Highlights of the Tour du Mont Blanc

TMB Trail 

• Completing the TMB from Les Houches to Les Houches, hiking over three international borders and completing the full official route on foot. Loved crossing the many mountain passes. The final two days were the most challenge from an endurance and exposure perspective. We did more scrambling and boldering than expected.  We were happy we did the final long descent (when it was done) skipping the cable car many other take.
• The scenery: fabulous mountain scenery, magnificent snowy peaks, high passes, pretty Alpine villages, farms, and the ever present Alpine cows in high meadows with their bells.
• Staying in the Refuges (Rifugios), a must do for a true Alpine experience and the opportunity to break bread with an international group of fellow hikers. We met some great people (like the three Australian physicians who were taking a year out of their specially training to travel the world or our Irish friend who bought us a celebratory aperitif our last day). Everyone we met was friendly, positive,  considerate, genuine. Hikers are the best people!!!!
•  The food: consistently fresh, tasty, and flavorful - and did we mention lots of cheese.
•  The Skyway cable car that  goes over the Mont Blanc massive from Courmayeur, Italy to Chamonix, France. It was truly spectacular. 
• Brilliant weather, sunny and warm with a couple of part days of light rain and one day hiking in fog (a neat experience even if we did miss some views).

What we wish we knew: Actually, not that much. Alpine Exploratory sent us a wealth of information in advance. However, for next time:

• We will book return transport in advance as we had a small issue when we learned express buses did not run Sunday.  It all worked out as we were able to "catch a ride"  with some fellow hikers as their private transport was not full. 
• Next time we will check out the Mont Blanc Skyway in more detail as we could have gone from the Italian/French border (summit) to the first French station at a moderate fee. If money is no issue you can go over the massive on the Skyway and catch a bus back through Mont Blanc tunnel.
• We will not be quite so conservative and will plan longer hikes on days we are staying in Refuges. It is pointless to get in too early as there is nothing to do but sit and wait until 7 pm dinner.  In retrospect we found that 8-9 hours hiking (6-7 hours moving) time is just about right leaving plenty of time for breaks, route finding, chatting to others on the trail etc. 
• Always remember to take soap to Refuges, some supply, some do not. 

Key points for others: 

• It is very simple to alter the TMB depending on your needs or the weather. Although we never needed to use them, we always had alternatives to shorten the route, walk at a lower elevation,  or eliminate most walking for the day.
• The TMB is doable as a single male or female.
•  The route is well signed. Some navigation skills are an asset and would be required in very low viability (heavy fog, snow). Interesting for us, the post signage always had the distance in time (i.e. 2 hours, 25 minutes). We could never understand what the source of the time measurement was but it seemed to work for us.
• There were many sources of potable or bottled water and food on the trail. All the Refugios serve food and drinks.    
•  We were able to communicate everywhere in English using only some very basic French words and phrases - mostly for courtesy.    

  

Geneva

We had a fun wind up day in Geneva, walking around the old city, with shops mostly closed for Sunday and outdoor cafes open. We walked (can't get enough walking) to the United Nations which has huge grounds, but unfortunately also closed. The lovely botanical gardens were free and open and had an interesting display of spirituality and nature. We found a three hour lake and dinner cruise which was a relaxing way to end the day - almost! It started to rain and by the time we were off the cruise and on and off the bus we were soaked, even with our rain coats. We are so fortunate we never had this heavy rain on the mountain trails. We fly home tomorrow - trying  to stay up late tonight so we can sleep in and get back on Alberta time.

Day 11 & 12 Hiking, Chamonix, France, and the end of the trail

Trail leaving Refuge de la Flegere

We are done: we walked well over 180K and climbed almost 10,000M; our knees, feet, endurance and the weather held out and we finished today in sunshine at Les Houches, the same village as we started.

The last two days have been challenging as we climbed 1860M and descended 2080M most of it up, around, and down rocky cliffs. Our route card said it was "one of the most exciting stages" and "true high mountain hiking". It was a test of our abilities as we had to go up ladders bolted to the cliff face, use metal steps driven into the rock, and hold onto chains on steep edges. It was always safe, just a bit daunting. Turning around was not an option. And, perhaps, this section is why most people do the TMB counterclockwise as otherwise we would be climbing down ladders and going down cliff faces diagonally. Feels better to go up. 

La Flegere

Last night we were in Refuge de la Flegere, our last mountain "hut",and  this one really quite basic. We had a co-ed room with a young couple from Calgary and a Irish man. The food was good: pasta, potatoes, cold cuts, and a choice of desert. Did we mention cheese with every course and one dessert option was cream cheese with black berry jam. Everyone was in bed by about 9:30 pm and all awake by 6 am. The floors and doors creaked! We could hear people talking (loudly) in the bathroom next door. So, we had an earlier start than usual.

It was a long long way down to the valley below

Today we climbed, for the first half of the day, on some of the most spectacular trails so far. We had unobstructed views of Mt. Blanc and managed some of the most exposure we have experienced on this trip, making our way to Col du Brevard and then over to Brevard where we could have taken a cable car to Chamonix. Instead we preserved and walked down, all 1570M (about the same elevation loss as going down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon) and that after over 700 M up. We are tired and pleased with completing the full Tour on the official routes! 

After finishing our hike in Les Houches, the starting place, we took a bus to Chamonex to our hotel with easy access to travel to Geneva tomorrow. We had a lovely dinner to celebrate tonight.

Argentiere, Sightseeing

A welcome change of scenery today, we shopped 'till we dropped" or at least until we had explored 95% of the shops in Chamonix, the tourist center of the Chamonix valley.

All public transit in the Chamonix valley is free for tourists. You get a "hotel card" from your hotel and you can ride buses and trains for no charge. We took a 20 minute train trip to Chamonix on the Mont Blanc express, which the lady at the front desk kindly told us "was not an express".

We hit every gear store in town, and they are all here - Salomon, Helly Hanson, Mamuet, Patagonia, and so the list went on. We have been seeing all the local hikers in a brand called Quechua (a French sports wear line): backpacks, clothing, shoes, all around us as we hike the alps. We were thrilled to find their store in Chamonix on a side street, and actually did some shopping (i.e. buying). They had the best prices and we can not get this brand at home.

We even hit the McDonalds, just to use the WC, but had to buy coffee to get a pass code for the privilege. The McDonald's blended into the local mileau with stone work and rustic chandeliers but  the menu was about the same. The prices also look the same as at home but, of course, we pay in euros. Our lunch, however, was in a little patio cafe followed by ice cream from a street stand.

We are back on the trail tomorrow, with two big back to back days to end the tour. We will be staying in a mountain Refugio, so, no post tomorrow.

Day 10 Hiking, Argentiere, France

One of many view of the Alps from the TMB

Alpine cows with their heavy bells

 with their heavy bellsToday, perhaps, was the most dramatic scenery we have seen out of ten days of spectacular scenery. We climbed 1100M to a high mountain ridge, traversed the ridge, and then descended 1160M to the valley below and the pretty village of Argentiere. The first part of the day, and 3/4 of the elevation gain, was climbing to Col de Balme. On arriving at Col de Balme we sat and had coffee at Refuge du Col de Balme with Mt. Blanc as the backdrop. From there we climbed up onto a ridge with more views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding snow covered peaks and glaciers. The route up to Col de Balme was busy with hikers, however once you get to the top there are multiple routes to choose from, and the groups soon disperse, some to hike higher and some to take a ski lift (telecabine) down. We needed to refer to the map and the compass and successfully found our route across the Aiguillette des Posettes (a ridge walk). In the Alps we hike up through alpine pastures listening to the ever present cow bells while looking ahead to snowy peaks and back to the chains of green valleys and pretty villages. In the Rockies we hike in a wilder wilderness, see fewer people, and seldom get caffe latte at the top of a pass.

It was good to arrive at Hotel de la Couronne a little after 4 this afternoon after 8 hours on the trail. We have another large twin room with a balcony and a view. Tomorrow we go sightseeing in the Chamonix valley. 

Day 9 Hiking, Trient

Another day, another 20K, another mountain ridge to climb and descend. The weather remained  sunny but not too hot, perfect really. Our trail today took us through a lot of forest, up and down, on packed sandy ground that was often very rocky. We left Champex and walked into a valley for about 6 kms before we started working on today's elevation.

Cows at de Bovine

At noon we arrived at Alpage de Bovine, a farm cafe. It was a bit disconcerting to get there through a herd of black cattle (? black Angus) that were sort of agitated, locking horns and fighting. The poster at the farm suggests these cattle are used for fighting competitions (who knew in Switzerland!).

It was a very popular spot, with picnic tables, and lots of clients. As the sign asked that you buy something to picnic, we obliged by getting tea and cake! We then ate our supermarket lunch of apples and cheese. There seemed to be some guided groups, and the usual collection of all ages. Later we met two Americans and had a long conversation about hiking in bear country. They suggested that the reason we do not see any wildlife, even birds, is because the trail is so busy.

Alpine barn

Bovine was about 15-20 minutes from the top of our climb, and once we reached the top, it was all downhill to our destination for the night, the tiny village of Trient with a wonderful pink church - really helps it stand out in the mountain landscape. We are staying at an Auberge, a type of guest house with half board (dinner and breakfast). We ordered cheese fondue for dinner -you really can't get too much cheese.

Big day tomorrow - they actually all feel like big days!

Champex Sightseeing

Lac Champex (there is a walking trail around the lake)

Today was another opportunity to step off the trail and explore a little bit more in this part of the alps. Champex, during the shoulder season, is very small, so we wanted to head further afield, getting a taste for the winding roads and countryside beyond what we can encounter walking.

School children at Roman ruins, Martigny

We settled on a trip to Martigny, a small city an hour away by bus, to see the St. Bernard museum. The history of the famous alpine dogs goes back to early Middle Ages when the monks who established the Mont Joie hospice on the St Bernard pass rescued travelers trapped by snow. The monks gave hospitality to all including Napoleon and his 50,000 troops on their way to invade Italy. The museum was a wealth of info, we learned, among other trivia, that Hannibal never took elephants over the alps. The museum also shelters St Bernard's and we got to tour their kennels.  Martigny is on the site of a Roman settlement and has many ruins including an amphitheater still in use today. It was fun to wander around a "regular" Swiss city that had few tourists.

We have to tell you about last nights dinner: the "Sunday night special at Hotel Spendide": we had Charcuterie (a cold meat plate) as an appy followed by Raclette. Raclette is a Swiss dish that goes back to the 1200s, a Raclette cheese round is broiled and the melted cheese is scraped onto a warm plate and served with a small boiled potatoes and pickles. The chef prepared it beside the table and waited whiled we had as many servings as we wanted (was it 3, 4, more.......).

We are back on the trail tomorrow.