic view and some very sketchy snow bridges on the way to Rifugio Elena. Crossed into Switzerland on Day 6 on the Grand Col Ferret at 2,537 meters above sea level and enjoyed a great night’s sleep in the attic at Hotel du Col du Fenetre. DAY FIVE A lot of hikers will take a day off on Courmayeur to rest as the last four can be quite strenuous. But, despite having reserved our accommodation in April, we couldn’t find a way to book a rest day. Instead, we opted to take the morning off and enjoy the town. We wandered around, picked up supplies, and enjoyed a yummy croissant and a really good coffee. I wasn’t feeling 100% (icky tummy troubles) and decided that the best option for me was to skip the steep ascent out of town and take a bus part way. We spoke to several other hikers who chose the bus option as well. It was 3 euros and worth it if you need to give your tired legs and back a bit of a break. 9/28/2019 0 Comments TRAIL: TOUR DU MONT BLANC – DAY 4 DAY FOUR – July 6
Day four without a shower, woke up to the sound of rushing water from a glacier outside our window, the trail eased into a long ascent and then ended in the longest descent ever but did spend a lot of time looking at Mont Blanc and the glaciers, ended the day with an epic shower, laundry and pizza! It was the first decent night’s sleep I had since we started this hike. Which, when I think about all the other strangers sleeping with in feet of each other, it’s quite remarkable. It was another beautiful day. Sunshine and more sunshine! The day started with a short jaunt along an old Italian military road. There’s nothing uniquely spectacular about the dusty road itself but the surrounding scenery – Mont Blanc, the receding Glacier du Miage, and the valley ahead – is just about enough beauty one person can take. 9/26/2019 0 Comments TRAIL: TOUR DU MONT BLANC – DAY 3 DAY THREE – July 5
Had a terrible sleep and then god-awful coffee for breakfast but it turned out to be one of my favourite days on the TMB. Started the day in France, ended in Italy, ascended and descended two cols (one snow-covered), had to wait for a marmot to cross the road, and had our first true Italian meal. What a beautiful day it was going to be despite the horrific breakfast. It was a make-your-own-porridge kind of breakfast. It wasn’t edible. But again, you can’t expect freshly backed croissants flown in by helicopter! In any case, this breakfast was a good reminder to always have a stash of granola bars or other snacks in your pack. We chose to do the variant trail instead of going by way of Les Chapieux and headed up the Col des Fours (2,665 meters above sea level). This ascent side of the Col doesn’t seem to get enough sunlight to melt the snow so the trail was very icy. Other hikers had carved out path and the only option was to follow in their footsteps. 9/24/2019 0 Comments TRAIL: TOUR DU MONT BLANC – DAY 2 DAY TWO – July 4
The day started with a descent into the small town of Contamines, then a lovely stroll through a forested park area, then it was up, up, and more up, the first of many snow bridges, two cols, first marmot sighting, and then a very unique stay at Refuge de la Croix du Bonhomme. There’s something special about the fresh crisp alpine air that greets you when you emerge from the dorm. It was a stunning morning, the sun was shining, we could hear the distant jingle of the cow bells and it was pure delight. After a typical breakfast of a HUGE bowl of coffee, juice, and bread, we packed up and headed out. (Also, HUGE bowls of coffee are my new favourite thing). 9/23/2019 0 Comments TRAIL: TOUR DU MONT BLANC – DAY 1 It’s been many years that “Tour du Mont Blanc” has been on my hiking wish list. FINALLY – this was the year! I think it will remain as one of my all time favourite hikes ever. For real.
Every day was just as amazing as the last. It’s hard to pick just one highlight! DAY ONE – July 3 The day started with a ride up the Bellevue cable car, gave us our only day of wild weather with an intense rain and hail storm on our first Col, and then ended at the delightful Auberge de Truc, albeit a bit soggy.We stayed in Chamonix the night before so this morning we hopped on a bus to Les Houches where we caught the Bellevue cable car up. And then the hike began. After a photo opp naturally. It’s quite a surreal experience to finally be hiking a trail you’ve dreamt about, researched, spent countless hours scouring photos online and endless hours prepping for. And then there you are, one foot in front of the other hiking it. Let me just say that no matter how many photos you see of the hike, NOTHING can fully prepare you for how incredibly beautiful it is. We couldn’t go 10 feet without gasping in awe of the mountains, the greenery, the glaciers, the breathtaking beauty that surrounded us. Starting with: |
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