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:

---

This variant trail is forested and really well maintained. This section is a great place to start and ease your way into the harder sections ahead. Like this:

There’s also a suspension bridge that is a great place to test your resolve for heights. Like mine. I’m terrified of cliffs and things like bridges above rushing water that I can see when I look at my feet. Needless to say, this one gave me a mild panic attack:

As we approached our first Col, I was thankful for all the months I spent on the elliptical practicing and strengthening. There are no mountains where I live so that was the closest I could get to practicing ascent. And boy, I’m glad I did!
​
The first col, Col du Tricot is 2,120 meters above sea level. For so many reasons it was a great place for a break. I’m glad we did because within minutes of starting the descent it started to rain heavily. And then came the hail! All the water turned the trail into a little river. Quite the adventure! We were super pumped once we got the the bottom and looked up. We did that! In a hail storm! Rock. Stars.

Our night’s accommodation was the family-run Auberge Du Truc. Nestled in the alpine pastures, arriving here was a true sight for sore eyes and feet and muscles.

What the Auberge lacks in some services (no showers) it more than makes up for in hospitality, good food (dinner was soup omelettes, and tomato pasta), warmth, and the most remarkable sunset you might see on the whole tour. Sleeping quarters are shared bunks. And yes, those are cow bells you’re hearing in the distance!

Day one in the books!
​
Next: Day 2